The Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust

[gavros]

Had some really good meetings the past couple of weeks. I hope to be able to announce soon the date for the return of the first of the Thames Ironworks boats to London. Meanwhile, here's some more history:

Churchill and the end of the Thames Ironworks

Winston Churchill became First Lord of the Admiralty in 1911, a crucial post in an Empire that relied on the sea for its existence. In 1912 the Admiralty tendered for two warships. The Thames Ironworks, out of twelve bidders, submitted the highest estimate. The London-based shipbuilders could not compete with the northern yards in terms of labour costs (the southern union movement at that time being much stronger than that in the north, where 14 hour days were still common), nor could they compete with the lower costs of coal and iron ore transportation. The decisive factor, though, was the oligopoly deal that a group of northern yards, led by Vickers, had with La Societe De Nickel, which allowed them to access the crucial metal at a much lower price than competitors. Arnold Hills, Chairman of the Ironworks, petitioned Churchill about the number of disadvantages that the London-based shipbuilders faced, but his protests fell on deaf ears. Thus ended the thousand years of shipbuilding on the Thames. Though not Churchill's finest hour, we'll let him off him for his role in saving Western civilisation.

https://www.facebook.com/TIHTUK

 

[gavros]

The Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust

Press Release

The Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust launched today following the return of the first of its historic lifeboats to east London. The lifeboat will be received at a reception at the Trust’s new temporary home at Cody Dock, Canning Town.

The Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust’s goal is to revive the shipbuilding and wider manufacturing heritage of east London.

The charity aims to do this primarily through the restoration of a number of Thames Ironworks-made lifeboats close to the place where they were originally built over 100 years ago, creating employment and new skills for apprentices in the process. When restored, the boats will be put to work in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and surrounding east London waterways, conducting heritage-focused tours of the area. The tours will bring an educational aspect to the newly-restored waterways, as well as offering further opportunities for employment and training to young people.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, described the Trust’s project as “an intriguing and valuable endeavour to support London's unique shipbuilding heritage.” He added: “I also support the idea of creating new career opportunities for young people in east London to develop these valuable and lost skills."
The Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust has also received support from Stephen Timms and Lyn Brown, MPs for East Ham and West Ham respectively, while Jim Fitzpatrick, MP for Poplar and Limehouse, said: “We should treasure the integral role the Ironworks played in our seafaring history for future generations, which is why I'm backing the campaign to bring the historic Ironworks back to the East End”.

The Inland Waterways Association, which campaigns for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the inland waterways of England and Wales for public benefit, has been the first organisation to donate to the Trust. Roger Squires, Chairman of the IWA North and East London Branch, said: “The Inland Waterways Association aims to work with all who care about Britain's unique waterways heritage. The North and East London Branch is committed to revitalizing the waterways of London's East End. As such, it welcomes the opportunity to offer a donation to start the fund raising programme aimed at bringing back to life some of the old Thames Ironworks Lifeboats and to return them to the waterway on which they were built”.

The Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust is also pleased to announce that Cody Dock has agreed to host its boats for up to a year while the Trust finalises a location for its boatyard. Cody Dock, itself a charity, is next to the original location of the Thames Ironworks, and the Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust looks forward to working alongside it to promote the lower Lea and increase the understanding of London’s industrial heritage.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/p526x296/1466241_455154641251296_2105790656_n.jpg
The Frederick Kitchen produced by the Thames Ironworks in 1908, arrives at Cody Dock, 27th November 2013

The Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust looks forward to continuing to work with Cody Dock, the Inland Waterways Association, local politicians, East London Local Authorities and organisations such as the Canals and Rivers Trust, London Legacy Development Corporation and Lea Valley Regional Park Authority, as we continue to realise our ambitions in the run-up to the re-opening of the waterways of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The Trust is also hugely appreciative of the efforts of West Ham United FC, once known as Thames Ironworks FC, to help bring visibility to our campaign among fans and the general public.

Notes to editors:

The Thames Ironworks first opened for business in 1837 and within a few years had risen to become one of the greatest shipbuilding firms in the United Kingdom, producing warships for the Royal Navy and foreign navies, among many other engineering innovations of the Victorian era. Growing competition from northern shipyards, which paid less to workers and operated under much harsher conditions, meant that the London-based shipbuilding industry went into decline in the early 20th century. The Thames Ironworks finally closed in 1912, immediately after completing HMS Thunderer, which, along with a number of other Thames Ironworks-produced battleships, went on to serve the nation during the First World War. Prior to its closure, the company’s football team, Thames Ironworks FC, re-named itself as one of the conditions of becoming a professional team. It has since been called West Ham United FC.

Between 1897 and 1912 the Thames Ironworks was the sole producer of lifeboats for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, for whom it produced over 250 lifeboats. Thanks to the quality of their construction, some of these boats still exist and the Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust is committed to bringing these boats home and giving them a home and active role in the rapidly modernising environment of east London.

Cody Dock is the home of the Gasworks Dock Partnership, a charity based in Newham that aims to build a framework for regeneration through the development of social enterprises that provide employment, educational and cultural facilities.

The Inland Waterways Association was founded as a charity in 1946, campaigning for the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the inland waterways for public benefit. It supports and encourages public participation in the inland waterways through an extensive branch network of volunteers.

Contact us:

tihtorg@gmail.com

Learn more:

www.tiht.org.uk
www.facebook.com/tihtuk
www.twitter.com/tihtuk

Donate:

www.mydonate.bt.com/charities/tihtuk

 

[gavros]

Early Day Motion for the Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust

Jim Fitzpatrick, MP for Poplar and Limehouse, has been a strong supporter of the Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust from day 1. He this week tabled an Early Day Motion supporting our cause in Parliament. If you can, please do your best to get your MP to sign it - the more signatures we get, the greater credibility the Trust will have.

http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2013-14/915

"That this House supports the Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust's aims of recuperating the heritage of the shipbuilding heritage of London, primarily through the restoration of lifeboats made by the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company Limited for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution over 100 years ago; commends its goal of re-establishing boat building and restoration skills in east London via the development of apprenticeships; and welcomes its plan to put these boats back to use providing educational tours of the waterways of east London, and in doing so encourages the relevant authorities that recalling the heritage of the East End is an important part of the legacy of London 2012 and that community-led projects such as the Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust are deserving of a place within that legacy."

Meanwhile, we visited Caernarfon over the holidays where the John Ryburn, built by the Thames Ironworks in 1908, is now waiting to be transported back to London.

Please see our Facebook page for more:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.470166636416763.1073741833.407925592640868&type=1

 

[vistuerj]

COME ON YOU IRONS... I got this plate off a old rotting life boat a few years ago. All part of the history of our famous club




View attachment 35956

Hi Steve do you still have this plate?

 

[vistuerj]

It is now more than likely that West Ham United FC will move to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford in 2016. Many fans of the club are concerned that the move would mean a loss of heritage; after all, West Ham has been at its current home, Upton Park, for well over 100 years now. However, as hinted by the crossed hammers in their badge and their nicknames the ‘Hammers’ and the ‘Irons’, the even more distant history of the club lies closer to the stadium than many fans think. It is this distant history that we are aiming to revive, and in doing so, that of the history of east London as a whole.

Put simply, a small group of fans are in the final processes of setting up a charity to restore a number of fully operational Thames Ironworks lifeboats, which will bring back long-lost skills in shipwrigthting to the area, be used to offer educational heritage tours of the waterways around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and wider canal and river network, provide work and training in boatmastery for young local people and tour guide skills to older people with first hand memories of the areas industrial past, and eventually generate a surplus that can be re-invested back into charitable causes on the rivers.

The history
The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Ltd was incorporated in 1857, taking over the operations of C.J Mare and Co. The company’s expertise in the production of iron ships stood it in good stead as the ironclad era of warship production came into being. Starting with orders from the British Admiralty, the Ironworks went onto build warships for the Italian, Japanese, Turkish, Romanian and Peruvian navies amongst others.

Increasing competition from the lower cost northern yards, and the rise of foreign shipyards, made life increasingly had for the Ironworks after the turn of the 20th century. As a result an increasingly important part of the company’s revenues came from the production of lifeboats. The Ironworks produced over 250 of these for eventual use with the RNLI, helping to keep the company’s head above water until it eventually folded in 1912 – just a couple of years short of the militarisation that took place ahead of the Great War that would have saved the yard.

Lifeboats under construction at the Thames Ironworks, and lifeboat ‘William’ in finished state in the factory

The surviving boats
Not much is left of the hundreds of ships produced by the Ironworks. Perhaps 30 boats exist in the world, the most important of which is HMS Warrior, permanently moored at Portsmouth. A handful of the lifeboats remain, some of which have been restored, with one or two seaworthy examples still around. There are a few wrecks still out there, though. One such until recently was the Helen Smitton, made in 1910, and the first lifeboat in St Abbs, Berwickshire. She was found (literally) at the back of a barn by a professional restorer, who has now gone some way to restoring her to as near-perfect condition as is possible.

The Helen Smitton, at the back of a barn, and on the way to full restoration

Others remain totally decrepit. We found the Janet Hoyle, made in 1908, on a mudflat in Essex. The owner sold her to us for £1, and we’re very pleased to say that a conservation specialist has assured us that it is restorable, thanks to the quality of materials used – mainly Honduran mahogany – and the high level of workmanship involved, which has allowed the boat to survive over a hundred years of punishment. We have heard of two or three boats in a similar condition.

The Janet Hoyle, a 35’ Liverpool class lifeboat made by the Thames Ironworks in 1908

Along with the story of these boats are some wonderful human stories that we are developing. We, know, for example, that the Helen Smitton was paid for out of the will of Mr James Hodge, of Manchester, in 1907. His request was that the lifeboat for the RNLI be based on the east coast of Scotland, his and his wife's place of birth, and named Helen Smitton, following his late wife's maiden name. Another boat that we are close to securing is being gifted to the Trust by its owner of 45 years, who has now become too frail to look after her, and who wants future generations to enjoy the boat as much as he and his wife have done. This is something that we will, naturally, be committed to.

The plan
Saving these boats is, we think, worthy in its own right, but the plan is more ambitious than that. The move to the Olympic Stadium will reconnect West Ham with the waterways on which it was born as Thames Ironworks FC. The Olympic Park itself is a maze of waterways based on the river Lea, first cut by Alfred the Great in 896 to drain the river and beach the Vikings upstream, and altered continuously from then up until 1930. Their greatest use was seen during the Industrial Revolution due to the need for maritime transportation. The plan, then, is to find a spot close to the original factory, re-establishing the Thames Ironworks (well, a boat shed, but you get the gist). We would employ a master and apprentices to conduct the restoration, bringing back skills in shipwrighting that have been lost to east London for over 100 years.

Once the boats are complete, we aim to use them to offer tours in and around the Olympic Park. The focus on the industrial and pre-industrial heritage; something that is at risk of being lost as the area slowly gentrifies. The service would offer apprenticeships to local people, training them for qualifications such as the blue badge (Guild of Registered Tourist Guides) and boatmasters license, as well as potentially the City and Guilds Level II qualification awarded to the Olympic Games Makers. We would also hope that mature people with experience of working on the river and docks can contribute by giving first hand stories of their time on these waterways. We hope to be able to secure a mooring close to the stadium itself, helping to reconnect the club to its past, two miles downstream at Leamouth. Along with the mooring, we would ideally like to have our own ticket office/ shop/ museum. We have been speaking to Crossrail, who have been working on the original Ironworks site in Canning Town and have recovered lots of material from the site. If possible, then, we hope to build our eventual building from the materials that made up the original Ironworks itself. Discussions with Newham Council and the LLDC are ongoing.

The network of waterways in east London. The Olympic Stadium is marked (1) on this map. The Thames Ironworks were situated on both sides of the river as it entered the Thames at Leamouth

Funding
The initial phase of fundraising will start soon, when charitable status is confirmed and the bank account and HMRC paperwork is complete, which should be done in two to three weeks. In this phase, we will primarily look to raise money from fans and from boating and lifeboat enthusiasts, generating momentum and publicity for the project along the way. As things develop further, we will look to receive help from the Heritage Lottery Fund, as well as West Ham United. The project, we think, makes sense for the club to help to fund, given that it would be a symbolic gesture to fans, many of whom are worried that the move to the Olympic Stadium will result to a loss of heritage. This project would help to counter that, linking the club back to its very earliest days, and reinforcing the point that in many ways, this is a move back home.

We expect the service to be self sufficient after its start up costs – indeed; according to our financial workings, the boats should generate a healthy surplus, which could then be used to invest further (by the addition of restoring further boats for service) or to fund other charitable activities along the river. We are particularly aware of the problems of pollution on the Lea, and would aim to make consistent contributions to help tackle this problem. We will also aim to subsidise the boat shed even after the last of the Thames Ironworks boats are restored, so that, in conjunction with a local college and with maritime experts, we can continue to support the rekindling of the art of boatbuilding in east London.

Helen Smitton being launched at St Abbs, where she helped saved lives after HMS Pathfinder was torpedoed by U-21 in 1914

Progress to date
We have had preliminary discussions with the Heritage Lottery Fund, Canal and River Trust, and, thankfully, have had very strong support from the North & East London branch of the Inland Waterways Association. Local politicians, including Stephen Timms and Lyn Brown, MPs for East Ham and West Ham respectively, have pledged their support, as has John Biggs, who covers the City and East London for the London Assembly. We are now in close contact with Newham Council and hope soon to be able to talk to the LLDC.

Gavros do you have a copy of the picture of the Lifeboats being built in the TIW that I can have please? Also are there any other pictures available of Lifeboats in TIW? Thanks