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Clayton and Davie, Limited
When a ship grows old and becomes uneconomical and a liability to the owners, the shipbrokers of the world offer her for sale to the ship-breakers. Many ships have ended their days at the jetty of Clayton and Davie Ltd., Dunston.
This famous firm, (a founder member of the British Ship-breakers Association), was formed in 1926 by Mr. Herbert Clayton after returning from World War One. A little later Mr. William Alexander Davie joined him by buying into the company.
A German ship waiting
to be broken up.
Torpedo boat "Walrus"
in Scarborough harbour.
Since 1926 many vessels, famous and infamous, including destroyers, German U-boats, frigates, passenger ships, tankers, submarines, dredgers, fishing boats, tug-boats and cross-channel steamers have fallen into the hands of the Clayton and Davie acetylene cutters.
Acetylene torch cutters divided huge sections of steel and other metals. They were then lifted onto the waiting trucks by a crane carrying a lightweight electric lifting magnet, 45 inches in diameter, capable of handling 1,250lbs.of metal in a single lift. Some of this metal was exported to European countries.
In the fifties when the yard was fully operational, between 75 and 100 men were employed. Many had worked for the firm since boyhood. When an employee completed 25 years service he was presented with a gold watch from the management. Many watches were presented.
The firm was managed in the sixties by Mr.William Alexander Davie and Mr. Herbert William Clayton
Here are some interesting stories connected with Clayton and Davies.
Killed in action
The ship, which had been in action, had had many casualties, and the emergency repairs necessary to keep the ship afloat concealed the presence of some dead sailors, who sailed in this floating hearse until found by the men at Dunston.
There had to be an inquest, then the bodies of the unidentified were buried in Garden House Cemetery.
Tom Goulbourn tells us that he was on board when the bodies were found and that his father Thomas Thompson Goulbourn was Foreman of the Jury at the Inquest.
Reprieve
The veteran paddle wheel tug 'Eppleton Hall' built in 1914 was bought to scrap by Clayton and Davie in 1967.
The news of the tug's fate reached the ears of Mr. Karl Kortum, director of the San Francisco Maritime Museum in the U.S.A. He told Scott Newall who did a "United States Marine Act" by crossing the Atlantic in haste to reprieve the 'old lady' by buying her from the Dunston firm.
A book, The Eppleton Hall, written by Scott Newall, tells the story of the discovery, restoration and journey from the Tyne to San Francisco of the ship. (Howell-North Books, Berkeley, CA, 1971) and is available from local libraries or second hand bookshops - try the Internet.
The "Eppleton Hall" paddle
steamer now in San
Francisco Maritime Mueum
Mr Scott Newall
Plaque for the "Eppleton
Hall" at San Francisco's
Maritime Musuem
Mr. Scott Newall spent £41,600 to rebuild the tug. Then after many trials and tribulations, set sail on her last voyage on the 16th July 1969 - not to a breakers yard - but to honourable retirement as a show-piece in the San Francisco Maritime Museum.
The "Eppleton Hall"
at San Francisco Maritime
Museum - picture supplied by
Norman Lees
The "Eppleton Hall"
pictured at San Francisco's
Maritime Museum
The "Eppleton Hall"
pictured at San Francisco's
Maritme Museum
The Cruel Sea
When the film "The Cruel Sea" was being made, the Elstree Studio camera team visited the breakers' yard of Clayton and Davie at Dunston to shoot scenes aboard an ex-Royal Navy corvette awaiting demolition.
Later most of the superstructure of the vessel was sent off to the studio to be re-assembled.
Some of the name-plates of ships of the past hung on the walls of the yard fitting shop which could be likened to a Naval Museum. Names which quicken the heart-beat of a naval man-'Plucky', 'Paladin', 'Linnet', 'Echo' all ships of war. Ships of commerce include 'Thornaby', Hallmoor', 'Lievvroukerk','City of Christiana', etc.
We would be pleased to have more stories about this and of other Dunston Riverside Industries.
Comments
As an expat geordie, (born in Bedlington, Northumberland, but now living in Calgary Alberta, Canada) I have a long and varied interest in the industrial history of the Northeast.
Among those interests are the history of the shipbuilding and shipping history of the the Rivers Tyne and Blyth.
So, when I finished gathering all that I could find about Hughes Bolckow, formerly of the Tyne, and latterly of Blyth, I decided to round out the story with details of the other shipbreakers of the last hundred years or so.
Through the use of Google, I found this site, and it is an interesting first step in the right direction!
I would really enjoy finding out much more about the firm and it's history. Where can I find this history? And from which sources can I compile a list of the ships scrapped at Dunston?
There are so many firms who have disappeared from the Tyne, and especially in this interesting chapter of local history.
I know that T.W.Ward, also operated on the Tyne for some years, but can find little or no information on them either. So, I am sure that there had to be other firms in shipbreaking during the period 1860 to the late 1970's or so.
Can you help me by pointing me in the right direction, such as possible local archives, people who are already in the field, or any other way of unearthing the details of the shipbreakers of the Tyne.
Thank you for any help you may be able to provide.
Joe Rooney
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Thanks for your comment Joe - we'll get back to you shortly.
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Joe,
Sorry we don't know of any history of Clayton and Davie or where you can get information about all the ships scrapped there. However, you might try contacting Tyne and Wear Archives Service. Their website is at
http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk
and I think they might be able to help you with Clayton and Davie shipbreakers and any others.
Also for other shipbreakers on the Tyne try
Newcastle City libraries at
http:newcastle.govuk/
(you can find libraries under Leisure and Tourism. The library's Local Studies section is temporarily re-located at the Civic Centre while a new library is being built. They also publish books about the River Tyne.)
South Tyneside and North Tyneside libraries are other possible sources of information on Tyne shipbreakers as is Gateshead Library. All have websites andl local studies sections.
Incidentally, we may have more photographs of Clayton and Davie's yard later this year.
Hope this is of some help in your researches.
Posted by: Joe Rooney at January 19, 2007 2:47 AM