Above: Select the required shipyard by using the initial letter of the Surname eg: Eltringham, Hepple or Rennoldson.
KEY BELOW: D / H / P (D = basic dimensions are shown; H = a history is given; P = one or more photographs are available)
Shipbuilder: T & W Smith, St Peter's (1810 - 1861)
Shipbuilder: T & W Smith, North Shields (1839 - 1890)
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In 1810 William Rowe's wooden yard at St Peter's Newcastle was taken over by Alderman Thomas Smith, a rope manufacturer, and his sons William & Thomas.
Following Thomas's death, his sons carried on the business.
This firm became known as T & W Smith and built mainly wooden vessels on the St Peter's site until the 1860s.
T & W Smith also opened another yard at North Shields in 1814 when they leased a dry dock known as Laing's. Laing's Dock is said to have become too small for their needs and in 1850 they opened a new dock on land next to the shipbuilding yard. They constructed a covered shipbuilding berth there in the 1850s and concentrated on building iron vessels. The covered building berth meant that a higher Lloyd's vessel classification could be achieved. This berth became one of three owned by them at the Limekiln Shore Yard. These berths were built of timber with extensive glass panelling. Eventually this yard was to concentrate on ship repair and became Smith's Dock Company in 1891. The following is a list of tugs built at the St Peter's & North Shields yards: |
| Yd No | Year | Ship Name | D / H / P |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1846 | Amazon | D / H | |
| 1848 | Black Eagle | D / H | |
| 1853 | Bishop | D / H | |
| 1853 | Merry Andrew | D / H | |
| 1854 | Merry Monarch | D / H | |
| 1854 | Unknown | D / H | |
| 11 | 1857 | Merry Andrew | D / H / P |
| --- | ----- | -------------------- | --------- |