Blyth Shipbuilding Company
The Blyth Shipbuilding & Dry Docks Company Ltd. was a British shipyard located in Blyth, Northumberland, England. Company history Early history Shipbuilding began on the site on the south bank of the River Blyth in 1811. In the 1840s the yard was purchased by Beaumont and Drummond. In 1863 the yard was taken over by Hodgson and Soulsby who repaired and built small wooden sailing ships. In 1880 the first two iron ships were built at Blyth for the Russian Government. Foundation On 2 March 1883 the Blyth Shipbuilding & Dry Docks Company Ltd. was registered as a limited liability company. It built cargo liners, tramp steamers and colliers. The fifth ship built at the yard was for the shipping company Stephens and Mawson of Newcastle. Daniel Stephens eventually became a Director, and then the Chairman of the company. World War I In 1914 a cargo ship under construction was purchased by the Admiralty and converted into the Navy's first seaplane carrier . During the war the company completed nine tramps and colliers, along with ten X-lighter landing craft and six sloops for the Royal Navy; these were the Arabis-class minesweeper , the Aubrietia-class convoy escorts and , the Anchusa-class