Ship builders in Leeds

Hats Off · Post by **Hats Off** » Thu 01 Apr, 2010 11:25 pm

Whist doing a spot of family history I came across one member of the family who on his marriage certificate gives his work as a 'ship builders helper' At the time he lived in Leighton Street which is not exactly on the coast ! So does anyone know of any ship builders in Leeds around 1885 ? I can't imagine any ships being built on the river or could I be wrong ? I also doubt that at that point in history he would have commuted to a ship building port, so I reckon he worked somewhere in Leeds.Regards.

BJF · Post by **BJF** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 5:24 pm

William Rider & Co. Boatyard on the canal by the Arches Lock building wooden vessels uptill the fifties.

Hats Off · Post by **Hats Off** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 6:00 pm

Cheers for the info, would they be ship builders though or boat builders ? Maybe they had a grand opinion of themseves lol.Regards.

chemimike · Post by **chemimike** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 6:14 pm

Riders describe themselves as "barge builders" in the 1893 kellys, though that wouldn't stop on of their staff trying to impress . there are no firms listed as shipbuilders in the 1872, 1893 or 1916 directories

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 8:44 pm

Didn't the landlord of The Palace on Kirkgate have a boat building yard at the back of the pub, with access directly onto the river?I'm sure it's been mentioned on here before.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 9:01 pm

BJF wrote: William Rider & Co. Boatyard on the canal by the Arches Lock building wooden vessels uptill the fifties. If you mean by the dark arches and near the old canal offices and georgian stone warehouse and Victoria bridge, then the boatyard in terms of the square dock is still there - it's in "canal wharfe" and on Godfreys is marked as "boatbuilders yard".Not sure if they didn't do the Queen Mary here, may be mistaken?

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 9:09 pm

raveydavey wrote: Didn't the landlord of The Palace on Kirkgate have a boat building yard at the back of the pub, with access directly onto the river?I'm sure it's been mentioned on here before. On the 1847 and 1906 maps there's no boatbuilding yard or inlet to the Palace at all I'm afraid.In 1847 the boatbuilding yard is shown before the dark arches were built with two dry docks and a wet dock.Come to think of it I don't think the Queen Mary was built here, but many a canal barge may have been. I suspect they were launched with a bottle of brown ale from the scabby taps smashed against the side?

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Fri 02 Apr, 2010 9:10 pm

The Parksider wrote: raveydavey wrote: Didn't the landlord of The Palace on Kirkgate have a boat building yard at the back of the pub, with access directly onto the river?I'm sure it's been mentioned on here before. On the 1847 and 1906 maps there's no boatbuilding yard or inlet to the Palace at all I'm afraid.In 1847 the boatbuilding yard is shown before the dark arches were built with two dry docks and a wet dock.Come to think of it I don't think the Queen Mary was built here, but many a canal barge may have been. I suspect they were launched with a bottle of brown ale from the scabby taps smashed against the side? Quite possibly - HMS Ark Royal is well known as a Leeds ship, although how they got it under Leeds Bridge still puzzles me....