Everything about The Fairfield Shipbuilding And Engineering Company totally explained
The
Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited was a
British shipbuilding company in the famous
Govan area on the
Clyde in
Scotland.
Fairfields, as it's often known, was a major warship builder, turning out many vessels for the
Royal Navy and other navies through the
First World War and the
Second World War. It also built many transatlantic liners, including record breaking ships for Cunard and the Canadian Pacific. At the other end of the scale Fairfields built fast cross channel mail steamers and ferres for locations arounf the world. These included ships for the
Bosphorus crossing in
Istanbul and some of the early ships used by
Thomas Cook for developing tourism on the River
Nile Famous ships built by Fairfield's include the battlecruisers HMS Indomitable, HMS New Zealand and HMS Renown, the battleships HMS Commonwealth, HMS Valiant and HMS Howe, the aircraft carriers HMS Implacable and HMS Theseus, the passenger liners Campania, Lucania, Empress of Asia, Empress of Russia, Empress of Ireland, Empress of Japan and the first and third Empress of Britain. Thealso built the well known Clyde paddle steamer Jeanie Deans in 1931.
History
Company began as Randolph & Elliot building engines and machinery in the Tradeston district of
Glasgow.
Started shipbuilding as
Randolph, Elder and Company at Govan Old Shipyard in 1860 (partners Charles Randolph and John Elder)
First ship built in 1861 as No 14.
Moved to new yard at Fairfield Farm (1868) and traded as
John Elder and Company from 1870 to 1886 (John Elder died in 1869).
Company reconstituted as
Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in 1886 (owned by Sir William Pearce).
In 1919 Company became part of the Northumberland Shipbuilding Group, the largest in the world at the time.
Fairfield West Yard added in 1920s but closed after 10 years due to severe recession (demolished 1934).
Fairfield was taken over by
Lithgows Ltd of
Port Glasgow in 1935.
Fairfield West yard used by United States Army in 1944 to build four landing craft.
Enginebuilding merged with
David Rowan & Company to form
Fairfield Rowan Ltd' in 1963
Company placed in receivership in 1965 but reconstituted as
Fairfield (Glasgow) Ltd (Chairman Ian Stewart of Thermotank).
Fairfield Rowan closed in 1966.
The following year Fairfields and the other major yards of the Upper Clyde -
Alexander Stephen and Sons,
Charles Connell and Company,
Yarrow Shipbuilders Limited and
John Brown and Company - were merged to form
Upper Clyde Shipbuilders (UCS). UCS collapsed amid much controversy in 1971, and as part of the recovery deal, Fairfields was formed into
Govan Shipbuilders which was nationalised as part of
British Shipbuilders. On the breakup of British Shipbuilders under denationalisation, the former Fairfields yards were sold to the
Kværner group, as
Kværner (Govan). In 1999 the yard passed to
BAE Systems via the incorporation of Marconi Marine from
GEC-Marconi. It is now part of
BAE Systems Naval Ships.
In total the company built almost 700 shps.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Fairfield Shipbuilding And Engineering Company'.
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