| Description | Includes memorandums and articles of association 1919-1974, register of shares 1939-1953, directors' minutes 1931-1973, directors' reports with accounts 1953-1994, annual returns 1949-1955, directors' salaries 1971-1978, Henry Scarr Limited creditors' meeting minutes 1932, Thorne directors' holdings and seal registers 1950-1978, administrative records 1943-1987, Ingram Corporation records 1970s, Damen Shipyards records 1980s, trading accounts 1964-1976, ledgers 1917-1981, cash books 1944-1985, account books 1927-1984, bank books 1941-1985, disbursements books 1975-1984, costs books 1960-1992, wages and salaries books 1939-1985, order books 1936-1968, financial correspondence 1973-1992, staff register (Thorne) 1937-1950, management and directors agreements 1946-1977, apprenticeship indentures 1949-1960, appointment agreements 1949-1967, miscellaneous staff records 1967, Sports and Social Club records 1961-1993, ships built books and particulars 1897-1987, specification and drawings 1946-1989, ships plans 1927-1989, assets and property records 1932-1995, property agreements and related records 1942-1986, brochures and related records 1925-1990s, ships particulars publicity sheets c.1974-1996, ships photographs 1890s-1990s, Tugs in Docks (TID) photographs 1940s, ships photograph albums 1920s-1970s, business photographs 20th century, staff photographs 20th century and miscellaneous records late 19th century-20th century. |
| AdminHistory | Richard Dunston started building wooden barges in 1858 on the bank of the Stainforth and Keadby Canal in Thorne, some 45 miles from the sea. In 1902 control of the yard passed to Thomas Dunston and in 1910 it passed to the 20 year old grandson of the founder. He set about modernising the business to enable the construction of iron and steel ships, but this was limited by the size of vessel that could be built at the Thorne site on the canal. He therefore took over Henry Scarr's ship building business at Hessle in 1932 so boats could be launched into the River Humber. Henry Scarr himself had moved to Hessle in March 1897 as the site at Beverley was inadequate. The company's name changed from Henry Scarr Limited to Richard Dunston (Hessle) Limited in 1961. The Thorne and Hessle yards then came under the control of the American owned Ingram Corporation . In 1985 the yards were put up for sale again but the Thorne yard was closed as it was not financially viable. The Hessle yard was the subject of a management buy out in late 1986, funded by capital from the Dutch Damen Shipyards Group. In December 1994 the company went into liquidation and the Hessle yard was closed as Dunston Ship Repairs was becoming established in Hull's William Wright Dock.
A total of 1,358 vessels were built at Thorne and 636 vessels at Hessle. One of Dunstons' major achievements was the wartime design, testing and production of Tugs in Docks (TID). It was assembled by welders, joining together 8 units manufactured by non-shipbuilding companies. A finished TID left Thorne every 5 days for well over a year after the first TID was completed in February 1943.
Sources: 'The Shipbuilding Industry, A Guide to Historical Records' by L A Ritchie (Manchester University Press, 1992) and 'Richard Dunston Limited shipbuilders of Thorne and Hessle, Yorkshire shipbuilders' by Mike Taylor (Barnsley, Wharncliffe, 2009). |
| CustodialHistory | These records were previously held by Hull Museums. |