Details

Name

A & J Inglis Ltd

Brief Biography

established 1837, Scottish

Occupation

Shipbuilders

Description

Anthony Inglis founded the business in Anderston in 1837, and took contracts from shipbuilders for ships' smithwork. In 1847 he was joined by his brother John supplying marine engineering. In 1850 they obtained their first important marine contract, to supply the machinery of the tug steamer ‘Clyde’. In 1855 they were contracted to supply the machinery for the ‘Tasmanian’, one of the pioneer screw steamers. In 1862 they added shipbuilding to marine engineering, bought property at the confluence of the Kelvin and the Clyde for that purpose. Also in 1862 their first shipbuilding yard was opened at Pointhouse. They went on to build iron steamers and sailing ships for British, German and American companies amongst others. In 1884 Anthony Inglis died in 1884 and his son John Inglis Junior took over. Throughout the 1880s the yard built nine pairs of large tankers for Standard Oil, followed by 12 large cargo-liners for British India Line. After this, the yard mainly built small coastal ships. In 1905 they became a limited liability company and the main output was Clyde paddlers for the North British Railway. In 1907 they were commissioned to make the Royal Yacht, Alexandra. This was the first time a private yard had been employed to do this. During World War I The Admiralty ordered a number of destroyers and minesweepers In 1917 Harland and Wolff bought controlling shares in the company but the yard remained independent. The yard continued to make coaster, cable layers, passenger ferries and one-deck cargo coasters for a number of different South American companies. In 1935 they made the PS Talisman which was the first direct-acting diesel-electric paddle steamer in the world. The yard also made the PS Waverley, a twin-funnelled paddle steamer, which is still in use today, having been restored for Clyde excursions. In 1963 the yard was closed as it was bought up by the Glasgow Corporation and redeveloped as a trading estate.