TYNE BUILT SHIPS
A history of Tyne shipbuilders and the ships that they built

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Shipbuilder: Anderson, Laverick & Co Ltd, St Lawrence - People

The initial partnership was Anderson, Johnson & Littlejohn but the names of Johnson & Littlejohn soon seem to disappear.

Shields Daily Gazette, Monday, 27/10/1890


Douglas Murray Anderson - (1847 to 1893)
Douglas Murray Anderson was born 04/05/1847 and according to the 1891 Census he was living with his family at 110 Harbottle St, Byker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He was born in Berwick on Tweed and subsequently moved to Inverness, before then settling in Newcastle. He was tall with a ginger beard and a shipwright by occupation.

Douglas Murray Anderson - photo is courtesy of John Anderson

Douglas was married to Mary Jane Ward, who was born 26/06/1849 in Berwick upon Tweed and they had the following children:

Eleanor Ward Anderson, born 11/03/1873, died aged 10 days
Thomas Anderson, born 24/12/1874, died aged 10 months
John Anderson, born 03/03/1876, died aged 82 years
Thomas Anderson, born 07/11/1877, died aged 43 years
Douglas Murray Anderson Jnr, born 06/08/1883, died aged 73 years
Eleanor Cockburn ("Nellie") Anderson, born 30/05/1891, died aged 21 years

The 1891 Census states that the eldest son John Anderson then aged 15 was listed as a "ship plater" and their second son Thomas Anderson aged 13 was a "shipwrights office boy". Both boys may have worked in their father's business.

Douglas Murray Anderson died on 04/02/1893 aged 45, leaving Mary Jane Anderson with four surviving children. At that time, the oldest, John was 16 and Nellie, the youngest, was aged 11. John continued to work in the shipyards, including Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson where he worked on the MAURETANIA. In 1912 he emigrated to Australia, with his wife and children, on the Swan Hunter built INDRAPURA.

The above information has been provided by John Anderson, great grandson of Douglas Murray Anderson Snr. John also kindly provided many of the photos.

The following photo shows Anderson & Laverick's first ship the TYNE FISHER on the patent slip. She is in an advanced state of construction and the presence of so many posed figures suggests it may be the official completion of the vessel, with the yard workers also represented.

Above photo is copyright of John Anderson

Above photo, showing the Anderson Laverick workforce is copyright of John Anderson

It is thought that Anderson (in the bowler hat) is on the left & Laverick (in another bowler hat) is to the right

Above photo is copyright of John Anderson

In the above photo of the yard taken from the river side there is a group of yard workers posing in front of some incomplete hulls. It is thought that Douglas Murray Anderson is standing to the left and slightly apart from the group.