William Simons & Co Ltd (ship and dredger builders : 1814 - 1959 : Renfrew, Scotland)

William Simons started as a shipbuilding company in Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland in 1810 but after two years there, the company moved to Canada, setting up again in the same trade on the Isle Aux Noix near Montreal. Having left his brother, Peter, in Canada, the founder returned to Greenock, to the site of his original shipyard in 1818 , and operated there until 1826 , when the proposed construction of the Victoria Harbour brought about further relocation, this time to Whiteinch , Glasgow, Scotland. Here William Simons built his first steamship but wooden hulled brigs, barques and full-rigged ships continued to be the mainstay of the yard.

William Simons died in June 1839 and the firm was carried on by his eldest son, also named William, and another son on behalf of their father's trustees. At Whiteinch , the move to iron shipbuilding began in earnest so that by the late 1850s , ship construction had become a science of working in metals.

Having made the change from wood to iron, William Simons jnr took Andrew Brown , a navel architect, into the partnership in 1860 . The same year saw the fourth and final change of location when the firm moved to Renfrew, Scotland, taking over the iron foundry of Fox, Henderson & Co and the shipyard of J W Hoby & Co .

Being now in a position to supply their own propelling machinery as well as hulls, passenger liners, cargo vessels, and river steamers were built as the normal run of production during the first 10 years at Renfrew . However, the increasing activity in world trade created the need for new and improved harbours and the firm developed and built the many differing types of dredger and hopper barge required becoming specialists in their production.

When William Simons, jnr retired due to failing health in 1886 , Andrew Brown took control of the firm, and in 1888, his sons, William and Walter, became partners. They both became managing directors on the formation of a private limited company, William Simons & Co Ltd, in 1895 . Control of the business remained in the hands of the same family for 70 years, although the ownership was split between a number of descendants none of whom had overall control, so that by 1951 , whilst the shipyard had good technical management, the commercial and financial structure was considered to be unsound.

In 1956, G & J Weir Ltd pump manufacturers, Glasgow, who needed additional capacity to manufacture sea-water evaoporation equipment made an offer of GBP 1 million for the company. The offer was accepted by the share holders. In 1959 G & J Weir Ltd merged William Simons & Co Ltd with the newly acquired Lobnitz & Co Ltd , shipbuilders, Renfrew to form Simons-Lobnitz Ltd , shipbuilders. The company ceased to operate in 1964.

From the guide to the Records of William Simons & Co Ltd, ship and dredger builders, Renfrew, Scotland, 1867-1963, (Glasgow University Archive Services)

William Simons started as a shipbuilding company in Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland in 1810 but after two years there, the company moved to Canada, setting up again in the same trade on the Isle Aux Noix near Montreal. Having left his brother, Peter, in Canada, the founder returned to Greenock, to the site of his original shipyard in 1818, and operated there until 1826, when the proposed construction of the Victoria Harbour brought about further relocation, this time to Whiteinch, Glasgow, Scotland. Here William Simons built his first steamship but wooden hulled brigs, barques and full-rigged ships continued to be the mainstay of the yard.

William Simons died in June 1839 and the firm was carried on by his eldest son, also named William, and another son on behalf of their father's trustees. At Whiteinch, the move to iron shipbuilding began in earnest so that by the late 1850s, ship construction had become a science of working in metals.

Having made the change from wood to iron, William Simons jnr took Andrew Brown, a navel architect, into the partnership in 1860 . The same year saw the fourth and final change of location when the firm moved to Renfrew, Scotland, taking over the iron foundry of Fox, Henderson & Co and the shipyard of J W Hoby & Co .

Being now in a position to supply their own propelling machinery as well as hulls, passenger liners, cargo vessels, and river steamers were built as the normal run of production during the first 10 years at Renfrew . However, the increasing activity in world trade created the need for new and improved harbours and the firm developed and built the many differing types of dredger and hopper barge required becoming specialists in their production.

When William Simons, jnr retired due to failing health in 1886, Andrew Brown took control of the firm, and in 1888, his sons, William and Walter, became partners. They both became managing directors on the formation of a private limited company, William Simons & Co Ltd, in 1895 . Control of the business remained in the hands of the same family for 70 years, although the ownership was split between a number of descendants none of whom had overall control, so that by 1951, whilst the shipyard had good technical management, the commercial and financial structure was considered to be unsound.

In 1956, G & J Weir Ltd pump manufacturers, Glasgow, who needed additional capacity to manufacture sea-water evaoporation equipment made an offer of GBP 1 million for the company. The offer was accepted by the share holders. In 1959 G & J Weir Ltd merged William Simons & Co Ltd with the newly acquired Lobnitz & Co Ltd, shipbuilders, Renfrew to form Simons-Lobnitz Ltd, shipbuilders. The company ceased to operate in 1964.

From the guide to the Records of William Simons & Co Ltd, ship and dredger builders, Renfrew, Scotland, 1867-1963, (Glasgow University Archive Services)

William Simons started as a shipbuilding company in Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland in 1810 but after two years there, the company moved to Canada, setting up again in the same trade on the Isle Aux Noix near Montreal. Having left his brother, Peter, in Canada, the founder returned to Greenock, to the site of his original shipyard in 1818 , and operated there until 1826 , when the proposed construction of the Victoria Harbour brought about further relocation, this time to Whiteinch , Glasgow, Scotland. Here William Simons built his first steamship but wooden hulled brigs, barques and full-rigged ships continued to be the mainstay of the yard.

William Simons died in June 1839 and the firm was carried on by his eldest son, also named William, and another son on behalf of their father's trustees. At Whiteinch , the move to iron shipbuilding began in earnest so that by the late 1850s , ship construction had become a science of working in metals.

Having made the change from wood to iron, William Simons jnr took Andrew Brown , a navel architect, into the partnership in 1860 . The same year saw the fourth and final change of location when the firm moved to Renfrew, Scotland, taking over the iron foundry of Fox, Henderson & Co and the shipyard of J W Hoby & Co .

Being now in a position to supply their own propelling machinery as well as hulls, passenger liners, cargo vessels, and river steamers were built as the normal run of production during the first 10 years at Renfrew . However, the increasing activity in world trade created the need for new and improved harbours and the firm developed and built the many differing types of dredger and hopper barge required becoming specialists in their production.

When William Simons, jnr retired due to failing health in 1886 , Andrew Brown took control of the firm, and in 1888, his sons, William and Walter, became partners. They both became managing directors on the formation of a private limited company, William Simons & Co Ltd, in 1895 . Control of the business remained in the hands of the same family for 70 years, although the ownership was split between a number of descendants none of whom had overall control, so that by 1951 , whilst the shipyard had good technical management, the commercial and financial structure was considered to be unsound.

In 1956, G & J Weir Ltd pump manufacturers, Glasgow, who needed additional capacity to manufacture sea-water evaoporation equipment made an offer of GBP 1 million for the company. The offer was accepted by the share holders. In 1959 G & J Weir Ltd merged William Simons & Co Ltd with the newly acquired Lobnitz & Co Ltd , shipbuilders, Renfrew to form Simons-Lobnitz Ltd , shipbuilders. The company ceased to operate in 1964.

From the guide to the Records of William Simons & Co Ltd, ship and dredger builders, Renfrew, Scotland, 1867-1963, (Glasgow University Archive Services)