Mid-1800s. Company founded by John Shearer senior. The yard was at Kingston Dock.
1872 John Shearer and Sons leased part of the Kelvinhaugh yard and the slip dock, previously occupied by Alexander Stephen and Sons.
c.1900 Acquired land at Scotstoun on the Clyde to where the company moved to establish the Elderslie Dockyard. Had a 500 foot dry dock built. Company took limited company status: John Shearer and Sons Ltd. The graving dock provided ongoing business whilst the company tried to equip the new dock for shipbuilding.
1907 Company ran out of funds to equip the works at Elderslie; company went into liquidation; the liquidator continued the business as a going concern but no further attempt was made to establish the ship building activities.
1908 Sir John Shearer, son of the founder, died.
1912 The Elderslie Dockyard and Graving Dock ,which was particularly suited to repair work, was taken over by Barclay, Curle and Co[1].
1912 As with the rest of Barclay, Curle and Co, the Elderslie Dockyard was taken over in May by Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson [2]