Robinsons Shipbuilders, Sunderland 1839-1870s

[stanmapstone]

Hi Les,
Go to the Local Studies section of the City Library & Arts Centre on Fawcett Street.

http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1557

Stan

[hanes teulu]

Les,
You also mentioned John Small Andrew
Census 1871 RG10 4998 50 8
John Small Andrew, Head, 26, Flour Miller, b. Skelton Yorks
Elizabeth Andrew, Wife, 23, b. BpWearmouth
William H Andrew, son, 2, b. BpWearmouth
Ada E Andrew, Dau, 10 mths, BpWearmouth
Address 13 Gibson Terrace, BpWearmouth

And who's next door at No 14 but

"from home" John Robinson, head, 55, Shipbuilder (late a?), b. BpWearmouth
Martha Robinson, Wife, 56, b. BpWearmouth
Mary Robinson, Dau, 27, b. BpWearmouth
Emily Robinson, Dau, 21, b. BpWearmouth
Alfred Robinson, Son, 19, Engineer (app), b. BpWearmouth
Alice Robinson, Dau, 15, b. BpWearmouth
James Robinson, G/father, Widower, 86, b. Skelton

regards
 

[hanes teulu]

Les
1881 Census RG11 4988 58 6
Elizabeth Andrew, Head, Married, 33
William H Andrew , Son, 12
John R Andrew, Son, 9
Ada Elizabeth Andrew, Dau, 10
Alice Maud Andrew, Dau, 6
May Andrew, Dau 4
Elizabeth Andrew, 2
Address 1 Hylton St, BpWearmouth, all born Sunderland.

Death of John Small Andrew registered Mar 1886 Sunderland age 41 10a 327

1891 Census RG12 4127 12 15
Elizabeth Andrew, Head, Widow, living on her own means,
Ada E Andrew, Dau, 20, Milliner
John R Andrew, Son, 19, Photographer
Alice M Andrew, Dau, 16, Shoe Assistant
May Andrew, Dau, 14, Apprentice Dressmaker
Elizabeth Andrew, Dau, Scholar, 12
John J Anderson, Boarder, 24, Picture Frame Maker
Address - 4 Gibson Terrace, BpWearmouth

Haven't been able to link John Small Andrew "surgical instrument maker" as stated in original post but yet to trace him in 1881.

regards

[URABUS]

Thanks Stan, very helpful, we we contact them before we come to Sunderland.
Kind regards
Les

[URABUS]

Hanes
So good of you to take so much trouble your efforts are appreciated. The reference to John Small Andrew's occupation comes from the Birth Certificate of William Henry Andrew (John's son) born 22 November 1868 @ 7 Gibson Terrace Sunderland.
My understanding is that John Robinson b 1815 Bishopwearmouth and James b 1821 Bishopwearmouth were the sons of James Robinson b 1784 Skelton Yorks.
Some questions for all; in the 1840s -1870s in Sunderland did the Shipbuilding industry consist of large numbers of smaller yards or were there major yards dominating the industry? For example in the 1851 census John was a shipbuilder employing 47 men and given Stan and Peter's comments about the tonnage built suggest that this was a reasonable size business.
What would have been considered a large ship during these times? Presumably yards like the Robinsons disappeared as steel hulls and steam took over requiring  larger more capitalised yards to build them?
I guess I have rambled a bit but I am trying to understand the times and mechanics of shipbuilding on Wearside during this period. Thank you all again for your input.
Les

[stanmapstone]

In 1850 there were over 70 shipbuilders on the Wear,( there are 71 listed in the 1851 Directory) by 1879 there were just over 10.(In the 1894 Directory only 9 are listed) After 1857 there was a clear downward trend, with fluctuations. Over the years 1850-57, an average of about 70 yards launched about two vessels each annually. It was not until 1868 that the number of yards fell below 50 and as iron construction advanced the numbers reduced to the 13-14 yards which continued until the 1920s. Years of decline followed the end of the Crimean War, and many long established shipbuilding families left the industry in the late 1850s.
From Volume 1 of "Building Ships on the North East Coast" by J.F. Clarke

Stan

[stanmapstone]

Another snippet from "Where Ships are Born"
"With yards at Hylton and Ayres Quay, John  Robinson built nearly a hundred ships between 1846 and 1868. They were all wood ships ranging from 200 to 700 tons."
and from "Sunderland, River, Town & People"
"Between 1800 and 1860 very nearly 300 shipbuilders completed at least one vessel, however about one third of them did not last a single year and not more than half survived for two years."
Stan

[peter brownlee]

The wooden shipbuilding yards of the Wear required only a flattish piece of foreshore at right angles to the riverside. The backbone of the business was the coal trade. The smaller craft penetrated to remote river ports or discharged onto a beach at low tide. The largest destination was London River of course, but NE coal cargoes went everywhere in the world in ships of no great size. Australia was explored by means of a former collier barque after all. The Robinson built ships Wild Duck and England would be big vessels for their time. 1,000 tons was about the limit for commercial wooden ships. The first Wear built iron ship was built in 1852and you are right in concluding that the iron hulls and steam power required additional capital investment. Most of the owners of the great Wear shipyards of the 20th century though, began as wooden shipbuilders.
There is a good site with illustrations of shipyards at www.searlecanada.org/Sunderland site
Peter

[stanmapstone]

You can see the shipyards on the Wear in 1851 on the map at http://lewis.dur.ac.uk/pip/singlezoom.asp?img=p2650&ref1=2415
See also  http://lewis.dur.ac.uk/pip/subject1.asp
The first iron hulled ship was called the "Loftus" completed by the engineer George Clark with John Barkes on 23 Feb. 1852
Stan