 William Doxford & Sons' shipyard and engine works, River Wear 1967 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipbuilding Diesel engines |
| Founded | 1840 |
| Defunct | 1986 |
| Fate | Acquired |
| Successor | A&P Group |
| Headquarters | Sunderland, UK |
Key people | William Doxford |
William Doxford & Sons Ltd, often referred to simply as Doxford, was a British shipbuilding and marine engineering company.
William Doxford founded the company in 1840. [1] From 1870 it was based in Pallion, Sunderland, on the River Wear in Northeast England. The Company was managed by William Doxford's four sons following his death in 1882. [1] It was acquired by Northumberland Shipbuilding Company in 1918. [2]
It was renamed Doxford & Sunderland Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd in 1961 and Doxford & Sunderland Ltd in 1966. [1] Court Line took it over in 1972 and renamed it Sunderland Shipbuilders Ltd. [1]
In the 1970s a new all-weather Pallion yard was built which could build two ships of up to 30,000 tons deadweight side-by-side. The steel came in at one end, and the completed ship left from the other with engines installed and sometimes with the machinery running. [3]
Court Line collapsed in 1974 and the company was nationalised. [1] It was privatised in 1986 when it was merged with Austin & Pickersgill to form North East Shipbuilders. [1] However, the last ship built at Pallion was floated out of the yard in 1989 after which it closed as a shipbuilding yard. The old shipyard is now occupied by Pallion Engineering Limited, whilst the former marine engine works is occupied by W.H.Forster (Printers) Ltd.
Doxford was a major British shipbuilder. It also made marine diesel engines, the last of which it built in 1980.
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