G.K. Stothert & Co Shipbuilding and Operations

G.K. Stothert & Co was a significant player in the shipbuilding industry, and their operations were a key part of their business.

The company's shipbuilding operations were located in Newcastle upon Tyne, where they constructed a variety of vessels, including cargo ships and passenger liners.

The firm was known for its high-quality shipbuilding, and their vessels were sought after by shipping companies around the world.

Their shipbuilding operations were a major source of employment in the local area, providing jobs for hundreds of workers.

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G.K. Stothert & Co was founded by Henry Stothert in 1837 in St Phillips, with the goal of securing orders from the Great Western Railway.

The company started out as a branch of the Bath-based company, which would later become Stothert & Pitt.

By 1844, they had diversified into shipbuilding, producing two 105-ton iron screw steamers, the Avon and Severn.

These steamers were built for running between Newport and Bristol.

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The railway works part of the company eventually became Avonside Engine Company, while the shipbuilding part moved to Hotwells in 1852.

It was officially known as the Clifton Marine Engineering and Iron Shipbuilding Works.

G.K. Stothert took control of the company in 1855 and held sole control until 1899.

He formed partnerships with Ernest Theophilus Fripp and George Priestly Marten during this time.

A fire occurred at the yard in 1893, which destroyed the company's records to that date.

G.K. Stothert was a pioneer of iron shipbuilding in the country, as noted by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in his obituary.

G.K. Stothert & Co is a British engineering company that has been around for over 150 years.

Their headquarters is located in Bristol, England.

The company has a long history of producing high-quality machinery, including pumps and engines.

Their products have been used in various industries, including marine and industrial applications.

The company's location has a rich history. In 1852, it started leasing an existing shipyard adjacent to the Cumberland Basin owned by the Society of Merchant Venturers.

The site had previously been used by George Lunnell between 1834 and 1851. The premises consisted of slipways, Hotwells Dry Dock (now Pooles Wharf Marina), and Merchant's Dock.

Merchant's Dock was filled in, although the old entrance is still visible. This change had a significant impact on the site's layout and accessibility.

In 1897, part of the site was sold to the Great Western Railway to allow a line to be built to Canon's Marsh. This development restricted access to the shipyard from Hotwell Road and reduced the size of Merchant's Dock.

The company built several large vessels between 1854 and 1855, including the Scamander, Meander, and Araxes, which ranged between 780 and 1156 tons.

These vessels were built for the Moss Line of Liverpool, a prominent shipping company at the time. The company's vessels were known for their size and tonnage, with the largest one being the Araxes at 1156 tons.

The company also specialized in building river and canal tugs, with an initial order for three vessels in 1860 for the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal Company. The first three tugs built were the Moss Rose, Mayflower, and Violet, all built between 1860 and 1862.

The company continued to build tugs for the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal Company and its successors, eventually ending with an order for two vessels in 1904 for the Severn & Canal Carrying Company. The final two vessels built were the Active and Victor, which are believed to be the last vessels launched by G.K. Stothert.

The Danks, Venn, and Sanders tug Pioneer was also used by its owners on the Canal from 1858 onwards and may have passed into the hands of the Canal Company at a later date.