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William Doxford and Sons

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Former type
  
Private

Defunct
  
1986

Founded
  
1840

Ceased operations
  
1986

Fate
  
Acquired

Key people
  
William Doxford

Successor
  
A&P Group

William Doxford & Sons wwwshipsnostalgiacomguidesimageseeePlaningc

Industry
  
Shipbuilding Diesel engines

Headquarters
  
City of Sunderland, United Kingdom

William Doxford & Sons Ltd, often referred to simply as Doxford, was a British shipbuilding and marine engineering company.

Contents

History

William Doxford founded the company in 1840. From 1870 it was based in Pallion, Sunderland, on the River Wear in Northeast England. The Company was managed by William Doxford's four sons following his death in 1882. It was acquired by Northumberland Shipbuilding Company in 1918.

It was renamed Doxford & Sunderland Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd in 1961 and Doxford & Sunderland Ltd in 1966. Court Line took it over in 1972 and renamed it Sunderland Shipbuilders Ltd.

In the 1970s a new all-weather Pallion yard was built which could build two ships of up to 30,000 tons deadweight side-by-side. The steel came in at one end, and the completed ship left from the other with engines installed and sometimes with the machinery running.

Court Line collapsed in 1974 and the company was nationalised. It was privatised in 1986 when it was merged with Austin & Pickersgill to form North East Shipbuilders. However, the last ship built at pallion was floated out of the yard in 1989 after which it closed as a shipbuilding yard. The old shipyard is now occupied by Pallion Engineering Limited whilst a part of the former marine engine works is occupied by Sunderland Wall climbing centre.

Operations

Doxford was a major British shipbuilder. It also made marine diesel engines, the last of which it built in 1980.

References

William Doxford & Sons Wikipedia