TYNE BUILT SHIPS
A history of Tyne shipbuilders and the ships that they built

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Above: Select the required shipbuilder by using initial letter of the surname eg: Armstrong, Palmer or Readhead.

Shipbuilder: Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields (1761 - 1806)

Shipbuilder: Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon (1763 - 1811)

Above map is copyright of the Ordnance Survey & dated 1864. Hurry's shipyard is in the centre & the River Tyne is across the bottom

Hurry's shipbuilding yard at Howdon was one of the most significant shipbuilding enterprises on the Tyne in the 18th century. Shipbuilding began at Howdon in 1758 and a large graving dock was constructed in early 1759. Francis & Thomas Hurry constructed ships at both Howdon and Shields Dock and probably more than 150 vessels totalling some 40,000 tons were launched from these yards.

For the period, the Howdon yard was a very substantial establishment in terms of merchant shipbuilding. It comprised four slipways as well as a double dry dock and the quay had over 800ft of river frontage. Unusually, a ropery and a sailmaking loft were also attached to the yard. Both the dry dock facilities and the tonnage of new ships built suggest that a great deal of repair work was carried out there. In the period 1787-1799 Hurry's yards constructed a quarter of the Tyne built and registered tonnage.

Francis Hurry was the managing partner of a business group of prominent Newcastle citizens, which included Edward Mosley and Thomas Airey. It is likely therefore that ships attributed to Mosley & Airey were actually constructed at Hurry's premises. Similarly 2 warships built by John Baker were almost certainly built by Hurry.

More shipwrights (266) worked at Hurry's two shipyards in 1804, than in any other merchant yard in Britain. For comparison the largest yard on the Thames employed 173.

Francis & Thomas Hurry went into bankruptcy in 1806 and shipbuilding eventually ceased in 1811.
Francis Hurry died 08/10/1808 aged 79.

The following ships have been identified as built by Hurry:

KEY BELOW: D - Dimensions; H - History; P - Photographs

Year Ship Name D / H / P Builder
1761 Expedition Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1762 Elizabeth & Sarah D / H Francis Hurry & Co, Newcastle
1762 Judith & Jane Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1763 Solebay D / H / P Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1764 Burdon Francis Hurry & Co
1765 Ravensworth Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1767 Jane Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1767 Thames Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1768 Corsica Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1772 Providence D / H Francis Hurry & Co, Shields
1773 Idee Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1774 Pearl Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1775 Betsey Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1776 Amphitrite D / H Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1778 Isis Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1779 Syren D / H Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1781 Argo D / H / P Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1782 Britannia Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1782 Good Intent Francis Hurry & Co
1783 Mosley Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1784 Ann Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1784 Ant Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1784 Captain Cook D / H Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1784 Grasshopper Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1785 Coaster Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1785 John & Isabella Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1785 Queen Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1786 Active Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1786 Squirrel Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1786 Trader Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1792 Albion D / H FW Hurry, Newcastle
1792 Swift Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1794 Ocean Francis Hurry & Co
1795 Brunswick D / H FW Hurry, Newcastle
1797 Themis Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1799 Ganges Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1799 Minorca Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1799 Nile Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1799 Ranger Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1800 Canada Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1800 Hazard Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1800 Iris Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1800 Juno Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1800 Pallas Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1801 Alexander Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1801 Amazon Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1801 Ardent Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1801 Jackal Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1801 St Vincent Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1801 Syren D / H Francis Hurry, Howdon
1801 Union Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1802 Arethusa D / H Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1802 Gipsy Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1802 Hawksbury D / H Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1802 Hope D / H Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1802 Tigris Francis Hurry & Co
1803 Cambridge D / H Francis Hurry, Howdon
1803 David D / H Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1803 John & Mary D / H Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1803 Mary Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1803 Sceptre D / H Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1803 Triad D / H Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1804 Castalia Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1804 Exchange Francis Hurry & Co, North Shields
1805 Endeavour Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1805 Swift D / H Francis & Thomas Hurry, North Shields
1806 Constant Trader Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1806 Fortitude D / H Francis & Thomas Hurry, North Shields
1806 Hope Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1806 Raleigh D / H Messrs Hurry, Howdon Dock
1807 Salisbury Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1807 Thames Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1808 Elizabeth Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1809 Anne Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1810 Industry Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
1811 Prince Regent Francis Hurry & Co, Howdon
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