Laird

Laird Brothers was a British shipbuilder originally founded by William Laird and his son John as Laird, Son & Company in 1828.

History

Laird's began with warship construction in the 1840s and was a leader in large vessels by 1885. Their primary yard was at Birkenhead.

John Laird was joined by his three sons in 1860 and the company became John Laird, Sons & Company. After John Laird's death in 1874, the three sons continued operation as Laird Brothers.

The company merged with the Sheffield steelmakers Charles Cammell Co. in 1903 to become Cammell Laird.

Shipbuilding

Ship	Type	Launched	Fate
H.M.S. Captain	masted turret ship	27 Mar, 1869	Foundered 7 Sep, 1870
H.M.S. Vanguard	central battery ironclad	3 Jan, 1870	Collision 1 Sep, 1875
H.M.S. Ant	gunboat	14 Aug, 1873	Sold 2 Jun, 1926
H.M.S. Cuckoo	gunboat	14 Aug, 1873	Sold 1959
H.M.S. Hyaena	gunboat	30 Aug, 1873	Sold 3 Apr, 1906
H.M.S. Weazel	gunboat	4 Sep, 1873	Disposed of after 1904
H.M.S. Albacore	gunboat	13 Jan, 1883	Sold 1906
H.M.S. Mistletoe	gunboat	7 Feb, 1883	Sold 1907
H.M.S. Watchful	gunboat	13 Feb, 1883	Sold 1903
H.M.S. Onyx	torpedo gunboat	7 Sep, 1892	Sold Aug, 1924
H.M.S. Renard	torpedo gunboat	13 Sep, 1892	Sold 4 Apr, 1905
H.M.S. Royal Oak	pre-dreadnought	5 Nov, 1892	Sold 1914
H.M. T.B. 97	first-class torpedo boat	1893	Sold 1920
H.M.S. Ferret	destroyer	9 Dec, 1893	Sunk 1911
H.M.S. Lynx	destroyer	24 Jan, 1894	Broken up 1912
H.M.S. Banshee	destroyer	17 Nov, 1894	Broken up 1912
H.M.S. Contest	destroyer	1 Dec, 1894	Broken up 1911
H.M.S. Dragon	destroyer	15 Dec, 1894	Broken up 1912
H.M.S. Quail	destroyer	24 Sep, 1895	Broken up 1919
H.M.S. Sparrowhawk	destroyer	8 Oct, 1895	Wrecked 1904
H.M.S. Thrasher	destroyer	5 Nov, 1895	Broken up 1919
H.M.S. Virago	destroyer	19 Nov, 1895	Broken up 1919
H.M.S. Mars	pre-dreadnought	30 Mar, 1896	Sold 9 May, 1921
H.M.S. Earnest	destroyer	7 Nov, 1896	Broken up 1920
H.M.S. Griffon	destroyer	21 Nov, 1896	Broken up 1920
H.M.S. Locust	destroyer	5 Dec, 1896	Broken up 1919
H.M.S. Panther	destroyer	21 Jan, 1897	Broken up 1920
H.M.S. Seal	destroyer	6 Mar, 1897	Broken up 1921
H.M.S. Wolf	destroyer	2 Jun, 1897	Broken up 1921
H.M.S. Express	destroyer	11 Dec, 1897	Broken up 1921
H.M.S. Orwell	destroyer	29 Sep, 1898	Broken up 1922
H.M.S. Glory	pre-dreadnought	11 Mar, 1899	Sold 19 Dec, 1922
H.M.S. Lively	destroyer	14 Jul, 1900	Broken up 1920
H.M.S. Sprightly	destroyer	25 Sep, 1900	Broken up 1921
H.M.S. Exmouth	pre-dreadnought	31 Aug, 1901	Sold 15 Jan, 1920
H.M.S. Foyle	destroyer	25 Feb, 1903	Mined 15 Mar, 1917
H.M.S. Itchen	destroyer	17 Mar, 1903	Torpedoed 6 Jul, 1917
H.M.S. Arun	destroyer	29 Apr, 1903	Broken up 1920
H.M.S. Topaze	third class protected cruiser	23 Jul, 1903	Sold 22 Sep, 1921
H.M.S. Blackwater	destroyer	25 Jul, 1903	Collision 1909
H.M.S. Diamond	third class protected cruiser	6 Jan, 1904	Sold 9 May, 1921
H.M.S. Liffey	destroyer	23 Sep, 1904	Broken up 1919
H.M.S. Moy	destroyer	10 Nov, 1904	Broken up 1919
H.M.S. Ouse	destroyer	7 Jan, 1905	Broken up 1919
H.M.S. Test	destroyer	6 May, 1905	Sold 30 Aug, 1919
H.M.S. Stour	destroyer	3 Jun, 1905	Sold 30 Aug, 1919
H.M.S. PC 44	patrol boat	25 Apr, 1917	Sold Dec, 1921

Bibliography

• Burt, R. A. (1986). British Battleships of World War One. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. (on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk).