Old Photograph Shipyard Workers Ardrossan Scotland

Old photograph of Shipyard workers in Ardrossan located in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The firm of Barr and Shearer was established in 1842 at Ardrossan, and changed its name in the 1870s to become the Ardrossan Shipbuilding Company. In 1891 it acquired limited liability, as Ardrossan Dockyard Ltd, but was dissolved eight years later, at which time a successor company, the Ardrossan Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company Ltd was incorporated. In 1899 the name was changed to the Ardrossan Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Co. The yard was also expanded up to five berths in 1916 and the number of workers was 2,300. During the First World War the new south yard was constructed and from 1919, Harland and Wolff managed the yard on behalf of the Royal Mail Group. During the war the yards made minesweepers, small warships. two standard type "H" colliers, and a standard coaster. In 1925 a new company, Ardrossan Dockyard Ltd, was incorporated. This company was later placed under the control of Coast Lines Ltd, a member of the Royal Mail Group, and John G. Kincaid and Company, marine engineers, Greenock, Inverclyde, near Glasgow. In 1930, the south yard was purchased and closed by National Shipbuilders Security, London, England. During the Second World War the company made eight coasters for Coast Lines and a number of others for the Government. The yard also built fishing trawlers and boom defence vessels for the Admiralty. In the late 40s and 50s the yard built mini-cargo liners for Spanish and European companies along with a Clyde ferry. The yard was sold to ship repairers and the North yard and dry dock closed in 1969. In 1962 Archibald D. Kelly acquired the remaining yard and attempted to modernise. The company closed in 1969.



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