Grace's Guide
British Industrial History
Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 132,773 pages of information and 210,006 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.
Rowhedge Ironworks Co
From Graces Guide
Rowhedge Ironworks was based on the river Colne at Wivenhoe near Colchester
1904 The yard was established by three former employees of Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson Walter Oxton, Frank Maslen and Lewis Foster. They specialised in small tugs, barges, launches, stern-wheelers and other small craft.
1909 Maslen and Foster went abroad and Walter Oxton became the chief
1915 Harris Brothers boat yard located on the River Colne at Rowhedge, Essex. Established by Peter Thomas Harris 1865, later run by his sons Enos and John Thomas Harris. Yard taken over by Rowhedge Ironworks circa 1915.
1937 Walter Oxton died and was succeeded by Frank Butcher
WWII The yard built four standard coasters, three "VIC" type Clyde puffers, two torpedo recovery craft and tow coastal tankers.
1946 The Hotspur IV was built by Rowhedge Ironworks for use on the Hythe Ferry.
1946 Frank Butcher died and Donald Thomas Oxton became MD
1950s In the post war years the yard specialised in building "flat pack" ships for re-erection overseas.
The yard was closed in 1964.
See Also
Sources of Information
- British Shipbuilding Yards. 3 vols by Norman L. Middlemiss
- Steam Engine Builders of Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire by Ronald H. Clark. Published 1950 by The Augustine Steward Press