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.
KEY BELOW: D / H / P (D means basic dimensions are shown; H means a history is given; P means one or more photographs are available)
Below: (TT) indicates that the link will open up in a new window belonging to our sister web site Tyne Tugs


Shipbuilder: John Softley & Co, South Shields (1873 - 1875)

Shipbuilder: Softley Bros, North Shields (1876 - 1876)

Shipbuilder: John Softley & Sons, North Shields (1877 - 1878)

Shipbuilder: John Softley & Sons, South Shields (1878 - 1880)


The location of John Softley's yard at South Shields was probably at Sand End on the above map
Map is copyright of the Ordnance Survey

In 1865 John Softley and John Readhead, General Manager & Engineering Manager respectively for Marshalls at Willington Quay set up in partnership at Pilot Street, South Shields. The partnership was dissolved in 1872 and the parties went their separate ways. John Softley coninued at the Pilot Street site but was made bankrupt in 1875. He and his sons William & Thomas then started up business in North Shields and then at Thrift Street in South Shields. John Softley died in January 1880 and by the following April his sons were putting the firm into voluntary liquidation.

Yd No Year Ship Name Builder D / H / P
86 1872 Matthew Cay J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
87 1872 Styx J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
88 1873 Chatsworth J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
89 1872 Eclair J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
90 1873 Cerdic J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
91 1873 Amble J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
92 1873 Amelia J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
93 1873 Kynance J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
94 1873 Ruby J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
95 1873 Greta J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
96 1873 W H Atkinson J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
97 1873 Louis David J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
99 1873 Magdalena Vicenta J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
100 1874 Burmese J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
101 1874 Sandringham J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
102 1874 Welfare J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
1874 Admiral (TT) J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H / P
1874 Cruiser (TT) J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H / P
1874 Goole No 1 (TT) J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H / P
107 1874 Dante J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
108 1874 Ferdinand van der Taelen J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
109 1874 Capulet J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
110 1874 Ravenstondale J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H / P
111 1875 Mizpah J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
113 1874 Commercial J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
115 1875 Langshaw J Softley & Co, South Shields D / H
1876 Alexandra (TT) Softley Bros, North Shields D / H / P
1876 Criterion (TT) Softley Bros, North Shields D / H / P
1876 Flying Spray (TT) Softley Bros, North Shields D / H / P
1876 Wanderer (TT) Softley Bros, North Shields D / H
1877 Bangkok (TT) J Softley & Sons, North Shields D / H / P
124 1877 Lizzie & Annie J Softley & Sons, South Shields D / H / P
1877 Seagull (TT) J Softley & Sons, North Shields D / H / P
1878 Albatross (TT) J Softley & Sons, South Shields D / H / P
128 1878 Mentor (TT) J Softley & Sons, South Shields D / H
1878 Premier (TT) J Softley & Sons, South Shields D / H
1879 Hanlan (TT) J Softley & Sons, South Shields D / H
1879 Silach (TT) J Softley & Sons, South Shields D / H
1879 South Shields J Softley & Sons, South Shields
1879 Stella (TT) J Softley & Sons, South Shields D / H / P
1879 Unknown (TT) J Softley & Sons, South Shields
136 1880 Colchester J Softley & Sons, South Shields D / H
1880 Gamecock (TT) J Softley & Sons, South Shields D / H
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