The two most popular types of shipbuilding records held by the Archives are without doubt ships plans and photographs. I was therefore very excited in early August when I discovered a series of photograph albums of twenty one ships built by the Sunderland firm Austin & Pickersgill Ltd, dating from the late 1950s to the 1970s. There is a separate photograph album for each vessel.
The two earliest albums for the ‘Needles’ and the ‘Baron Kinnaird’ focus on the launch of the vessels, showing the launching party and the vessel sliding down the ways.
The launch of the 'Needles', February 1958 (TWAM ref. 2376 unlisted)
The majority of the other albums concentrate more on the interior of the ships, although usually also include a shot of the overall vessel and some deck views.
The 'Surrey Trader' during sea trials, 1964 (TWAM ref. 2376 unlisted)
Upper Deck of the 'Surrey Trader' looking forward (TWAM ref. 2376 unlisted)
The interior shots often include the wheelhouse, engines and machinery as well as showing the different standards of cabins, dining and recreation facilities enjoyed by the officers and the crew.
Typical seaman's cabin onboard the 'Surrey Trader', 1964 (TWAM ref. 2376 unlisted)
There are albums for the following ships built at Austin & Pickersgill’s Southwick shipyard:
- ‘Needles’ (yard no. 355)
- ‘Baron Kinnaird’ (yard no. 356)
- ‘Glanely’ (yard no. 362)
- ‘Iron Ore’ (yard no. 363)
- ‘Iron Barque’ (yard no. 364)
- ‘Ravensworth’ (yard no. 365)
- ‘Longstone’ (yard no. 366)
- ‘Finnamore Meadow’ (yard no. 378)
- ‘Vasilios R’ (yard no. 818)
- ‘Scottish Trader’ (yard no.822)
- ‘Surrey Trader’ (yard no. 828)
- ‘Victore’ (yard no. 831)
- ‘Wearfield’ (yard no. 837)
- ‘Inishowen Head’ (yard no. 838)
- ‘Ixia’ (yard no. 839)
- ‘Exning’ (yard no. 840)
- ‘Australia Star’ (yard no. 841)
- ‘Baron Inverforth’ (yard no. 842)
- ‘Eibe Oldendorff’ (yard no. 893)
- ‘Catharina Oldendorff’ (yard no. 894)
There is also an album for the ‘Strathdare’ (yard no. 444), built at the old Bartrams shipyard at South Dock.
Although these albums haven’t been catalogued yet, access to them is possible with a few days notice. Please contact me directly if you would like to visit the Archives searchroom at the Discovery Museum to view any of them.
I’m searching for information about my Uncle Geoffrey Chapman, who as an apprentice with Austin & Pickersgill, Sunderland in the early 1960′s, had the honour of launching a ship. He was chosen as he was the youngest employee at the time.
I’m new to compiling my family tree and wondered if you could suggest the way forward in my search for information.
Thanks June
Thanks for getting in touch. I’m afraid that I haven’t started cataloguing the Austin & Pickersgill records yet so I can’t say whether we are likely to hold any information about your uncle, Geoffrey Chapman. My impression at this stage is that the records of Austin & Pickersgill do not survive nearly as well as they do for other Sunderland shipbuilding firms.
We do have photographs taken at launches, particularly within the records of the firm Turners (Photography) Ltd, which took photographs of launches, sea trials and ship interior shots for many local shipyards, including Austin & Pickersgill. Unfortunately, if you’re not sure of the name of the vessel or the year that your uncle launched it then finding an image could take you some time.
I should start cataloguing the Austin & Pickersgill records within the next month or so and I’ll contact you again if I happen to come across any relevant information.
Hi ,
I would be very interested to see the other albums of the ships on the slipways /launches etc .
My father worked on probably every sd14 and b26 that they built from1955 to the mid 1980s.
I would be particullay interested in a ship called happy Dragon built in 1966.
this was the first ship built in two halves . cofferdammed then floated together and welded up .
I was there at the lauch at the Southwick yard . only a boy of 9 years old
my father took me down right down onto the birth to feel and touch the ship
the sleepers the grease on the slipway. the morning of the launch .
the drag chains, piled up the size of your average house. the roar and noise when she went down the silpway,was tremendous . one of my ealiest memories as a young lad with his dad.
if anyone reading this has any photos i would like to hear from you ?
Steven.
Hi Steven,
Thanks for your comment. You’re very welcome to visit our searchroom and take a look at the photograph albums. Our opening times and location are shown on our website http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/tyne-and-wear-archives/visiting-us.html.
You seem to have fantastic memories of the ‘Happy Dragon’. I’m afraid that we don’t seem to have any images of that launch. However, we do have 8 slides of the ship on the River Tyne within the John Rippington collection (TWAM ref. DF.RIP/18/18) and there are also photographic negatives of the sea trials of the ‘Happy Dragon’ in our huge Turners collection (TWAM ref. 3396).
I hope you get the chance to come in and take a look. Incidentally, I wrote a short blog a few months ago about the personnel records we hold for Austin & Pickersgill Ltd http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/engage/blog/interesting-personnel-records-uncovered-by-the-sunderland-shipbuilding-archives-project/. Maybe some of those might also be of interest to you.
Best wishes,
Alan
I am trying to obtain a lines and body plan drawing for the Austin & Pickersgill built SD14 cargo vessels.
I am a shipping model maker of over 40 years, now retired but active again in the field of model ships.
I do hope you can help or advise what other leads I can persue.
Thank you in anticipation,
Norman Hill.
Thanks for getting in touch. We have lots of plans of SD14 vessels built by Bartram & Sons Ltd and Austin & Pickersgill Ltd. You can see details of all the Austin & Pickersgill plans by searching our online catalogue http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk/DServe2/dserve.exe?dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=Search.tcl under the reference number DS.AP/4/PL. I’m afraid that we don’t seem to have any lines plans but I hope there are some others that you might find interesting.
You’re very welcome to visit the Archives to take a look at any plans that interest you and details of our location and opening times are given on our website http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/tyne-and-wear-archives/visiting-us.html. If you’d like to order copies of any items please send details of the plans you are interested in to our main e-mail address archives@twmuseums.org.uk.
Best wishes,
Alan