West Docks from river showing four building berths - 1890

In 1888 Mr. John Readhead, then aged 70 took into partnership his four sons, Robert, John, James and William Bell, in order that the business should be carried on within the family. During his later years, he played a prominent part in public life and it is illuminating to quote from an article of those times;
“Mr. John Readhead senior, the founder and head of the firm, has necessarily much of his attention monopolised by the gigantic combination of skill and capital which is represented in his business. But his powers of organisation and administration are exceptionally strong; and he is able, therefore, to devote much of his valuable time and energies to the service of the public. He has naturally taken a deep interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of South Shields and its inhabitants, whose prosperity has been largely augmented by the operations of his firm. Thus he has, for many years, been an active member of the Corporation of which he is now an Alderman, having on two occasions, served a term of office in the mayoral chair. He is, likewise, a Justice of the Peace for the Borough and County of Durham, and he worthily represents the interests of the town on the River Tyne Commission.”
The founder’s eldest son, Robert, was in charge of the Engine Works and he too became Mayor of the Borough on four occasions in later years.
In 1867 the fourth son of the founder, James aged 15, started work in the Lawe yard under his father and Mr. Softley, and to quote his own words in later life, “fortunately or unfortunately I took the shipbuilding side.” James was undoubtedly alert, intelligent and extremely forceful from the very beginning. By the time he was 21 he was shipyard manager in the new West Docks yard and from then on he was always jockeying for the position which, in 1888, proved to be his strength. The founder was senior partner but James had established a shareholding in excess of the other partners combined. From 1888 until his death the shipyard was always referred to as “my yard” and after 1894 nobody was ever left in any doubt as to who directed the firm and gave the lead to the future. From this era we have a letter written by Mr. James Readhead dated October 25th, 1890, and typed out on what he describes as “a patent writing machine”, which is quite remarkable for its clarity.
Whilst at the Union British School, South Shields, in his early youth, James had become acquainted with a young Walter Runciman. This same Walter ran away to sea aged 12 and so started a journey that led him to the very top of the ship-owning profession. Ship No. 244, a steamer of 2,650 tons wt. and named “Blakemoor”, was ordered from West Docks in 1888 for Walter Runciman and Company. It was this contract which marked the beginnings of another association, destined to run for many years, this time between James Readhead and Walter Runciman. These two men became the firmest of personal friends, each always eager to pool his point of view and knowledge for the benefit of both.
In this period 17 ships were built for Walter Runciman and Company whilst concurrently the Hain legend was beginning to lengthen with the addition of 35 new ships to their fleet; in 1902/3 there occurred a run of six consecutive ‘St. Ives boats’, all carrying the white H on black funnels. However export work still accounted for a high proportion of the order book, and other companies building frequently at the West Docks during this period included Messrs. Bergh & Helland, Bergen; C. T. Bowring & Co., London; Messrs. Balls & Stansfield, Newcastle; Bateaux `a Vapeur du Nord, Dunkirk; Messrs. Chapman & Miller, Newcastle; The Cuban Steamship Co., London; J. & C. Harrison Ltd., London; The Prince Steam Shipping Co., Newcastle; and Messrs. Scrutton & Son, London.
Despite the size to which the Company had grown in 25 years and the fact that James was proving more than able to take the helm, the founder had yet to play his final hand. Floating repairs had been carried on for some time alongside the waterfront of the West Docks property and it was decided to strengthen this department by beginning excavations for a dry dock. The opening ceremony took place on February 1st, 1892. This dock has since been slightly extended in length to 330 ft. but the entrance breadth of 48 ft. remains as built. The excavations bit deep into the site of an old poor house in West Holborn, the new dry dock being separated from the shipyard by land occupied by H. S. Edwards Graving Docks, later Smith’s Dock Company.
The founder’s death occurred on March 9th, 1894 at the age of 76. However shipbuilding, marine enginebuilding, boilermaking and ship-repairing all continued to progress steadily. In 26 years the size of new buildings had increased from the 700 tons of the first cargo steamer built at the yard in 1868 to the 5,100 tons dwt. Of a cargo steamer built in 1894.
These were the days when the pubs were open before 6 a.m. in the morning and, close to the shipyard, the Cookson’s Arms used to reach great peaks of activity at this early hour. Tots of rum were laid out in rows on the bar counter and many were those who filed in to ‘sup up’ before moving out into the yard. The daily tot was marked up on a large slate with Saturday the day of accounting for all.

At the time of her launch in 1896, 'Trojan Prince' was the largest and fastest ship built at the yard. She had accommodation for 60 first class passengers, a carrying capacity of 5000 tons and reached a speed of 14 knots on trials.

Notes;-

TREVOSE - Ship No. 314 - 1896

Sydney Gordon first left his home in Newlyn in 1911, age13. He walked some 18 miles to St Ives where he signed on as crew with the local firm of Haines Shipping. His first ship was the "Trevose" a steam tramp ship built on the Tyne in 1896 by Readhead.. His first voyage took him eventually to South America where he and another youth jumped ship. They got jobs on board a small trader working up and down the Amazon but eventually they contacted the Salvation Army and asked for help to return home. Sometime later the "Trevose", after completing her trip to the Baltic, was once again in a South America port and the hapless pair had again to join her as crew to work their passage home. I expect that was a hard journey! Shortly after his return to the UKin 1913 he joined the Royal Navy as a boy sailor and served on the Devonport Training Ship H.M.S. Impregnable.

TROJAN PRINCE - Ship No. 315 - 1896

3,273 gross tons, length 351.4ft x beam 44.6ft, clipper bows, one funnel, two masts, single screw, speed 12 knots. Accommodation for 40-1st and 1,260-steerage class passengers. Built by J.Readhead & Sons, South Shields, she was launched for the Prince Line's South American service on 14th May 1896. On 25th Sep.1897 she started her first voyage from New York to Naples, Genoa, Leghorn, Genoa, Naples and New York. Her last sailing from Genoa to Leghorn, Naples, Palermo, Gibraltar (called for repairs with damaged propeller and passengers transferred to SICILIAN PRINCE), and New York started on 25th May 1903. Transferred to other services, she was eventually torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U.39 on 23rd Feb.1917 while 5 miles NW of Point Shershel.[North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.3,p.1233]
From website http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/descriptions/ShipsT-U.html

GERTY - Ship No. 369 - 1903

The S.S. Gerty was built by Readhead, of South Shields, England, for the Unione Austriaca di Navigazione, familiarly known as the Austro-Americana Line. 4,212 tons; 346 feet long x 45 feet broad; 1 funnel, 2 masts; screw propulsion, service speed 12 knots. 23 May 1904, maiden voyage, Trieste-New York. 1919, became "Gerty" (Cosulich Line, the successor to the Austro-Americana Line). 1928 sold to Greece [Noel Reginald Pixell Bonsor, North Atlantic Seaway; An Illustrated History of the Passenger Services Linking the Old World with the New (Prescott, Lancashire: T. Stephenson & Sons., 1955), p. 454]. Pictured in Michael J. Anuta, Ships of Our Ancestors (Menominee, MI: Ships of Our Ancestors, 1983; reprint Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., [1993]), p. 112, courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum, East India Square, Salem, MA 01970. . [Posted to the Emigration-Ships Mailing List by Michael Palmer - 12 June 1997]