Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company

Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Limited

Company type	Private company (limited)
Industry	Shipbuilding, engineering, ironworks
Predecessor	Ditchburn and Mare Shipbuilding Company
Founded	1837
Founder	Thomas J. Ditchburn, Charles John Mare
Defunct	1912
Fate	Ceased operations
Successor	Thames Iron Works, Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. (after 1899 merger)
Headquarters	Leamouth Wharf / Canning Town, London , United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom, international naval and commercial clients
Key people	Peter Rolt (chairman), Arnold Hills (managing director)
Products	Ships (warships, liners), marine engines, cranes, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, iron components for bridges
Number of employees	>3,000 (circa 1855) (1855)

The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Limited operated as a shipyard and iron works situated at the confluence of Bow Creek and the River Thames, positioned at Leamouth Wharf—commonly referred to as Blackwall on the western bank—and Canning Town on the eastern side. While primarily focused on shipbuilding, the enterprise diversified into civil engineering projects, manufacturing marine engines, cranes, electrical equipment, and motor vehicles.

A significant achievement of the company was producing iron components for Isambard Kingdom Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge spanning the Tamar during the 1850s. Additionally, in 1860, it launched the pioneering all-iron warship, HMS Warrior.

1837–46

Established in 1837 under the name Ditchburn and Mare Shipbuilding Company by shipwright Thomas J. Ditchburn and naval architect/engineer Charles John Mare, the firm initially operated out of Deptford. Following a fire incident, it moved in 1838 to Orchard Place, located between the East India Dock Basin and Bow Creek in Blackwall, taking over facilities formerly owned by shipbuilders William and Benjamin Wallis.

Rapid growth led to expansion across three locations totaling more than . As early innovators in iron ship construction, Ditchburn and Mare started by building small paddle steamers ranging from 50 to 100 tons and had progressed to vessels exceeding 300 tons for cross-Channel service by 1840. Their clientele included the Iron Steamboat Company and the Blackwall Railway Company, for which they constructed paddle steamers such as Meteor and Prince of Wales, operating routes between Gravesend and Brunswick Wharf.

During this era, the company secured multiple Admiralty contracts, including one of the earliest iron warships—the 12-gun brig HMS Recruit. They also built steamers for the P & O Company, like Ariel and Erin, along with a paddle steamer commissioned by Prussia.

1847–56

After Thomas Ditchburn's retirement in 1847, Charles Mare continued operations under C.J. Mare and Company. He was joined by naval architect James Ash, who would later establish his own yard at Cubitt Town. From 1847 onward, the company expanded considerably by acquiring land in Canning Town, on the Essex side of the River Lea, which was accessible via ferry.

Mare developed a facility equipped with furnaces and rolling mills capable of constructing ships up to 4,000 tons. However, due to spatial constraints imposed by a narrow spit on the River Lea, the Orchard Place yard remained limited to vessels under 1,000 tons. In 1853, they launched the SS Himalaya for the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company—briefly holding the title of largest passenger ship worldwide before being repurposed as a naval troop carrier.

By 1855, despite employing more than 3,000 workers, the business faced potential closure following Mare's bankruptcy—caused either by delayed payments or financial miscalculations related to Royal Navy contracts. Even amid financial difficulties, orders continued for six gunboats as well as a contract for constructing Westminster Bridge, which was completed in 1862.

1857–1912

The company was rescued through creditor intervention, with Joseph Westwood and Robert Baillie taking charge as works managers. A pivotal figure in the revival was Peter Rolt, timber merchant, Conservative MP for Greenwich, and Mare’s father-in-law, who descended from the Pett family known for shipbuilding. He received support from director Lord Alan Spencer-Churchill.

In 1857, Rolt reorganized the company’s assets into a newly formed limited entity: Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Ltd. This new firm was capitalized at £100,000, divided into 20 shares valued at £5,000 each; Rolt personally held five shares and assumed the role of chairman.

By 1861, the firm had become London's leading shipbuilder, operating what were known as the "Leviathan Workshops." Detailed large-scale maps depict a triangular site situated on the east bank of Bow Creek, featuring extensive quay infrastructure. By 1863, the yard's production capabilities allowed simultaneous construction of 25,000 tons of warships alongside 10,000 tons of mail steamers.

Among its initial Admiralty commissions were HMS Warrior, launched in 1860 as the largest iron-hulled armored frigate worldwide at that time, followed by HMS Minotaur in 1863. The Canning Town site expanded significantly from under 10 acres in 1856 to approximately 30 acres by 1891, while Orchard Place remained comparatively small at around 5 acres.

Despite competitive pressures from northern shipyards after the financial downturn in 1866—which favored locations with cheaper coal and iron—Thames Ironworks maintained a focus on warship and liner construction. Building on the triumphs of Warrior and Minotaur, the yard secured international contracts from nations including Denmark, Greece, Portugal, Russia, Spain, and the Ottoman Empire. Noteworthy projects included Prussia’s inaugural iron warship SMS König Wilhelm (1868) and Portugal’s cruiser Afonso de Albuquerque (1884). Additionally, smaller warships for Romania’s naval forces were produced.

Arnold Hills, a philanthropist who joined the board at age 23 in 1880, became managing director during the 1890s. He implemented an eight-hour working day ahead of widespread adoption within the industry. In 1895, Hills played a key role in founding Thames Ironworks F.C., which later evolved into West Ham United F.C. by the turn of the century.

In 1899, Thames Ironworks merged with engine manufacturer John Penn and Sons, forming Thames Iron Works, Shipbuilding and Engineering Co.

Throughout its existence, the yard constructed 144 warships in addition to numerous other vessels. In 1911, Hills petitioned First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill regarding a downturn in orders but was unsuccessful; consequently, the yard ceased operations in 1912. The final significant vessel built took part in World War I’s Battle of Jutland.

Between 1897 and 1912, the company also undertook construction of Pakistan’s Kotri Bridge located in Sindh province.

In 1915, the site at Greenwich was acquired by the Royal Flying Corps for use as aircraft storage facilities.

Archaeology

Excavations on part of the company's Limmo Peninsula property were conducted during Crossrail development works in 2012.

Notable products

• During the 1850s, iron components were fabricated for I.K. Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge spanning the Tamar at Saltash.
• Between 1897 and 1912, ironwork for the Kotri Bridge, located in Pakistan’s Sindh Province, was produced.
• The launch of HMS Warrior in 1860 marked it as the first all-iron warship globally; upon completion in 1861 it was also considered the largest, fastest, most heavily armed and armored vessel worldwide.
• In the 1890s, two out of six British-built battleships forming Japan's principal battle fleet during the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) were constructed at this yard.
• The launch of HMS Albion in 1898 was marred by a fatal accident involving a bridge collapse.
• The final major warship completed was HMS Thunderer (22,500 tons), which was launched in 1911.

Ships

• HMS Trident, Royal Navy, 1845 (constructed by Ditchburn & Mare)
• HMS Recruit, Royal Navy, 1846, iron brig
• DS Rigi, launched in 1847; operated on Lake Lucerne until 1952; currently exhibited at the Swiss Transport Museum (Verkehrshaus)
• PS Vladimir, 1848 (by C J Mare), known as the "Russian War Steamer"
• Argo, 1853, recognized as the first steamship to complete a global circumnavigation
• SS Himalaya, 1853 (built by C J Mare) for the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company; later commissioned as HMS Himalaya
• HMS Warrior, Royal Navy, 1860
• Yavari and Yapura, Peruvian Navy vessels from 1862; shipped in parts for assembly on Lake Titicaca
• , Ottoman Navy, 1863
• HMS Minotaur, Royal Navy, 1863
• RUS Pervenetz, Imperial Russian Navy, 1863
• HMS Valiant, Royal Navy, 1863
• Victoria, frigate, 1865
• SNS Vitoria, Spanish Navy, 1865
• HMS Serapis, Royal Navy troopship, 1866
• Anglia, iron paddle tug built in 1866
• SMS König Wilhelm, Prussian Navy, launched in 1869
• , Ottoman Navy, 1869
• , Ottoman Navy, 1870
• HMS Magdala, Royal Navy, 1870
• Hamidiye, Ottoman Navy vessel from 1872; later acquired by the Royal Navy as HMS Superb
• , Ottoman Navy, built in 1872
• , operated by English Channel Steamship Company, launched in 1874
• Mindello and Rainha De Portugal, Portuguese Navy ships from 1875
• , Portuguese Navy vessel launched in 1876
• Iron tugs named Fox and Canada, constructed towards the end of the 19th century
• HMS Linnet, Royal Navy, 1880
• NRP Afonso de Albuquerque, Portuguese Navy, launched in 1884
• HMS Benbow, Royal Navy, 1885
• HMS Sans Pareil, Royal Navy, launched in 1887
• HMS Blenheim, Royal Navy, launched in 1890
• , built by Arthur Ponsonby in 1890
• HMS Grafton and Theseus, Royal Navy vessels from 1892
• Japanese battleships IJN Fuji and Shikishima, launched during the late 19th century
• HMS Albion, Royal Navy, launched in 1898
• HMS Cornwallis and Duncan, Royal Navy ships from the early twentieth century
• Cromer Lifeboat Louisa Heartwell ON 495 and Sheringham Lifeboat J C Madge ON 536 for RNLI in the early 1900s
• , Royal Navy vessel launched in 1904
• HMS Nautilus, later renamed HMS Grampus
• HMS Thunderer, Royal Navy's last major warship launch of 1911

Links to West Ham United Football Club

Workers at Thames Ironworks established a works football team initially named Thames Ironworks Football Club, which was subsequently rebranded as West Ham United. The club's emblem featuring crossed hammers pays tribute to the sizable riveting hammers integral to shipbuilding at the yard, underscoring its industrial heritage. West Ham is commonly nicknamed "The Hammers."

Although widely known as The Hammers, fans often affectionately call the team 'The Irons,' emphasizing its roots with Thames Ironworks. The rallying cry 'Come on you Irons' remains a prominent chant during matches.

The club badge's sixteenth version, unveiled after relocating to the Olympic Stadium in 2016, incorporates a design inspired by the cross-section of the bow of HMS Warrior, Thames Ironworks’ pioneering ironclad battleship constructed in 1860.

External links

• Arnold Hills – International Vegetarian Union
• Port of London History
• Grace's Guide: Chronology