Southampton Naval Works

Southampton Naval Works was a British ship building company based in Woolston, Southampton.

History

The company was incorporated in 1889. It was set up to acquire the business of Oswald Mordaunt and Company with capital of £274,000. The company obtained full possession of the Woolston site in 1890 and John Harvard Byles was appointed as manager, transferring from J. and G. Thomson of Clydebank. The practical day to day operation of the shipyard was under the management of John Currie.
The company started construction of ships with the first launched in November 1890. They suffered a setback in January 1891 when a fire started in the saw mill in the yard which quickly spread to the carpenters’ shed, model loft and pattern room.
In August 1891 there was a strike by about 350 men employed in a dispute between the carpenters and shipwrights about the work of each respective trade.
The business floundered and in September 1891 a receiver was appointed by the Court of Chancery. All trading was stopped and 1,800 men were put out of work. At the point of closure the business had launched 18 vessels. Some vessels continued to be launched in 1892.
The works were advertised for sale in 1894 and the yard was taken over in 1897 by J.G. Fay and Co.