Workman, Clark and Company, also known as Workman & Clark, was a shipbuilding company based in
Belfast
Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
. It operated from 1879 until it went out of business in 1935.
History

The business was established by Frank Workman and
George Clark in
Belfast Harbour
Belfast Harbour is a major maritime hub in Belfast, Northern Ireland, handling 67% of Northern Ireland's seaborne trade and about 25% of the maritime trade of the entire island of Ireland. It is a vital gateway for raw materials, exports and c ...
in 1879
[ and incorporated as Workman, Clark and Company Limited in 1880.] Both founders had family connections in the shipbuilding industry and had previously worked for Harland & Wolff
Harland & Wolff Holdings plc is a British shipbuilding and Metal fabrication, fabrication company headquartered in London with sites in Belfast, Arnish yard, Arnish, Appledore, Torridge, Appledore and Methil. It specialises in ship repair, ship ...
.[
By 1895 it was the fourth largest shipbuilder in the ]United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into one sovereign state, established by the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801. It continued in this form until ...
and by 1900 it was building transatlantic liners for major customers such as Cunard Line
The Cunard Line ( ) is a British shipping and an international cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its four ships have been r ...
and Alfred Holt
Alfred Holt (13 June 1829 – 28 November 1911) was a British engineer, ship owner and merchant. He lived at Crofton, Sudley Road, Aigburth in Liverpool, England. Holt is credited with establishing the long distance steamship by developi ...
. It expanded further to meet demand during the First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and was acquired by the Northumberland Shipbuilding Company
The Northumberland Shipbuilding Company was a shipbuilding business based at Howdon in Tyne and Wear.
History
The company was established by Harry S. Edwards in Howdon in 1883. Following the death of the founder the business was bought by Rowla ...
in 1918.[
Both founders retired from the board in 1921 after various problems at the company. Northumberland Shipbuilding went into receivership in 1927. Workman, Clark and Company was then temporarily resurrected, only to go into receivership itself in 1935.][
]
Frank Workman
Frank Workman, then a Belfast
Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
city councillor, was a leading figure in the foundation in 1912 of the Young Citizen Volunteers (YCV). From soon after its inception the YCV faced financial problems, and by early 1914 Workman was paying for the upkeep of the group from his own funds.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
British companies established in 1880
Defunct shipbuilding companies of Northern Ireland
Companies based in Belfast
Engineering companies of Northern Ireland
Manufacturing companies established in 1880
British companies disestablished in 1935