Geordstoree » shipyard

Guion and North German Lloyd Lines

soler — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:58:39 +0000

There were more than 100 ships commissioned by the Royal Navy, but this in no way diminished his shipbuilding for other sources. Amongst his inventory were a number of ferries built for cross-Tyne duties. These particular ferries were built to work between Jarrow on the south side of the Tyne and Howdon on the north-side. In contrast, between 1857 and 1872 Palmer turned out ocean going passenger ships for the Guion, National and North German Lloyd lines.

Serving on the transatlantic run between Bremen and New York included the Mowe, Adler, Schwan and Schwalbe rather small ships weighing in around 500 gross tons built for North German Lines. These were closely followed by the Hudson and Weser built for the same company. These ships weighed in at a massive 2,250 gross tons when compared to the smaller size of the previous ships.

The Guion Line received larger ocean going vessels, ranging between 3,100 to 4,300 gross tons in the 1860′s and early 1870′s these were also designed for transatlantic service. The largest of the collection where the Dakota and Montana. These two ships where launched unusually, with their boilers and engines on board. The other ships were of a smaller size and included the Manhattan, Chicago, Minnesota, Colorada, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming and the wisconsin.

The Guion Line opened their Liverpool to New York service in 1866, the Manhattan was the companies first ship weighing in at a gross tonnage of 2,866, she was 343ft long, and carried 72 first-class passengers and accommodated a further 800 passengers in second class. Even second class accommodation was praised for being above standards for early steamships. To top of the ships size the Manhattan could also take on board 1,500 tons of cargo.

Ships built for the National Line included the Ontario, Helvetia, England, Scotland and Wales all built of a similar size to those built for the Guion Line all leaving the Palmer works in the 1860s.

Palmer memorial hospital (Jarrow’s first accident & emergency)

Charles Palmer’s Other Marriages

soler — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:43:59 +0000

I have found more information on Charles Palmer’s other two marriages.

In 1862 George Palmer retired from the company. The company itself was doing well and everything in the garden, so to speak was rosy, that was until April 5th 1865 When Jane his first wife died leaving her husband and 3 sons to continue life without her. In the same year as her death Charles transformed his business from Palmer brothers & Company, into a limited liability company under the name of Palmer’s Shipbuilding & Iron Company Ltd.

Following the death of his wife Jane, it would be two years later, in 1867 and six months after the death of his father George Palmer, in December 1866, Charles remarried for the second time. His bride to be this time round was Augusta Mary, the daughter of Alfred Lambert of Paris their marriage was solemnised on July 4th 1867 at St. James Piccadilly London by the Rev. A. L. Lambert uncle of the bride.

His marriage to Augusta Mary brought them two sons the first Claude Bowes Palmer born march 29th 1868 and Lionel Hugo Palmer born October 22nd 1870.

For more than 30 years Charles had served as an MP in the House of Commons so it was probably of no surprise in 1874 he was Elected Liberal member for the North Durham constituency. He held this seat until 1885 when a reorganisation of seats found him elected as the member for Jarrow He held on to this seat until his death in 1907.

However before his final day was to materialise Jarrow would achieved borough status in 1875. The first borough elections took place some two months later and Sir Charles won the poll hands down (so to speak) in the south Ward, and went on to become the first mayor of the borough. (Jarrow) He did not continue as Mayor for more than a few months of that year before he announced his retirement November 9th (1875) and at the same time Alderman Thos Sheldon was elected to the post of Mayor.

Less than a month after Sir Charles retired from his post as Mayor, sadly on December the 2nd 1875, at a young age, his second wife Augusta Mary died. She was buried in Easington cemetery. Yorkshire.

Almost two years later February 17th 1877 Sir Charles Palmer was to marry for the third time to Gertrude daughter of Jas. Montgomery Esq., J.P. of Cranford in Middlesex.

August 4th of the previous year saw the birth of their son Godfrey Mark Palmer. Almost a year to the day of the birth of his son, Charles learned of the death of his brother George.

Four months later November 5th the boilermakers employed by Palmer’s came out on strike against the proposed reduction to their wages.

July 6th 1884 saw the birth of Hilda Gertrude Montgomery Palmer only daughter of Charles Mark Palmer. From his three marriages Hilda Gertrude Montgomery was the only girl to be born into the family.

Sir Charles himself was to die some 12 years later On Tuesday June 4th 1907 a few minutes before 1:00am Charles Mark Palmer died at 37, Curzon St. London, leaving an estate of only £15,226, his then wife Gertrude, seven sons and one daughter.

Some 14 years later in mid January 1918 his third wife Gertrude Montgomery Palmer died in London.

HMS Terror: The Floating Arsenal

soler — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:00:15 +0000

1860 was the year ‘Port Mulgrave’ was launched. This was to be the first vessel, off the assembly lines so to speak, launched from the Howdon yard, which had been acquired by Palmers the year before, (1859) on the north bank of the Tyne. This yard went on to build many more ships. The picture shows the layout of some early wooden shipbuilding yards on the River Tyne.

The out break of the Crimean War (1853-1856) offered the company a chance to get into the market supplying the Admiralty with armour-plated battle-ships. One such order was for the HMS Terror, a specialized battleship that would be better described as a floating arsenal. Commissioned to do battle with the Russians to take out the base at Kronstadt in the Baltic. This ship would put Palmer in good stead with the Admiralty. HMS Terror never did see battle the war had all but ended before she could be delivered. However, with his companies reputation in place Palmer went on to receive other orders from the Admiralty.

In 1862 the HMS Defence was completed. Between 1872 and 1885 coastal defence ships HMS Cerberus and HMS Gorgon were completed, these were followed by two fast dispatch ships for the Navy, HMS Surprise and HMS Alacrity, a total of 100 warships were built at the Palmer shipyard for the Royal Navy.

The company went on to build and deliver many more ships which ranged from cruisers to gunboats. Such as merchant vessels, tramp steamers, oil tankers, sailing ships and steam colliers. For now this is where it ends on this website,

HMS Terror: launched in 1856

Footnote: Sir Charles Mark Palmer as well as running a well respected Shipyard/Steel Industry gave Jarrow its first accident, and emergency hospital. He was married three times his first marriage was to Jane Robson daughter of Ebenezer Robson who hailed out of Newcastle Upon Tyne she gave birth to four children two of the children died one in infancy, and the other in his late 40′s. Charles Mark, and Charles respectfully. The two surviving sons were named George Robson, and Alfred Molyneux Palmer.

if I come across more info on the company then I will update this short history of a mighty shipbuilding company, with the work force to go with it.

Guion-and-north-german-lloyd-lines