Charles Connell and Company

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Charles Connell and Company
Company type Private
Industry Shipbuilding
Founded1861
Defunct1980
FateClosed
Successor Scotstoun Marine Ltd (1972–1980)
Headquarters Scotstoun, Glasgow, Scotland
Parent Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (1968–1971)
Govan Shipbuilders (1972–1980)
The grave of Charles Connell, Glasgow Necropolis The grave of Charles Connell, Glasgow Necropolis.jpg
The grave of Charles Connell, Glasgow Necropolis

Charles Connell and Company was a Scottish shipbuilding company based in Scotstoun in Glasgow on the River Clyde.

Contents

History

The company was founded by Charles Connell (1822–1894), who had served an apprenticeship with Robert Steele & Company before becoming manager of Alexander Stephen and Sons' Kelvinhaugh yard. He started shipbuilding on his own account at Scotstoun in 1861, initially concentrating on sailing ships. [1]

From 1918 the Company became well known for high quality passenger and cargo ships. The yard closed from 1930 to 1937 due to the Great Depression, before rearmament efforts stimulated demand.

In 1968 the yard passed from Connell family ownership after 107 years and became part of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders. [2] The Scotstoun yard continued to be operated by Upper Clyde Shipbuilders until 1971, when the company collapsed, [3] . From 1972 to 1980 it was operated by Scotstoun Marine Ltd, a subsidiary of the nationalised Govan Shipbuilders, which had emerged from the restructuring of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, and was modernised by civil engineering contractor George Leslie Ltd between 1973 and 1978. The yard constructed 15 ships between 1972 and 1980 when the yard closed after 119 years of shipbuilding in which 535 ships had been built.

The site's modern Clarke Chapman berth luffing cranes were moved upstream to Govan shipyard, although the two concrete building berths remained in situ. Part of the yard's modernised covered facilities were utilised by steel stockholders GKN whilst the riverside berth was utilised by Motherwell Bridge Engineering [4] for heavy fabrication work. In 2005, the former shipyard site was acquired by Malcolm Group as a depot and fabrication yard for its construction division.

Ships built

Connells built over 510 ships at Scotstoun. [5] They include:

References

  1. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Glasgow, 903 South Street, Scotstoun Shipbuilding Yard (Site no. NS56NW 53)" . Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  2. ↑ Government's shipbuilding crisis BBC News, 1 January 2002
  3. ↑ Parliamentary debates Hansard, 4 June 1971
  4. ↑ "Quality storage tanks, heat exchangers & gasholders | Motherwell Bridge". Quality storage tanks, heat exchangers.
  5. ↑ "Charles Connell & Company". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  6. ↑ "Michael Angelo". Scottish Built Ships. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Archived from the original on 21 July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  7. ↑ "Saturnia". Clydeships. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  8. ↑ "Clan Skene". uboat.net. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  9. ↑ "Diplomat". uboat.net. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Traveller". uboat.net. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  11. ↑ "Auditor". uboat.net. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  12. ↑ "Benvenue". uboat.net. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "Benmohr". uboat.net. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  14. ↑ "Benwyvis". uboat.net. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  15. ↑ "Esmond". uboat.net. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  16. ↑ "Rothermere". uboat.net. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  17. ↑ Miciński, Jerzy; Huras, Bohdan; Twardowski, Marek (1999). Księga statków polskich 1918–1945. Tom 3[A book of Polish ships 1918–1945. Vol. 3] (in Polish). Gdańsk: Polnord Wydawnictwo Oskar. p. 317. ISBN   83-86181-45-1.


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