Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company

Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company Limited, often referred to simply as "Palmers", was a British shipbuilding company. The company was based in Jarrow, County Durham, in north-eastern England, and had operations in Hebburn and Willington Quay on the River Tyne.

Early history and growth
The company was established in 1852 by Charles Mark Palmer as Palmer Brothers & Co. in Jarrow. Later that year it launched the John Bowes, the first iron screw collier. By 1900, the business was known as Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company. At that time, besides building ships, it manufactured and processed its own steel and other metals, and its products included Reed water tube boilers and marine steam engines.

By 1902, Palmers' base at Jarrow occupied about 100 acres (41 hectares) and included 0.75 miles (1.2 kilometres) of the southern bank of the River Tyne, and employed about 10,000 men and boys. In 1910, Sir Charles Palmer's interest in the business was acquired by Lord Furness who, as Chairman, expanded the business by acquiring a lease over a new graving dock at Hebburn from Robert Stephenson and Company. In 1919, Palmers laid down the SS Gairsoppa, which was sunk by a German U-boat in 1941, causing the loss of 84 lives and 200 lt of silver.

Depression and collapse
The Great Depression began in 1929, all but destroying the shipbuilding industry, which did not rebound until the Second World War. In 1931, Palmers posted a loss of £88,867,. The company received a moratorium from its creditors in order to extend repayment. In January 1933, the majority of the company's unsecured creditors met in London and agreed to extend the moratorium a further six months.

Palmers was unable to survive and collapsed by the end of 1933. The company's blast furnaces and steel works—which covered 37 acres—were put up for auction. The Jarrow yard was sold to National Shipbuilders Securities, which closed it down in order to sell it, causing much unemployment and leading to the Jarrow March. After the shipyard closed, following support from the industrialist, Sir John Jarvis, the site was used the engine shop as a steel foundry for another 18 months.

The company retained the yard at Hebburn and was acquired by Armstrong Whitworth, becoming Palmers Hebburn Company. In 1973, Vickers-Armstrongs, successor to Armstrong Whitworth, sold the Palmers Dock at Hebburn to Swan Hunter and developed it as the Hebburn Shipbuilding Dock. This facility was acquired from the receivers of Swan Hunter by Tyne Tees Dockyard in 1994. They sold it to Cammell Laird in 1995. When Cammell Laird entered receivership in 2001, the dock was acquired by A&P Group. The yard remains in use as a ship repair and refurbishment facility.

Ships built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company
Ships built by Palmers included:

Battlecruisers

 * HMS Queen Mary Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1912)

Battleships

 * HMS Defence (1861) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1861)
 * HMS Hercules (1910) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1910)
 * HMS Lord Nelson (1906) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1906)
 * HMS Resolution (1892) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1892)
 * HMS Resolution (09) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1915)
 * HMS Revenge (1892) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1892)
 * HMS Russell (1901) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1901)
 * HMS Swiftsure (1870) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1870)
 * HMS Terror (1856) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1856)
 * HMS Triumph (1870) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1870)

Cruisers

 * HMS Alacrity (1885) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1885)
 * HMS Dauntless (D45) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1918)
 * HMS Orlando (1886) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1886)
 * HMS Pegasus (1897) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1897)
 * HMS Pique (1890) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1890)
 * HMS Pyramus (1897) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1897)
 * HMCS Rainbow (1891) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Canadian Navy (1891)
 * HMS Retribution (1891) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1891)
 * HMS Surprise (1885) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1885)
 * HMS Undaunted (1886) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1886)
 * HMS York (90) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1928)

Destroyers

 * HMS Bat (1896) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1896)
 * HMS Chamois (1896) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1896)
 * HMS Cherwell (1903) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1903)
 * HMS Crane (1896) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1896)
 * HMS Dee (1903) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1903)
 * HMS Diana (H49) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1932)
 * HMS Duchess (H64) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1932)
 * HMS Erne (1903) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1903)
 * HMS Exe (1903) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1903)
 * HMS Ettrick (1903) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1903)
 * HMS Fawn (1897) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1897)
 * HMS Flirt (1897) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1897)
 * HMS Flying Fish (1897) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1897)
 * HMS Janus (1895) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1895)
 * HMS Kangaroo (1900) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1900)
 * HMS Lightning (1895) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1895)
 * HMCS Margaree Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Canadian Navy (1932)
 * HMS Myrmidon (1900) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1900)
 * HMS Peterel (1899) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1899)
 * HMS Porcupine (1895) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1895)
 * HMS Rother (1904) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1904)
 * HMS Spiteful (1899) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1899)
 * HMS Star (1896) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1896)
 * HMS Swale (1905) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1905)
 * HMS Syren (1900) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1900)
 * HMS Ure (1904) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1904)
 * HMS Wear (1905) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1905)
 * HMS Whiting (1896) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1896)
 * HMS Wryneck (D21) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1918)

Monitors

 * HMVS Cerberus Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg Victorian Navy (1868)
 * HMS General Wolfe (1915) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1915)
 * HMS Gorgon (1871) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1871)
 * HMS Marshal Ney (1915) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1915)
 * HMS Marshal Soult (1915) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1915)

River gunboats

 * HMS Dee (1877) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1877)
 * HMS Don (1877) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1877)
 * HMS Esk (1877) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1877)
 * HMS Medina (1876) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1876)
 * HMS Medway (1876) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1876)
 * SMS Planet (1889) Austria-Hungary-flag-1869-1914-naval-1786-1869-merchant.svg Austro-Hungarian Navy (1889)
 * HMS Sabrina (1876) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1876)
 * HMS Slaney (1877) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1877)
 * HMS Spey (1876) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1876)
 * HMS Tay (1876) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1876)
 * HMS Tees (1876) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1876)
 * HMS Trent (1877) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1877)
 * HMS Tweed (1877) Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy (1877)

Cable ships

 * CS Faraday Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Atlantic Telegraph Company (1923)

Cargo ships

 * Anne Thomas Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Evan Thomas Radcliffe (1882)
 * Anthony Radcliffe Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Evan Thomas Radcliffe (1893)
 * SS Automedon Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Alfred Holt and Company (1922)
 * Clarrisa Radcliffe Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Evan Thomas Radcliffe (1889)
 * Douglas Hill Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Evan Thomas Radcliffe (1890)
 * SS Gairsoppa Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British-India Steam Navigation Company (1919)
 * Gwenllian Thomas Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Evan Thomas Radcliffe (1882)
 * Iolo Morganwg Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Evan Thomas Radcliffe (1882)
 * John Bowes Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Charles Palmer (1852)
 * Kate Thomas Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Evan Thomas Radcliffe (1884)
 * Lady Palmer Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Evan Thomas Radcliffe (1889)
 * Mary Thomas Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Evan Thomas Radcliffe (1889)
 * SS Meriones Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg China Mutual Steam Navigation Company (1922)
 * Slavic Prince (Prince Line Ltd, Newcastle) (1918)

Oil tankers

 * British Ardour Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1928)
 * British Aviator Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1924)
 * British Captain Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1923)
 * British Chemist Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1925)
 * SS British Chivalry Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1929)
 * SS British Corporal Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1922)
 * British Freedom Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1928)
 * British General Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1922)
 * British Honour Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1928)
 * British Industry Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1927)
 * British Inventor Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1926)
 * British Justice Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1928)
 * British Light Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1917)
 * British Loyalty Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1928)
 * British Mariner Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1922)
 * British Officer Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1922)
 * SS British Premier Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1922)
 * British Science Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1931)
 * SS British Sergeant Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1922)
 * British Splendour Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1931)
 * British Strength Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1931)
 * British Yeoman Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg British Tanker Company (1923)

Passenger ships

 * SS Connaught (1860)
 * SS Armenia (1896)
 * SS Nevada (1868)

Steam yachts

 * Xantha Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey (1867)

Tugs

 * PT Northumberland Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg G. Wascoe, Shields, 1852 Yard number 1

Cargo vessels

 * S.S. Socotra, 1897