INVERCLYDE SHIPBUILDING
GEO. BROWN & Co.
The firm of George Brown & Co., Garvel Shipyard, was started in 1901 by Mr George Brown as a shipbuilding and repairing establishment. The work done embraces all kinds of vessels, cargo and passenger steamers, river craft, dredgers, etc., mostly of special type to suit particular trades. From time to time the yard has been extended and improved, and vessels of 5000 tons deadweight can easily be built. The adjoining docks facilitate the handling of repair work and completion of new vessels.
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MY GRANDFATHER
George Brown (1860 – 1933), Founder,
George Brown & Co, Shipbuilders, Greenock
My grandfather, George Brown, founded the shipbuilding company of George Brown & Co in Greenock in 1900.
He must have been a very busy man indeed for he built many ships – he built no fewer than sixty three in the first ten years of owning the yard! Some were small, many were not so small…
Let me tell you a little about my grandfather George. His parents were both born in Largs, Scotland – father (also named George) in 1822 and mother Elisabeth in 1823. He himself was born in 1860 in Birkenhead in England, where his father was a shipbuilding inspector in the UK working on behalf of the Hamburg based shipowners, Holman & Co.
His father’s job took him to many different shipyards, depending on where his employers required him to inspect the building of any new ships they had building in the UK.
The young George’s early days were spent in Birkenhead and Hull, and when he was 12 years old, the family moved to Govan, where Messrs Holman and Co were having several ships built by Messrs Alexander Stephen and Sons.
Two years later his father unfortunately caught a chill and died suddenly, aged just 52. This left a 14 year old George to be looked after by his widowed mother Elisabeth, who also had to bring up his three younger brothers.
How she managed to do this I just don’t know, but George left school in 1874, aged 14, and obtained a job as an office boy in the shipyard of Alexander Stephens. Young George did so well that he was allowed to start an apprenticeship as a Ship Draughtsman in the Drawing Office at Stephens.
There was no training scheme in Glasgow for draughtsmen at that time so he was enrolled for a correspondence course with the London Technical School (the Thames was, at that time, the centre of UK shipbuilding. It was only much later that the phrase “Clyde Built” became synonymous with excellent quality of design and construction.).
George excelled in the correspondence course and was awarded a silver medal by the London Technical School for the best Lines Plan of a ship which he had drawn, with considerable skill, on his mother’s kitchen table! This would be, I would guess, when he was about 17 or 18 years old!
The next news of his promise as an up and coming shipbuilder was, in 1879, when he passed, with a 1st Class Certificate, the stringent Naval Architecture examination held by no less than Queen Victoria’s Most Honourable Privy Council. His certificate has only recently come to light and shows that only 18 candidates out of 158 gained a 1st Class Certificate.
Shortly afterwards, in 1881 or so, the 21 year old George had the honour of being invited to become the first (and only) lecturer in evening classes in Naval Architecture in Scotland. These classes were conducted at Anderson’s College in George Street, Glasgow which, many years later, has become world famous as the University of Strathclyde and whose Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Department has an excellent reputation.
His evening classes were attended by draughtsmen from many of the growing number of Clyde Shipyards, not only in Glasgow but also in Dumbarton, Renfrew, Port Glasgow, Greenock, Ardrossan and Ayr. His students were able to travel to his classes by train using services from these places which had only recently become available. I presume that in wintertime the classrooms were lit by gas as no electric lamps were then available.
It was about this time that he moved from Stephen’s Yard to Denny’s Shipyard in Dumbarton where he played a part in that firm’s rise to fame as builder of choice for fast, reliable cross channel mail steamers.
He rose quickly in that yard to become Chief Draughtsman then Shipyard General Manager, a status reflected in his Chairmanship on the 22nd December 1894 of the prestigious Gala Day celebrations to mark Denny’s 50 years in business as a very successful firm.
George Brown, at the age of 40, was still a man of ambition and when in 1900 Garvel Park Shipyard in Greenock became available he bought the business. The yard had been laid out in 1896 at Garvel Point in the orchard of Garvel House by a partnership of Taylor and Mitchell, but had failed after only 3 years, with only 4 ships completed. Garvel House later became the rather grand residence of the harbourmaster for the James Watt Dock and was demolished in 2004. .
He very quickly obtained his first order to build a small passenger and cargo steamer. This was numbered Ship No 5 and was named Princess Beara when launched on the 24th June 1901. She was built for the Bantry Bay Steamship Company’s service from Castletownbere to Bantry.
In the early days of his time in Greenock he remarked that he would like to build ships for some of the better owners. He certainly achieved that aim, and also had many overseas customers in Australia, Canada, Austria, France, Siam, Malaya, Chile, Colombia and numerous other countries.
He was President of the Clyde Shipbuilders Association, a Justice of the Peace for Renfrewshire, a member of the Clyde Lighthouses Trust and a Member of the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland where he rose to be its Vice President from 1922 to 1925. Many years later I had the honour to serve on the Council of that Institution.
I never met my Grandfather George Brown as he died in 1933 and I was born in 1938. I do recall, as a four year old, being presented to my Grandmother, Sarah Brown, who was then aged 77. I found her to be a rather frightening figure (to me) but this was helped by her giving me a Saturday penny on each of the few occasions when we met! She died in 1943 and was survived by all of her 11 children (7 boys and 4 girls). Both my sets of grandparents left many grandchildren – as a result I had 22 cousins, most of them older than me.
Douglas Brown, January 2021
Footnotes:
1) In 1887 my grandfather married Sarah Steven (1865 -1943). Their marriage lasted for 46 years, during which they had 11 children.
She was the eldest daughter of John Steven (1835 - 1926), a leading brassfounder and successful businessman (Steven and Struthers, Kelvinhaugh, Glasgow). He was a very able man who built up an extensive business, manufacturing large castings, e.g. bronze ship’s propellers, propeller shafts, church bells, lighthouse fog horns, ships’ whistles, etc, at a time when there was a huge demand for these worldwide.
Sarah had six siblings. The well off Steven family resided at Fernlea, West Kilbride, where the domestic staff included a coachman (with coach and stables). He later was replaced by a chauffeur when motor cars became available.
Naturally, Steven and Struthers were the automatic suppliers of propellers and tailshafts to Garvel Shipyard from Ship No5, Princess Beara, in 1900, right up until Ship No 277, Vasabha in 1962!
2) Letter from George Brown, aged 9, to his father dated 13th March 1900. The letter is addressed from “Kirklea”, Dumbarton to George Brown, Esq, Garvel Park Shipyard, Greenock and is postmarked 9.45pm, Mar 13th 1900.
My dear daddy,
I hope you like your new home. We are thinking about you tonight and Jack is just finishing his lessons. Mother is at the sewing machine.
We heard in school this afternoon that Blomfontein was taken and Mafakeing was relieved. So when we came home we put up our flags. We are glad the Bores are getting beat now.
There was quiet a scene in school this afternoon. Stanley Robertson disobeyed Miss Forbes & Miss Campbell and Mister Watson was sent for. He came down to the classroom and gave him a scolding for being rood and then four of the cane and on the fourth whak the cane split in two, one half jumping across the room. Mr Watson said he was very glad he had broken the cane over his hand. We all sat very quiet but Stanley said it was not sore.
After tea Jack and I had a run along the road with our hoops. It was a lovely night and we enjoyed it.
We hope you have got the yard into some order and engaged some new workmen and that you will soon have some work to do
With love from us all, your loving son Georgie
3) My Great Grandfather John Steven (1835 – 1926).
For an excellent and detailed tribute to John Steven, Google search “John Steven – Graces Guide”.
4) For those wishing to obtain information on the George Brown & Co built ships:
Google www.clydemaritime.co.uk
On that site under REFERENCE go to “Clyde Built Ships Database”
Choose “Builder” then, in the drop down menu
SELECT Brown & Co, George, Greenock, for ships built before 1936
OR
Brown & Co (Marine) Ltd, George, Greenock, for all later ships.
[ The reason for this is that the firm became a limited company in 1936 and the computer requires a precise name! ]
Press SEARCH.
You will now be offered a series of windows with vessels’ names.
In the column headed Vessels Names SELECT any name to reveal full details of the ship, her career and in most cases several photos. These enlarge by hovering over the small image with your cursor. Good Luck!
5) For more information, in 2002 an interesting 60 page illustrated booklet was prepared by me titled “SOME NOTABLE SHIPS” (built by GB & Co). Reference copies are held by the Librarian at the Watt Institution, Greenock; the Librarian at the Scottish Maritime Museum, Irvine, and the Archivist at the Mitchell Library, Glasgow.
Additionally, on prior request, the Duty Archivist at the Mitchell Library will allow free access to further details of every ship built at the yard. Ask for File TD865.
6) Ship No 5 Princess Beara was, as mentioned above, the first ship built by George Brown. She sailed for many years with passengers and cargo on the often exposed waters of Bantry Bay until her owners sold her, in 1948, to Spanish buyers for further service! Her owners had, at the time, sent an enquiry to George Brown & Co (Marine) Ltd, asking for a price for a replacement vessel. The cost, unfortunately was too high for the struggling Bantry Bay Steamship Co who then ceased business as a result of bus and road transport competition.
Interestingly enough, a Garvel Shipyard built vessel now operates in Bantry Bay carrying cars and passengers from Castletownbere to Bear Island. She is Ship No 285 (the second last ship built), and was built in Greenock in 1982 as EiIean Bhearnaraigh for the ferry run to Bernera in the Outer Hebrides.
A resident of Castletownbere, Mr Hans Roberti, has recently constructed two excellent models – one of Ship No 5, Princess Beara, and one of Ship No 31,Lady Elsie; both vessels gave excellent service for many years for passengers and cargo in Bantry Bay!!
7) Just before George Brown left Denny’s in 1900 it is worthwhile noting that drawings were being prepared in that yard for the Sir Walter Scott (1899), still in existence on Loch Katrine, and the pioneer turbine steamer King Edward (1901).
King Edward’s design incorporated special strengthening of her sides amidships in order that sponsons could easily be added to convert her to paddle propulsion if the turbines were not a success. Her lines were similar to those of the successful PS Duchess of Hamilton built by Denny’s in 1890.
I think it is likely that George Brown had a hand in those three designs.
NAME
Powerful
Princess Beara
Eisa
un-named
Yarmouth
Grace
Eagle
Lion
Tiger
un-named
Maretanza III
Hawthorn
Carriden
Gael
Juno
Levant
Protector
un-named
Tighnamara
Nathaniel Dunlop
Wellpark
Glenpark
Lampits
Maretanza V
Starling
Kintail
Sea Nymph
Lady Elsie
Misrif Sabah
Sanidad
Yelcho
un-named
un-named
Bull
Zayda
un-named
Mayflower
Tynet
Roosevelt
Maritana
Clyde
Karatta
No 1 Lloyd Uruguayo
Lady Sybil
Presidente
Ludivico
Ardnagrena
Mercedes III
Lintie
Alyn
Ostara
Duncannon
Cassiopea
Moy
Aungdipa
Aungmala
Aungmingala
Owenaminane
Glenelg
un-named
un-named
un-named
George Watts
un-named
Dusit
Lampo
Lady Bacon
Lord Bacon
Artigas
Kopoola
Scutari
Zelia
Aurelie G
un-named
un-named
un-named
No 80
Sir Walter Bacon
Campista
Ardgarth
Ardglass
Ardgour
Kingfisher
A 43
Ustaritz
Espelette
Bissau
Amaral
Porto Grande
X 179
X 180
Alsace
HS 62
Epsom
X 205
X 206
PT 1
PT 1
PT 2
Calcium
S 51
S 52
James Chapman
John Campbell
Joseph Connell
James Cepell
Michael Ging
Joseph Gordon
George Greenfield
Joseph Giddice
William Griffiths
John Gregory
George Greaves
Samuel Green
Kilberry
Kilbeggan
Kilbirnie
Kilbrachan
Kilglass
Peter Carey
Daniel Clowden
John Chatway
Joseph Crowell
John Creighton
William Cable
Collin Craig
William Coran
John Coombe
James Coile
Alexander Colville
Jomaas
Ada
Walter Cane
Albionic
Garryowen II
Magheramorne
Terneuzen
Americano
Gillespie
Raswa
Evifa
Agility
Rengam
Dr D Gondim
Rompin
Kooraka
Ampang
Gemas
Ceraco
Audacity
W F Vint
Paraguassu
Enid
Alice
Prowess
Katoora
Hauturu
Swan
un-named
Sita
Jane
Authority
A M P 23
Craigavad
un-named
Ferry No 4
British Youth
Charlie Clark
un-named
un-named
Asperity
Penhir
Traverse
Sealight
Assiduity
Zweena
Taraqqui
Safiyea
Salimeh
Cia Swift De La Plata No 9
Gebel Ataqa
Activity
Acclivity
Actuosity
Apricity
Acrity
Shelbrit
Angularity
Grit
Aseity
Accruity
Giroflee
Arduity
Curlew
Anonity
Sagacity
Sedulity
Sincerity
Suavity
Cumbrae
un-named
Serenity
Signality
Rinansey
Edenwood
Sinjar
Sulaf
Africa Shell
El Nawras
Aptity
Summity
Supremity
Barbosa
Serenity
Asphodel
Aubrietia
Auricula
Empire Ruby
un-named
Alyssum
Bellwort
Borage
Empire Dweller
Chelmer (i)
Damsay
Chelmer (ii)
Empire Audrey
Cam
Arabis (ii)
Arbutus (ii)
Alnwick Castle
Barnard Castle
Caldecot Castle
Bere Castle
Empire Balham
Empire Bromley
Norwich Castle
Empire Lewisham
Empire Kingsway
Empire Lola
Shell Coven 3
Shell Coven 4
Soeai
Soeai Bana (Soebanajam)
Teddy
Herdubreid
Skjaldubreid
Jacob Kjode
Kong Dag
Beauly Firth
Mount Blair
Lena
Atonality
Sandringham Queen
Lenahan
Chandler
Portland
Secil Novo
Ballyhaft
Netherlands Coast
Ballyhill
Bayad
Sunny
Fife Coast
Ulster Pioneer
Brentfield
North Light
North Rock
Lemana
Garnock
Parera
Otra
Kingennie
Cantick Head
Siddons
Yorkshire Coast
Brigadier
Kakuluwa
N A Comeau
Kinnaird Head
Vasabha
Star of Hope
Coronella
Amaranthos
un-named
un-named
Aires DSM
Leo DSM
Eilean Bhearnaraigh
Wilton
YARD #
-
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
63
64
66
67
68
69
70
70
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121(i)
121(ii)
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131(i)
131(ii)
132 (ii)
132 (i)
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
168
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
217A
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232 (i)
232 (ii)
233 (ii)
233 (i)
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
LAUNCH DATE
00.00.1902
24.06.1901
09.11.1901
00.00.1902
08.05.1902
19.06.1902
21.08.1902
00.10.1902
17.11.1902
00.00.1902/1903
08.12.1903
13.06.1903
30.06.1903
30.05.1903
27.10.1903
23.11.1903
05.02.1904
00.04.1904
05.05.1904
11.08.1904
09.11.1904
08.12.1904
00.00.1904
07.03.1905
26.06.1905
20.09.1905
08.12.1905
05.04.1906
28.04.1906
27.03.1906
23.06.1906
00.00.1906
00.00.1906
20.12.1906
26.02.1907
00.00.1907
14.05.1907
06.05.1907
16.05.1907
22.05.1907
30.05.1907
25.07.1907
21.08.1907
00.00.1908
04.12.1907
00.4.1908
12.08.1908
26.10.1908
04.02.1909
01.05.1909
00.00.1909
25.06.1909
04.11.1909
30.10.1909
00.00.1909
00.00.1910
00.00.1910
00.00.1910
00.00.1910
00.00.1910
00.00.1910
00.00.1910
02.03.1911
00.00.1911
29.03.1911
01.05.1911
25.07.1911
09.09.1911
25.11.1911
13.04.1912
00.00.1912
15.06.1912
01.08.1912
00.00.1912
00.00.1912
00.00.1913
00.10.1912
22.02.1913
05.06.1913
22.08.1913
27.11.1913
12.02.1914
24.09.1913
00.00.1913
28.07.1914
19.11.1914
00.00.1914
27.02.1915
21.10.1915
00.00.1915
00.00.1915
00.00.1916
00.00.1916
04.05.1916
00.00.1916
00.00.1916
00.00.1916
00.00.1917
00.00.1916
00.00.1916
00.00.1917
00.00.1917
08.09.1917
01.11.1917
20.12.1917
29.03.1918
11.05.1918
29.06.1918
11.09.1918
24.10.1918
19.11.1918
14.02.1919
21.02.1919
30.04.1919
2.07.1918
23.09.1918
16.05.1919
cancelled 1918
cancelled 1918
25.06.1919
13.11.1919
cancelled 1918
cancelled 1918
cancelled 1918
cancelled 1918
cancelled 1918
cancelled 1918
cancelled 1918
cancelled 1918
cancelled 1918
00.05. 1920
29.09.1920
cancelled 1918
24.01.1924
19?21?.07.1920
29?19?.10.1921
31.01.1922
22?23?.03.1921
00.00.1923
00.00.1923
completed 05.1924
00.3.1924
00.00.1923
24.04.1924
00.00.1924
07.03.1925
00.00.1925
00.00.1925
11.06.1925
06.10.1925
26? 27?.08.1925
03?21?.12.1925
05.01.1926
02.06.1926
10.07.1926
00.00.1927
07.04.1927
00.00.1927
00.00.1927
00.00.1927
29.02.1928
24.04.1928
14.06.1928
00.06.1928
00.09.1928
00.00.1928
27.12.1928
27.05.1929
00.00.1929
00.00.1929
20.08.1929
19.03.1930
12.05.1930
04.06.1930
27.10.1930
30.08.1930
15.09.1930
00.00.1930
00.00.1930
22.12.1930
28.07.1931
17.09.1931
29.10.1931
29.12.1932
09.08.1933
30.12.1933
06.12.1933
12.05.1934
11.08.1934
04.02.1935
18.09.1935
19.06.1935
04.07.1935
14.11.1935
29.01.1936
11.04.1936
11.06.1936
02.09.1936
29.12.1936
15.10.1936
cancelled 18.08.1936
14.06.1937
21.08.1937
30.06.1938
20.12.1937
02.04.1938
02.04.1938
10.11.1938
28.02.1939
19.12.1938
06.04.1939
27.09.1939
30.05.1939
08.08.1940
25.05.1940
05.09.1940
14.11.1940
26.06.1941
re-ordered
03.03.1941
11.08.1941
22.11.1941
19.02.1942
30.05.1942
27.06.1942
27.03.1943
23.02.1943
31.07.1943
28.10.1943
26.01.1944
23.05.1944
05.10.1944
cancelled 08.12 1943
cancelled 08.12 1943
18.12.1944
26.05.1945
cancelled 08.12 1943
27.11.1945
27.07.1946
05.03.1946
00.00.1946
00.00.1946
07.11.1946
25.11.1946
12.12.1946
02.06.1947
27.10.1947
30.12.1947
02? 08?.09.1948
02.12.1948
02.03.1949
10.06.1948
11.08.1949
22.12.1949
29.04.1950
15.05.1950
14.12.1950
19.07.1951
10.09.1952
04.03.1953
19.12.1953
3.06.1954
24.11.1953
10.09.1954
24.02.1955
21.06.1955
07.10.1955
29.12.1955
26.04.1956
04.10.1956
14.02.1957
31.07.1957
10.03.1958
22.07.1958
29.12.1958
18.06.1959
05.12.1960
12.12.1961? 16.09.1961?
07.02.1962
15.10.1962
12.03.1963
28.02.1975
23.09.1975
24.06.1974
cancelled 19.02.1975
cancelled 19.02.1975
02.03.1982
21.06.1982
30.09.1982
17.12.1982