Lithgows
| Company type | Private, family-operated |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipbuilding, marine industries |
| Predecessor | Russell & Co. |
| Founded | 1874 |
| Founder | Joseph Russell, Anderson Rodger, William Lithgow |
| Defunct | 1977 (nationalised) |
| Fate | Nationalised and incorporated into British Shipbuilders; company remained family-owned and diversified |
| Successor | Scott Lithgow Ltd (after merger in 1967) |
| Headquarters | Kingston, Port Glasgow , Scotland, United Kingdom |
Area served | Marine industries, shipbuilding |
Key people | William Lithgow; James and Henry Lithgow (sons) |
| Products | Ships, marine engines |
| Owner | Lithgow family |
Lithgows Limited is a Scottish, family-operated enterprise with deep roots in shipbuilding, headquartered in Kingston, Port Glasgow, situated on the River Clyde in Scotland. The company maintains active participation in marine-related industries.
Establishment
Founded in 1874 by Joseph Russell, Anderson Rodger, and William Lithgow, the firm initially operated under the name Russell & Co. after securing a lease on the Bay Yard in Port Glasgow from Cunliffe & Dunlop (which later became David J. Dunlop and Co, then Dunlop, Bremner and Co).
By 1879, they expanded by purchasing the Cartsdyke Mid Yard from J.E. Scott, followed by the acquisition of Kingston Shipyard from Henry Murray in 1881. The partnership ended in 1891: Russell withdrew, Rodger retained ownership of Bay Yard, and Lithgow assumed control over Kingston and Cartsdyke Yards.
The Cartsdyke Yard was divested to Greenock Dockyard in 1900.
In 1908, William Lithgow's sons, James and Henry, took over management and bought Bay Yard in 1911.
The company grew through further purchases: acquiring Port Glasgow East Yard from Robert Duncan & Co in 1915 and marine engine manufacturers David Rowan & Company in 1917.
In 1918, the firm rebranded from Russell & Company to Lithgows Ltd.
Additional acquisitions included Inch Yard from Dunlop, Bremner (1919), Glen Yard from William Hamilton and Company (1919), steel suppliers James Dunlop & Company (1920), the defunct yard of Murdoch & Murray (1923), engine builder Rankin & Blackmore Ltd (1923), and shipbuilder Ayrshire Dockyard Ltd based in Irvine (1928).
The Inch shipyard was sold to National Shipbuilders Security in 1933 and remained closed for four decades. In 1935, Lithgows took control of Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company located in Govan, which continued operating independently.
Closures included Bay shipyard in 1935; however, the Robert Duncan East Shipyard—which had been shut since 1931—was reopened under Lithgows’ management in 1937.
Postwar Developments
In 1949, Sir James Lithgow founded Scottish Ore Carriers Ltd.
By 1961, Lithgows had gained control of Ferguson Brothers (Port Glasgow) Ltd. at Newark, Port Glasgow; this entity continued to operate separately.
In 1963, the East Yard merged with Glen Yard of William Hamilton and Company, acquiring an Arrol 'Goliath' gantry crane. The David Rowan engine-building division combined with Fairfield's engine-building operations to create Fairfield Rowan Ltd.
In 1964, Lithgow’s subsidiary Rankin & Blackmore ceased operations at the Eagle Foundry in Greenock. The following year, Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering entered receivership and operated independently as Fairfield (Glasgow) Ltd. Fairfield Rowan was closed down in 1966.
Inchgreen Drydock was acquired by Lithgows in 1966 from the Firth of Clyde Drydock Company, situated on the former gasworks site at Inchgreen.
The merger between Lithgows and Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company occurred in 1967, creating Scott Lithgow Ltd, although Lithgows continued trading separately as Lithgows (1969) Ltd.
In 1970, Lithgows (1969) Ltd purchased the Campbeltown Shipyard Ltd, and by 1972 the Glen/East Yard was consolidated into Kingston Yard.
Following nationalization in 1977, Scott Lithgow Ltd and its subsidiaries were incorporated into state-owned British Shipbuilders. After this transition, Lithgows Ltd remained under family ownership and diversified into sectors such as hospitality, electronics, and aquaculture (the latter divested in 2010).
From 1981 onward, operations at the former Kingston/Glen Yard were conducted by Scott Lithgow (Offshore) Ltd. In 1983 these facilities were sold to Trafalgar House, but remained unused after 1987 and were partially dismantled between 1987 and 1995. In 1996 Clydeport plc acquired these yards for redevelopment purposes. The following year Clydeport leased Inchgreen Drydock to UiE Scotland for ship repair activities; during this time the Arrol 'Goliath' Gantry Crane was demolished.
By 2006 all remaining structures of Kingston and Glen/East yards were removed; only the red main gate of Glen Yard remained as of late 2015. The Kingston site is undergoing transformation into residential housing; Glen has been repurposed for a large retail complex.
In 1996 Lithgows re-entered shipbuilding by purchasing Buckie Shipyard located in eastern Scotland. The shipyard went into administration in August 2013. Currently, Lithgows operates the Marine Resources Centre near Oban, at Barcaldine, Argyll.
External links
- Comprehensive catalogue of vessels constructed by the firm
- National Library of Scotland: SCOTTISH SCREEN ARCHIVE (archived footage pertaining to Lithgows and Scott Lithgow shipbuilding yards)