TYNE TUGS AND TUG BUILDERS
A history of Tyne Tugs, their builders and owners

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Above: Select the required shipyard by using the initial letter of the Surname eg: Eltringham, Hepple or Rennoldson.
KEY BELOW: D / H / P (D = basic dimensions are shown; H = a history is given; P = one or more photographs are available)

Clelands Shipbuilders Ltd, Willington Quay and its predecessors

1866 - William Cleland
1872 - William Cleland & Co Ltd
1876 - Clelands Graving Dock & Slipway Co Ltd
1920 - Clelands (Shiprepairers) Ltd
1932 - Clelands (Successors) Ltd
1957 - Clelands Shipbuilding Co Ltd
1967 - Clelands Shipbuilders Ltd

The site was operated by a number of builders before it was occupied by William Cleland in 1866. William Cleland had Clyde origins and was initially a manager for T & W Smith of North Shields. In the 1860s he left Smiths and moved to the yard of Palmer Brothers at Howdon. However after Palmers became a limited company in 1865 he left to begin business for himself in his own name.
His new business was incorporated as a limited liability company "William Cleland & Co Ltd" in 1872. Following William Cleland's death in 1876, the company concentrated mainly on repair work until the mid 1930s. In 1934 the company was purchased for £3,000 by the Craggs family, owners of a similar yard at Goole and the yard was upgraded to allow more building work to be undertaken. The yard was then noted for spectacular sideways launches from its cramped site next to Willington Gut.
Clelands became a Swan Hunter subsidiary from 1967 and then became part of British Shipbuilders from 01/07/1977. The yard closed in 1983.

The following tug was built by William Cleland

Yd No Year Ship Name D / H / P
1868 Constantine D / H
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The following tug was built by Clelands Graving Dock & Slipway Co Ltd

Yd No Year Ship Name D / H / P
3 1898 Majestic D / H / P
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The following tugs were built by Clelands (Successors) Ltd

Yd No Year Ship Name D / H / P
46 1938 Anbar D / H
48 1938 Mihrabad D / H
64 1942 Empire Thistle D / H / P
65 1942 Empire Piper D / H / P
66 1943 Empire Sandy D / H / P
67 1943 Empire John D / H
68 1944 Empire Winnie D / H / P
69 1944 Empire Aid D / H / P
70 1944 Empire Julia D / H / P
71 1944 Empire Susan D / H / P
72 1945 Empire Mary D / H / P
73 1945 Empire Jean D / H / P
74 1945 Empire Bess D / H / P
106 1947 Mon D / H / P
107 1947 Yaw D / H / P
108 1947 Metro D / H / P
111 1949 Chindit D / H
112 1948 Pluto D / H
182 1953 Chipchase D / H / P
191 1955 Berguna D / H / P
212 1956 Pemeno D / H / P
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The following tugs were built by Clelands Shipbuilding Company Ltd

Yd No Year Ship Name D / H / P
234 1959 Habab D / H / P
235 1959 Hamasah D / H / P
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The following tug was built by Clelands Shipbuilders Ltd

Yd No Year Ship Name D / H / P
297 1968 Andy Mitchell D / H / P
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