William Denny & Brothers Ltd (shipbuilders and marine engineers: 1918-1963: Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland)

The Denny family was engaged in steamship construction from as early as 1814 when William Denny Snr ( 1779-1833 ) formed a partnership, located in Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, with Archibald McLachlan. After his death, three of his six sons, William, Alexander and Peter ( 1821-1895 ), set up a partnership in 1844 , known as Denny Brothers , marine architects, to design iron steamers. William had been chief draughtsman in the Belfast, Northern Ireland, yard of Coats & Young before he was appointed yard manager at Robert Napier's Govan yard in 1842 . Alexander had been in business independently as a marine architect in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, and Peter had worked as a clerk before becoming assistant to, first, William in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland, and then Alexander in Paisley. .

Within a year of establishing their new company, the brothers moved back to Dumbarton and were in business as shipbuilders, taking up the lease of a small yard known as Kirk Yard situated on the banks of the River Leven. In 1845 , they leased the Wood Yard which had been their father's old premises and they fitted this out for the building of iron steamers. At this point, the firm employed 14 men and had a capital of £800. The business prospered, and in 1846 , another brother, James Denny, was taken on as a fourth partner

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