John Readhead & Sons was a shipyard on the River Tyne in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England founded in 1865.

John Readhead & Sons
Company typePrivate
IndustryShipbuilding, ship repair,
engine building, boilermaking
Founded1865
Defunct1984
FateAcquired
SuccessorSwan Hunter
HeadquartersSouth Shields, UK

History

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John Readhead and John Softley founded the business in 1865 in South Shields as Readhead and Softley.[1] The first ship they built was a small collier called Unus.[1] Swan Hunter bought the company in 1967 after publication of the Geddes Report which recommended rationalisation of shipbuilding on the River Tyne.[2] It was nationalised with the rest of Swan Hunter in 1977. The yard at South Shields closed in 1984.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Gage, John. "Introduction". John Readhead & Sons. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007.
  2. ^ "History Page 5". Swan Hunter. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  3. ^ Readheads Shipyard 1972–1984 Archived 18 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine

Further reading

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  • Anonymous (1948). John Readhead & Sons Limited, Shipbuilders Shiprepairers Engine and Boiler Builders. South Shields: John Readhead & Sons.
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54°59′17″N 1°26′52″W / 54.988°N 1.44769°W / 54.988; -1.44769 (Location of John Readhead & Sons shipyard)