View source for Short Brothers of Sunderland

{{for|the aircraft builders|Short Brothers}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
[[File:MagnusMail 1895 AntonioLuzzo.jpg|thumb|238px|''Ritratto della steam ship Magnus Mail in navigazione'', painted in 1895 by [[Antonio Luzzo]]. Short Brothers built [[SS Lanthorn|SS ''Magnus Mail'']] in 1889.]]
'''Short Brothers Limited''' was a British [[shipbuilding]] company formed in 1850 and based at [[Pallion]], [[City of Sunderland|Sunderland]] since 1869. The company closed in 1964 when it failed to invest to build bigger ships.<ref name=Grace>{{cite web |url=http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/wiki/Short_Brothers_of_Sunderland |title=Short Brothers of Sunderland |date=29 January 2009 |work=The Best of British Engineering 1750s – 1960s |publisher=Grace's Guide |accessdate=29 June 2011}}</ref>

==19th century==
In 1850 George Short founded a shipyard at [[South Hylton|Hylton]]<ref name=Grace/> to build small wooden ships for local users. In 1860 Short moved the yard downriver to [[Pallion]] and his four sons became partners in the business.<ref name=Grace/> In 1871 the yard built its first iron-hulled ship the ''High Stretfield'' and the company started using the name '''Short Brothers'''.<ref name=Grace/> John Y Short became a distinguished naval architect and at the [[Exposition Universelle (1878)|1878 Paris Exhibition]] he was awarded a gold medal.<ref name=Grace/>

In 1883 Short's built a [[cargo liner]] for [[Sir James Knott, 1st Baronet|James Knott]]'s [[Prince Line]] of Newcastle upon Tyne.<ref name=Grace/> This was the beginning of a 35-year relationship in which Short's supplied Prince Line with a total of 37 ships.<ref name=Grace/> They included the passenger liner {{SS|Spartan Prince}}, built in 1897, which spent its early years of service carrying thousands of Italian migrants to the USA.<ref name=Searle055>{{cite web |url=http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderland/sunderland055.html |title=Page 055 The Shipbuilders – page 021 |last=Searle |first=Peter |work=The Sunderland Site |publisher=Peter Searle |accessdate=29 June 2011}}</ref>

In 1895 John Y Short made a substantial investment in [[John Thomas North]]'s [[Nitrate Producers' Steamship Company]] Ltd ("Anglo Line").<ref name=Grace/> Short's went on to supply the line with 30 ships, starting with {{SS|Colonel J.T. North}}<ref name=Grace/> and continuing until at least 1929.<ref name=Searle055/>

From 1897 Short's undertook contract work for several [[Tyneside]] shipyards.<ref name=Grace/> In 1900 John Y Short died, his brother Joseph took over and the business was converted from a partnership into a limited company, '''Short Brothers Limited'''.<ref name=Grace/> The yard now employed 1,500 people.<ref name=Grace/>

==20th century==
In the First World War the yard built 14 barges for the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]], plus merchant ships including four [[cargo ships]] to the War Shipping Controller's standard B type design.<ref name=Grace/> After the war Short's built its first two [[Steam turbine#Marine propulsion|turbine steamers]];<ref name=Grace/> the 7,607 [[Gross register tonnage|GRT]] [[sister ship]]s {{ship|TS|Sandown Castle}} (1921) and {{ship|TS|Sandgate Castle}} (1922) for [[Union-Castle Line]].

During the 1920s shipbuilding declined.<ref name=Grace/> Short's workforce struck in 1923 and 1926 and the yard closed in June 1930.<ref name=Grace/>

[[File:Arcwear.jpg|thumb|238px|{{SS|Arcwear}} on [[sea trial]] in 1934]]
In 1933 Short's reopened to build {{SS|Arcwear}}, a [[Tramp trade|tramp]] steamer designed by [[Joseph Isherwood]].<ref name=Grace/> She was the first of Isherwood's new "arcform" design, which increased cargo capacity by 10% and increased speed, but also reduced fuel consumption.<ref name=Grace/> ''Arcwear'' was launched in November 1933 and made her maiden voyage in 1934.<ref name=Grace/> Her fuel economy and speed exceeded expectations but she rolled badly in heavy weather and did not even move smoothly in calm weather.<ref name=Grace/> Only a few further arcform cargo ships and [[Tanker (ship)|tankers]] were built.<ref name=Grace/> In 1938 Short's closed again, despite having a tramp ship still under construction.<ref name=Grace/>

In the summer of 1939 Short's reopened again.<ref name=Grace/> During the Second World War it built mostly tramp steamers, plus two tankers and one [[Landing Craft Tank|LCT]].<ref name=Grace/> Under the direction of the [[Ministry of War Transport]] by the end of 1944 Short's switched from building ships to its own design to assembling partly prefabricated government standard C-type cargo ships.<ref name=Grace/> By the end of the war Short's was employing about 900 people.<ref name=Grace/>

In 1946 John H Short was company chairman and H.S. Short, great-grandson of the founder, joined the board of directors.<ref name=Grace/>

In the early 1960s the Short family did not want to invest in lengthening the yard's berths to build bigger ships.<ref name=Grace/> Therefore, after Short's launched the universal [[bulk carrier]] {{MV|Carlton}} on 17 October 1963 and completed her in January 1964, they closed the business with the loss of 300 jobs.<ref name=Grace/>

[[File:USS Cacique World War I.jpg|thumb|238px|{{SS|Cacique}}, built by Short Brothers in 1910]]
*1889 – [[SS Lanthorn|SS ''Magnus Mail'']] – hull 184
*1892 – {{SS|Hindustan}}
*1910 – {{SS|Cacique}}
*1918 – {{SS|Clan Macvicar}}
*1927 – {{SS|Laristan}} – hull 425
*1940 – {{SS|Empire Summer}}
*1941 – {{SS|Empire Sun}}
*1941 – {{SS|Empire Burton}} – hull 466
*1941 – {{SS|Empire Lightning}}
*1941 – {{SS|Empire Wycliff}}
*1941 – {{SS|Empire Story}}
*1942 – {{SS|Empire Bardolph}} – hull 474
*1942 – {{SS|Empire Southey}}
*1942 – {{SS|Empire Keats}}
*1942 – {{SS|Empire Webster}}
*1942 – {{SS|Empire Envoy}}
*1943 – {{SS|Empire Friendship}}
*1943 – {{SS|Empire Camp}}
*1943 – {{SS|Empire Stuart}}
*1943 – {{SS|Empire Duchess}}
*1943 – {{SS|Empire Cromer}} – hull 480
*1944 – {{SS|Empire Lagos}}
*1945 – {{SS|Empire Nairobi}}
*1945 – {{SS|Empire Honduras}}
*1945 – {{SS|Empire Dominica}}
*1946 – {{MV|Empire Tedburgh}}
*1952 – {{MV|Burutu Palm}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Short Brothers, Sunderland}}

[[Category:Defunct shipbuilding companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Shipbuilding companies of the City of Sunderland]]
[[Category:British companies established in 1900]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1900]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1964]]
[[Category:1900 establishments in England]]
[[Category:1964 disestablishments in England]]
[[Category:British companies disestablished in 1964]]