The Millwall Ironworks: Some New Insights

This talk, Edward Sargent will look at the relatively short life of this yard which was probably first in the world to be set up specifically to build iron ships.  At one point it was the largest iron shipbuilding yard.  Some of the Navy’s first iron warships were built there.  It also had a large ironworks that made iron armour for warships.  It was owned by or associated with some of the leading iron shipbuilders of the day including William Fairbairn, John Scott Russell and CJ Mare.  It built a number of highly significant ships the most famous of which was the Great Eastern.  Like most of the other shipbuilders on the Thames, it suffered badly towards the end of its life from a huge drop in orders due to the end of the American Civil War and the reduction of orders from the Royal Navy after the initial surge…