A file in the Baring Archive provides a snapshot of the British ship building industry in the late 1860s. Entitled “Specifications, tenders and drawings for sea-going vessels” the file contains papers relating to ships commissioned from various shipyards around Britain.
In the 1860s and 1870s Barings managed the building of ships for their clients. This was a new area of expertise for Barings and presumably followed their merger with Finlay Hodgson and Co in 1867. The ships were built in Britain for overseas clients based mainly in the Asia-Pacific region. Orders were often placed by Barings in its own name, and the firm supervised the building and paid the builders their instalments when due.
Shipyards named in the file include:
- William Denny and Brothers of Dumbarton
- Pearse & Co of Stockton-on-Tees
- Samuda Brothers on the Isle of Dogs in London
- Hall, Russell & Co of Aberdeen
- A&J Inglis of Glasgow
- J & W Dudgeon of Cubitt Town, Isle of Dogs
- Henderson, Coulborn & Co of Renfrew
- Thomas and James Manlaws Wanhill of Poole
- Robert Napier & Sons of Govan, Glasgow
The commissions reflect the transition from sail to steam. The ships commissioned were mainly steamships – screw steamers and paddle steamers. However there is one specification for a sailing ship, a clipper schooner, written up by the Poole shipyard.
This one file is part of a larger series of papers that relates more widely to this aspect of Barings’ business: Ships Built Under Supervision for Overseas Owners. The papers relate to the design and fitting out of the ships. For example, a file relating to a paddle steamer contains documents relating to the purchase of machinery and to the finer details such as the procurement of furniture, crockery and cutlery for use on board. Crew lists and wage slips also feature as Barings were responsible for the recruitment of the crew that would eventually deliver the finished vessel from the shipyard to its final owner.
Together with the plans of the ships these documents bring to life the role Barings played in linking British shipyards with shipowners around the world.
Find out more
- Browse the catalogue to the Ships Papers (HC18)
- Browse the digitised images of the Ships Built Under Supervision