Shipbuilding in Frindsbury, Kent

Frindsbury TQ744697 Coord|51.399423|0.508127|display=inline|format=dms is a parish on the River Medway, on the opposite bank to Chatham Dockyard in Kent, England. It was a centre of ship building before 1820, building at least six 74 gun third rate, ships of the line and many smaller vessels. From 1820, until recent times, the ship yards built over 100 Thames sailing barges. Shipbuilding has stopped but in 2006, one yard was still active in ship repair.

hips

Quarry House Yard

Greaves and Nickolson set up at the Quarry House yard in c.1745. The full list of ships built is unknown but two of the later ones were:Merrily to Frendsbury-A History of the Parish of Frindsbury. Derek Barnard. Private Pub. City of Rochester Society. post 1994.]
*1785 HMS "Meleager"—32 gun frigate was part of a squadron off the coast of Genoa in 1794 under the command of Captain Horatio Nelson.

*1786 HMS "Bellerophon"—74 gun designed by Sir Thomas Slade. Laid down in 1783, she was launched on 6 October, 1786 and commissioned on 19 July 1790. Nicknamed the Billy Ruffian. She destroyed the French flagship "L'Orient" at the Battle of the Nile. Fought at Trafalgar. On 15 July 1805 she received the surrender of Napoleon Bonaparte. She was renamed "Captivity" and served as a prison hulk off Sheerness. She was sold to breakers at Plymouth for £4030 and broken up in 1834. The construction of the Bellerophon features in a [http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/poem1/blp_lowell_amy_hammers.htm poem] by the American Imagist poet Amy Lowell.

Josiah and Thomas Brindley, nephews to Lord Nelson, leased the Quarry House yard. The first ship was launched from here in 1794. They expanded, built a new yard which became the entrance to the Thames and Medway Canal, then a third shipyard further down river.
*1794 HMS "Hazard"—16 gun
*1794 HMS "Conquest"—12 gun

*1794 HMS "Attack"—12 gun
*1804 HMS "Firm"—12 gun
*1804 HMS "Flamer"—12 gun
*1805 HMS "Pomone"—38 gun
*1806 HMS "Shannon"—38 gun — Launched the 5 May 1806, HMS "Shannon", commanded by Captain Philip Broke, received the surrender of the USS "Chesapeake" in Boston Bay on 1st June 1813, after a fight of 15 minutes.A History of Strood Rural District, Brian Matthews M.A. 1971. Published Strood Rural District Council.]
*1807 HMS "Aboukir"—74 gun
*1808 HMS "Badger"—10 gun
*1809 HMS "Crane"—18 gun
*1809 HMS "Thracian"—18 gun
*1810 HMS "Cressy"—74 gun
*1811 HMS "Asia"—74 gun
*1811 HMS "Chatham" transport
*1813 HMS "Orontes"—36 gun
*1813 HMS "Scamander"—36 gun
*1813 HMS "Slaney"—20 gun
*1814 HMS "Lee"—20 gun
*1814 HMS "Menai"—26 gun
*1814 HMS "Tamar"—26 gun

Wilson and Co
*1794 HMS Peterall—16 gun
*1796 HMS Cyane—18 gun
*1797 HMS Hasty—12 gun
*1797 HMS Hecate—12 gun

John Pelham
*1807 HMS Leonidas—36 gun
*1808 HMS Wild Boar—10 gun
*1808 HMS Bermuda—10 gun
*1808 HMS Wild Boar—10 gun
*1809 HMS Echo—18 gun
*1809 HMS Sophie—18 gun
*1812 HMS Conway—20 gun
*1812 HMS Romney—58 gun

John King of Upnor
*1801 HMS Reynard—10 gun
*1801 HMS Ephira—10 gun
*1801 HMS Helicon—10 gun
*1801 HMS Cordelia—10 gun
*1801 HMS Briseis—10 gun
*1809 HMS Hecate—18 gun
*1809 HMS Rifleman—18 gun
*1809 HMS Poictiers—74 gun third rate ship of the line.
*1810 HMS Pigmy—10 gun
*1810 HMS Pioneer—12 gun
*1810 HMS Algerine—Cutter
*1812 HMS Heron—18 gun
*1812 HMS Dispatch—18 gun
*1812 HMS Mulgrave—74 gun
*1813 HMS Euphrates—36 gun
*1814 HMS Bann—20 gun

Barge Building

Frindsbury was an important centre for building of Thames sailing barges, using the land vacated by the shipbuilders. Barges were needed for many reasons; on the Medway it was for cement, brick and lime.Frank Wilmot Archive http://www.thamesbarge.org.uk/barges/Willmott/FWFrindsbury.html]

Curel's
*In c. 1820 the lease of Quarry Yard, ("Curel's Lower Yard"), passed to John Curel. George H. Curel took over the business around 1870. He expanded the yard in 1887 leasing the yard by Strood Basin ("Curel's Upper Yard").

Other families ran yards in Frindsbury, often they had other yards in Rochester.

Little
*William Burgess Little
*James LittleGill
*Gill Family, George Gill, of Cheetham Gill and Company. Canal shipyard.

London and Rochester Barge Co
*LRTC- Crescent Shipping- Canal Road, this yard was still operating in 2006, being used for ship repair.

List of Barges

Here are some Frindsbury built barges grouped by their owners.From 1870 to 1990 the Register of Shipping shows just over 100 Frindsbury Built Barges.

Phoenix Portland Cement Company, Frindsbury.
*Hawk—43 ton
*Cerf—58 ton
*Phoenix—51 ton

William Tingey
*Robert Bladen—33 ton
*Eliza—41 ton

Formby Cement Company, Whitewall Creek, Frindsbury
*Sara—39 ton
*Pink—43 ton
*Queen—43 ton
*Neptune—40 ton
*Whitewall—37 ton
*Vauxhall—40 ton
*Eclipse—39 ton
*Margaret Louise—45 ton
*Ella Vicars—43 ton

Burham Brick, Lime and Cement Company
*James—42 ton
*John—40 ton
*Ann—40 ton
*Varnes—41 ton
*The Gun—44 ton
*William—41 ton

Peter Bros Ltd. Cement Works Burham
*John—38 ton
*William—39 ton
*Overcomer—44 ton
*Monkwood—46 ton
*Ninety Nine—57 ton

Trenchmann Weekes Company Halling
*John Tinworth—43 ton
*William and Sarah—41 ton
*George—45 ton
*Ambrose—40 ton
*Bella—35 ton
*Edward and William—40 ton
*Stratford—42 ton

West Kent Portland Cement Company (Margretts)
*Stanley Margretts—44 ton
*Cecil Margretts—46 ton
*Harold Margretts—45 ton

Imperial Portland Cement Company
*Gundulph—44 ton

John Blazey White, Gillingham
*Sarah—38 ton
*Flower of Kent—44 ton

Queenborough Cement Company
*Trent—42 ton

Solomon Brice and Sons, Rainham and Hoo
*Ada Mary—41 ton
*Alumina—60 ton
*Mosquito—40 ton
*William Bennet—42 ton

Eastwoods (Medway brickmakers)
*1845 George and Eliza
*1852 Frederick and Mary Ann
*1857 Ann and Frances
*1862 Arthur and Eliza
*1872 Onward
*1876 Atlanta
*1879 Hawk
*1881 Banff
*1884 Plover
*1886 Snipe

References

External links

:18th Century Naval Database [http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/A/A.html] :Frindsbury Extra Parish Council [http://www.frindsburyextra-pc.gov.uk/] :Arethusa Venture Centre [http://www.arethusa.org.uk/] :Medway Yacht Club [http://www.medwayyachtclub.com/] :Upnor Castle [http://www.medway.gov.uk/tourism/44632/45143/44634.htm] :Upnor Residents Society [http://www.upnorsociety.com/] :Medway City Council [http://www.medway.gov.uk/] :Kent Association of Parish Councils [http://www.kapc.org.uk/]