S P Austin / Austin Hunter

[wreckmaster]

Question on the Austin & Hunter Partnership.
1874 S P Austin went in to partnership with George Hunter at Wear Dock "Austin & Hunter"
Its my understanding that Austin retained his own yard at Wear Dock and the two yards operated simultaneously and independent of each other. Miramar attributes all vessels built at Wear Dock 1874 to 1879 to "Austin & Hunter" with no listing for S.P Austin & Son for the same period.

A snippet from the Corder Manuscripts says "They took a separate yard at the west of Austin's yard"

? Did the two yards build under one name "Austin & Hunter" for the duration of the partnership.

[Ian Buxton]

S P Austin up to c1873, then partnership with George Hunter as A & H, continuing the same yard no series. Then Hunter went off to the Tyne to form C S Swan & Hunter and yard reverted to S P Austin & Son.

[Whickham]

Just to confirm Ian's note. I looked in the Sunderland Echo for those years and picked out the annual shipbuilding returns.

I could not find one for 1873
Austin & Hunter in 1874: Balambio, Knight Templar
Austin & Hunter in 1875: Lombardian, Emily Chaplin
Austin & Hunter in 1876: Carmelo, Sylph, Lanoma, Fenton
Austin & Hunter in 1877: Provincia, Scottish Fairy, General Nott, Lady Ann
Austin & Hunter in 1878: Trito, Oberon, Marie Fanny, Monica, Jenny, Ridge Park
Austin & Hunter in 1879: Corsica, Medway
There was no mention in the returns of SP Austin on its own
Legal notice saying partnership dissolved 31/12/1879
But Austin & Hunter in 1880: Marna
SP Austin & Son in 1880: Julia, Keroula
SP Austin & Son in 1881: Accretive, Lady Katherine, Kent, Edda, Elemore
Don't know why they attributed Marna to Austin & Hunter in 1880 unless she was just about completed.

[wreckmaster]

Thanks Ian / Dave
So looks like if there were two yards they built under the name Austin & Hunter only, Dave's list and a check on LR bears this out .
But I have the following snippet from the Corder Manuscripts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Watson_Corder (attached) which says there were two yards and that Austin built 4 barques for his own yard list , I have to say I can not find evidence of these 4 anywhere.
Happy to go with Austin & Hunter for 18736 - 1879, thanks .

[Whickham]

These may be the four barques mentioned by Corder:

Emily Chaplin - 1875

Image copyright British Library Board

Carmelo -1876

Image copyright British Library Board

General Nott - 1877

Image copyright British Library Board

Oberon - 1878

Image copyright British Library Board

No mention of Austin on his own and the OBERON was launched by Hunter's sister.

[wreckmaster]

Thanks Dave, They built at least 8 Sail Vessels, but at which end of the yard they were built we will never know.
The news articles bring up a new question, was the yard named "The Wear Shipbuilding Yard" ? .
I have S.P Austin at the "Wear Slipway" in 1854 and the "Wear Dock" by 1873, I presume they are one and the same .

[magoonigal]

I love the other bits that surround the launches................

"Intended visit of Messrs Gourley and Ashbury to India"

"Capture of a Burglar at a Pawnbrokers"

"The Foreign Cattle Market" and the "Wesleyan Temperance Society"

[wreckmaster]

And just when its getting interesting he cuts you off .............

[magoonigal]

Had to think of that one for a while but your right!

[magoonigal]

I found one that amused me in the Shields Gazette from May 1963 concerning a break in at the Jarrow Labour and Trades Social Club.

Two intruders were disturbed by the Stewardess and made their escape through a downstairs window.

"Nothing was taken but it gave us quite a fright," said Mrs Croft. I understand that as a result of the break-in, the Club Committee is thinking of installing a burglar alarm."

The punch line that followed was...........

"Pete, the family boxer dog, slept peacefully through the incident" Police were making inquires.