Abstract
This entertaining book recounts the history of the Doxford family and their well-known industrial enterprise. William Doxford & Sons Ltd developed pioneering ship designs (the turret steamer and the Doxford Economy cargo carrier), a series of advanced oil burning engines (the opposed-piston oil engine and several variants) and several innovations in production machinery. In two years, 1905 and 1907, their shipyard launched the largest tonnage of vessels produced in Britain and indeed the world. The story is an exciting one, and Patricia Richardson, who is related to the family by marriage, has carried out an immense amount of research to compile it.
The resulting work will appeal to a wide audience, general readers and specialists alike. It covers the Doxford genealogy in some detail, and locates individuals’ lives, members’ public and professional service, and their managerial activities in the context of the local community and the ebb and flow of the national economy. Indeed, one of the book's many accomplishments is the insights it provides into the dynamics of a British family enterprise with all its energy, inventiveness and commitment, and ultimately the gentrification of later generations. Along the way, Richardson examines the firm's financial performance, managerial processes, labour relations and overall place in the Wearside society and economy. With reference to the readership of this journal, this book will be of interest to maritime business historians, specialists in technical development, scholars interested in the nationalisation of the British shipbuilding industry and economists who study shifts in international competitive and comparative advantages.
The firm was established by William Doxford (1812−1882), a former timber merchant who made two failed attempts to move into shipbuilding before finally succeeding. In partnership with his sons, William progressed from wood to iron construction and set up one of the earliest engineering works on the Wear, having moved to a more commodious site at Pallion Shipyard. His heirs converted the enterprise into a private limited firm in 1891 and then formed a public company in 1900, which ultimately and fatefully granted unusually advantageous voting rights. The firm achieved great fame by refining the American-designed whaleback steamer to develop the highly efficient turret steamer, a development that occasioned a patent dispute between the firm and its Chief Draftsman. Lloyds of London raised several senseless objections to the vessel, which meant that it could not be insured through the Society. To demonstrate its potential, Doxford set up a new shipping firm to own and operate the prototype. The firm used the same stratagem to publicise a new motorship equipped with the J-type engine in the 1960s. Eventually, Lloyds accepted the design, and the Pallion Shipyard went on to produce no fewer than 171 turret steamers. Before World War I, the firm began work on an advanced type of oil engine and recruited several technical experts from continual Europe to work alongside its own staff. During the war, the company was immensely profitable and, as a result of the voting rights embodied in its articles and the wide distribution of shares among family members, it became exposed to take-over.
Indeed, in 1918, the notorious Sperling Combine was on the prowl. After making a tempting offer, which enabled younger members of the family to realise the value of their legacies, it succeeded in acquiring the firm. Wisely, the family retained rights to the royalty stream that would be generated by the new oil engine. Sperling plundered the company of its cash reserves and it ultimately collapsed as trade fell away precipitously in the early 1920s. The firm ceased production completely for a time but survived on the proceeds from engine building and the generous support of Charles Doxford, who personally financed new orders. It was also Charles who conceived of the Doxford Economy steamer, which represented the firm's second breakthrough in vessel design. After the war, the company experienced a strong revival of fortunes. However, between 1961 and 1988 its administration changed four times because of a series of mergers and acquisitions, followed ultimately by nationalisation. It suffered from narrow-minded, non-family managers who refused to build an overseas client base, preferring instead to work with longstanding British customers, and failed to take advantage of offers made by Japanese interests to become involved in technical collaboration. Like many other British shipyards, it was confronted by labour difficulties, internal and external politics, and debilitating site constraints at a time when vessel size increased enormously. Competitive advantages were eroded as larger, more modern overseas rivals secured dramatically lower costs and achieved reliable delivery times. Nevertheless, Doxford continued developing new ship designs and innovative engines, and rebuilt its facilities to adopt improved production methods. Nevertheless, it simply could not contend with foreign competition, and the sad end came in 1988 when the last ship left Pallion Shipyard.
Patricia Richardson provides an objective account of the firm's long history. She addresses several sensitive subjects, such as the dispute over the turret patent, workplace safety, family priorities and managerial shortcomings. She also deals with areas of debate in a well-informed and judicious manner. The book is written in an interesting style to suit a wide readership, and it is leavened by Richardson's gentle sense of humour. Finally, the author has done great service by mustering a truly astonishing array of photographs, maps, work site diagrams and technical drawings to illustrate her fine work.