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Laird

Builder : Laird Country : UK

The private firm of Messrs Laird Bros at Birkenhead had the highest reputation for the vessels of war they produced. These included, among others, the iron frigate Birkenhead, the world-famous cruiser Alabama, the old battleships Agincourt and Vanguard, the historic armour-clad turret ship Huascar and so on down to the first class battleship Royal Oak, the Mars and the Glory. Hardly any other private firm attained greater eminence and the distinguished services it rendered to Naval architecture were recognised not only by the British Government but by foreign governments. The Birkenhead works covered an area of 22 acres in 1897, and the special feature was their series of graving docks for repair and construction of vessels of every size, equipped with powerful steam cranes and ever other convenience, while alongside the fitting-out wharf the largest battleship can lie- as many during construction did- at all states of the tide. In addition there were extensive modern engine shops and boiler works. (Army & Navy Illustrated, c.1897).

Ships built by Laird (ordered by launch date)... :
Name	Launched	Fate
HMIS Medusa	1839	Wrecked 9th December 1853.
HMS Dover	1840	Sold 1866.
HMS Birkenhead	30th December 1845	Wrecked 26th February 1852 Algoa Bay, South Africa.
HMS Resolute	19th February 1855	Renamed Adventure 16th February 1857.
HMS Assistance	5th April 1855	Purchased on stocks on 16th January 1855. Wrecked off Hong Kong 7th June 1860 and sold 30th July 1860.
HMS Brave	11th February 1856	Scrapped March 1869.
HMS Bullfinch	25th February 1856	Scrapped August 1864.
HMS Brazen	8th March 1856	Scrapped August 1864.
HMS Rainbow	8th March 1856	Sold November 1888.
HMS Blossom	21st April 1856	Scrapped November 1864.
HMS Adventure *	19th February 1857	Renamed (ex - Resolute) 16th February 1857 and launched 3 days later on 19th February 1857. Scrapped 1877
Quangtung	1863	1891
HMS Scorpion	October 1863	Sold February 1903. Subsequently lost on 17th June 1903.
HMS Wivern	29th August 1863	Sold May 1922.
HMS Agincourt	27th March 1865	Keel laid under name CAPTAIN, changed to AGINCOURT soon after. Became a training ship at Portland in 1895. Renamed TS BOSCAWEN III March 1904, GANGES II 1906, coal hulk C109 1908. Sold 1960.
HMS Captain	27th March 1869	Foundered 7th September 1870.
HMS Vanguard	3rd January 1870	Sunk in collision 1st September 1875.
HMS Ant	14th August 1873	Scrapped June 1926.
HMS Cuckoo	14th August 1873	Renamed Vivid on 19 February 1912, Vivid II in January 1922, YC37 in 1923 and finally sold to Hocking, Plymouth in 1959.
HMS Hyaena	30th August 1873	Sold 3 April 1906
HMS Weazel	4th September 1873	Renamed C118 1904.
HMS Griffon	16th December 1876	Sold privately (Richmond) 28th September 1891.
HMS Watchful	13th February 1883	Sold 14th May 1907.
HMS Mistletoe	7th February 1883	Sold 14th May 1907.
HMS Rattlesnake	11th September 1886	Sold 1910
HMS Royal Oak	5th November 1892	Sold 14th January 1914.
HMS Renard	6th December 1892	Sold 1905.
HMS Onyx	7th September 1892	Renamed Vulcan II 1919.
HMS Ferret	9th December 1893	Sunk as a target 1911
HMS Lynx	9th December 1893	Scrapped 1912
HMS Banshee	17th November 1894	Scrapped 10th April 1912.
HMS Contest	1st December 1894	Sold 11th July 1911.
HMS Dragon	15th December 1894	Sold for scrap 9th July 1912.
HMS Sparrowhawk	8th October 1895	Wrecked 17th June 1904.
HMS Virago	19th November 1895	Sold for scrapping October 1919
HMS Thrasher	5th November 1895	Sold 4th November 1919.
HMS Quail	24th September 1895	Sold 23rd July 1919.
HMS Earnest	11th November 1896	Sold for scrap 1920
HMS Griffon	21st November 1896	Sold for scrap 1920
HMS Locust	5th December 1896	Sold for scrap 1919
HMS Mars	30th March 1896	Sold for scrap 9th May 1921.
HMS Panther	21st January 1897	Scrapped 1920
HMS Seal	6th March 1897	Scrapped 1921
HMS Wolf	2nd June 1897	Scrapped 1921
HMS Orwell	29th September 1898	Scrapped 1922
HMS Glory	11th March 1899	Became Depot Ship and renamed Crescent, 1st May 1920.
HMS Mutine	1st March 1900	Sold 16th August 1932.
HMS Rinaldo	25th May 1900	Sold 21st October 1921
HMS Lively	14th July 1900	Sold 1st July 1920.
HMS Sprightly	25th September 1900	Scrapped 1920
HMS Exmouth	31st August 1901	Sold for scrap 15th January 1920.
HMS Foyle	25th February 1903	Sunk 15th March 1917.
HMS Itchen	17th March 1903	Torpedoed and sank by Uboat U99 in North Sea on 6 July 1917.
HMS Arun	29th April 1903	Sold 30th June 1920.
HMS Topaze	23rd July 1903	Sold 1921
HMS Blackwater	25th July 1903	Sunk in collision with SS Hero 6th April 1909.
HMS C118 *	1904	Renamed (ex - Weazel) 1904. Subsequent fate unknown.
HMS Diamond	6th January 1904	Sold 9th May 1921.
HMS Moy	10th November 1904	Sold 27th May 1919.
HMS Boscawen III *	March 1904	Renamed (ex - Agincourt) March 1904. Renamed Ganges II 21st June 1906.
HMS Liffey	23rd September 1904	Sold for breaking June 1919.
HMS Ganges II *	21st June 1906	Renamed (ex - Boscawen III) 21st June 1906. Renamed C109 September 1908
HMS C109 *	September 1908	Launched as HMS Agincourt 27th March 1861. Renamed (ex - Ganges II) September 1908. Scrapped 21st October 1960.
HMS Alecto	29th August 1911	Scrapped 7th July 1949.
HMS Vivid *	1912	Renamed (ex - Cuckoo) 1912. Renamed Vivid II in January 1922. Renamed YC37 1923.
HMS Vulcan II *	1919	Renamed 1919 (ex - Onyx). Scrapped 1924.
HMS Crescent *	1st May 1920	Renamed 1st May 1920 (ex - Glory). Scrapped 19th December 1922.
HMS YC37 *	1923	Launched as Cuckoo in 1873. Renamed (ex - Vivid) 1923. Sold 1958.

Ships built by Laird(ordered by name)... :
Name	Launched	Fate
HMS Adventure *	19th February 1857	Renamed (ex - Resolute) 16th February 1857 and launched 3 days later on 19th February 1857. Scrapped 1877
HMS Agincourt	27th March 1865	Keel laid under name CAPTAIN, changed to AGINCOURT soon after. Became a training ship at Portland in 1895. Renamed TS BOSCAWEN III March 1904, GANGES II 1906, coal hulk C109 1908. Sold 1960.
HMS Alecto	29th August 1911	Scrapped 7th July 1949.
HMS Ant	14th August 1873	Scrapped June 1926.
HMS Arun	29th April 1903	Sold 30th June 1920.
HMS Assistance	5th April 1855	Purchased on stocks on 16th January 1855. Wrecked off Hong Kong 7th June 1860 and sold 30th July 1860.
HMS Banshee	17th November 1894	Scrapped 10th April 1912.
HMS Birkenhead	30th December 1845	Wrecked 26th February 1852 Algoa Bay, South Africa.
HMS Blackwater	25th July 1903	Sunk in collision with SS Hero 6th April 1909.
HMS Blossom	21st April 1856	Scrapped November 1864.
HMS Boscawen III *	March 1904	Renamed (ex - Agincourt) March 1904. Renamed Ganges II 21st June 1906.
HMS Brave	11th February 1856	Scrapped March 1869.
HMS Brazen	8th March 1856	Scrapped August 1864.
HMS Bullfinch	25th February 1856	Scrapped August 1864.
HMS C109 *	September 1908	Launched as HMS Agincourt 27th March 1861. Renamed (ex - Ganges II) September 1908. Scrapped 21st October 1960.
HMS C118 *	1904	Renamed (ex - Weazel) 1904. Subsequent fate unknown.
HMS Captain	27th March 1869	Foundered 7th September 1870.
HMS Contest	1st December 1894	Sold 11th July 1911.
HMS Crescent *	1st May 1920	Renamed 1st May 1920 (ex - Glory). Scrapped 19th December 1922.
HMS Cuckoo	14th August 1873	Renamed Vivid on 19 February 1912, Vivid II in January 1922, YC37 in 1923 and finally sold to Hocking, Plymouth in 1959.
HMS Diamond	6th January 1904	Sold 9th May 1921.
HMS Dover	1840	Sold 1866.
HMS Dragon	15th December 1894	Sold for scrap 9th July 1912.
HMS Earnest	11th November 1896	Sold for scrap 1920
HMS Exmouth	31st August 1901	Sold for scrap 15th January 1920.
HMS Ferret	9th December 1893	Sunk as a target 1911
HMS Foyle	25th February 1903	Sunk 15th March 1917.
HMS Ganges II *	21st June 1906	Renamed (ex - Boscawen III) 21st June 1906. Renamed C109 September 1908
HMS Glory	11th March 1899	Became Depot Ship and renamed Crescent, 1st May 1920.
HMS Griffon	16th December 1876	Sold privately (Richmond) 28th September 1891.
HMS Griffon	21st November 1896	Sold for scrap 1920
HMS Hyaena	30th August 1873	Sold 3 April 1906
HMS Itchen	17th March 1903	Torpedoed and sank by Uboat U99 in North Sea on 6 July 1917.
HMS Liffey	23rd September 1904	Sold for breaking June 1919.
HMS Lively	14th July 1900	Sold 1st July 1920.
HMS Locust	5th December 1896	Sold for scrap 1919
HMS Lynx	9th December 1893	Scrapped 1912
HMS Mars	30th March 1896	Sold for scrap 9th May 1921.
HMIS Medusa	1839	Wrecked 9th December 1853.
HMS Mistletoe	7th February 1883	Sold 14th May 1907.
HMS Moy	10th November 1904	Sold 27th May 1919.
HMS Mutine	1st March 1900	Sold 16th August 1932.
HMS Onyx	7th September 1892	Renamed Vulcan II 1919.
HMS Orwell	29th September 1898	Scrapped 1922
HMS Panther	21st January 1897	Scrapped 1920
HMS Quail	24th September 1895	Sold 23rd July 1919.
Quangtung	1863	1891
HMS Rainbow	8th March 1856	Sold November 1888.
HMS Rattlesnake	11th September 1886	Sold 1910
HMS Renard	6th December 1892	Sold 1905.
HMS Resolute	19th February 1855	Renamed Adventure 16th February 1857.
HMS Rinaldo	25th May 1900	Sold 21st October 1921
HMS Royal Oak	5th November 1892	Sold 14th January 1914.
HMS Scorpion	October 1863	Sold February 1903. Subsequently lost on 17th June 1903.
HMS Seal	6th March 1897	Scrapped 1921
HMS Sparrowhawk	8th October 1895	Wrecked 17th June 1904.
HMS Sprightly	25th September 1900	Scrapped 1920
HMS Thrasher	5th November 1895	Sold 4th November 1919.
HMS Topaze	23rd July 1903	Sold 1921
HMS Vanguard	3rd January 1870	Sunk in collision 1st September 1875.
HMS Virago	19th November 1895	Sold for scrapping October 1919
HMS Vivid *	1912	Renamed (ex - Cuckoo) 1912. Renamed Vivid II in January 1922. Renamed YC37 1923.
HMS Vulcan II *	1919	Renamed 1919 (ex - Onyx). Scrapped 1924.
HMS Watchful	13th February 1883	Sold 14th May 1907.
HMS Weazel	4th September 1873	Renamed C118 1904.
HMS Wivern	29th August 1863	Sold May 1922.
HMS Wolf	2nd June 1897	Scrapped 1921
HMS YC37 *	1923	Launched as Cuckoo in 1873. Renamed (ex - Vivid) 1923. Sold 1958.

* - Represents a ship built here which later changed to this name or role.

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Last edited : 10:20, March 16, 2011
By : kc

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