We are grateful to the Chairman of The Friends Of The Library, John Smethurst, for assistance in compiling this brief history of the Shipwrights.

THE SHIP CONSTRUCTIVE AND SHIPWRIGHTS' ASSOCIATION was formed in 1908. It later became known as the SHIP CONSTRUCTORS AND SHIPWRIGHTS' ASSOCIATION. It developed out of problems arising from a loss of status of the shipwrights when shipbuilding changed from wood to iron and sail to steam power.

In 1850 the UNITED KINGDOM ALLIANCE OF ASSOCIATED SHIPWRIGHTS had been formed as a loosely organised federal association of local autonomous societies. It failed to develop any form of centralised structure, or indeed, to reach agreement on the relationship of the local societies to a central structure. Local societies were reluctant to surrender parochial control of their assets and in that situation, each society tended to find its own solution. Even a change of title in 1878 to UNITED KINGDOM AMALGAMATED SOCIETY OF SHIPWRIGHTS failed to achieve any significant cohesion of the independent shipwrights' societies and the amalgamation became merely a discussion forum unable to stand comparison with the 'new model' amalgamated unionism of the Boilermakers or Engineers.

In 1882, as a result of initiatives taken by Glasgow and North Eastern societies, the ASSOCIATED SOCIETY OF SHIPWRIGHTS was formed from eleven local societies at Glasgow, Govan, Leith, Clydebank, Greenock, Aberdeen, Dundee, Dumbarton, Jarrow, Tyne, (Heburn) and Walker. They were quickly joined by seven other societies at Preston, Port Glasgow, Kinghorn, Grangemouth, Fleetwood, Barrow and Whitehaven which spread the society's influence beyond Tyneside and Glasgow.

Later the title was changed to THE ASSOCIATED SHIPWRIGHTS' SOCIETY in an attempt to unify the shipwrights working in timber and iron. Gradually other independent societies joined:

In 1899, the breakthrough into London was achieved with the absorption of the River Thames Shipwrights' Protective and Benefit Society (1874) and the Boat Builders' Union Of The River Thames (1840). In 1903 they were joined by Newport-Monmouth (1852) and Gloucester Shipwrights' Society (1858).

In 1908, two major amalgamations took place with the Wear Shipwrights' Benevolent Society (1846) which had earlier absorbed the Hylton Shipwrights (1846) and the Shipwrights and Shipwright's Ironworks Society (1882) and the London and District United Society of Drillers (1889). The name was then changed to SHIPCONSTRUCTIVE AND SHIPWRIGHTS' ASSOCIATION. This brought an amalgamation with the Amalgamated Society of Drillers and Hole Cutters which in 1896 had itself been an amalgamation of some twenty five independent societies.

In 1913, the North East Coast Riggers' Association joined and in 1919, the last of the old shipwright societies, the Liverpool Shipwrights' Trade and Friendly Society (1794) was absorbed.

In January 1963, it became part of the AMALGAMATED SOCIETY OF BOILERMAKERS, BLACKSMITHS, SHIPBUILDERS AND STRUCTURAL WORKERS which itself amalgamated to become THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL AND BOILERMAKERS SOCIETY.

Major issues in the history of the union included piece work to which the union was hostile as being conducive to poor workmanship; demarcation primarily with the carpenters and joiners; the balance of power between the Executive and the local societies as expressed through circulars and delegate conferences.

Alexander Wilkie played a central part in the development of the early years of the Union. (see biographical sketch for details).

Apart from papers relating to union business, the bound volumes of Reports and papers include material relating to the following:

• Federation of Engineering and Shipbuilding Trades
• General Federation of Trades Unions
• Labour Representation Committee and Labour Party.
• Trades Union Congress and Scottish Trades Union Congress.

Many of these papers are the inaugural and early Reports and Conference papers and in addition there is material on: Housing, Old Age Pensions, Education, Boer War, Land, Co-partnership, Anti-vivisection, Public Transport.

ALEXANDER WILKIE 1850-1928

Alexander Wilkie was born on 28 September, 1850 on the coast of Fife. Both his parents died whilst he was an infant.
He became an apprentice in a ship building yard and then went to sea as a ship's carpenter.
Moving to Glasgow, he became elected Secretary of the Glasgow Shipwrights' Society in 1872.
He was a vigorous advocate of closer unity between the shipwrights' unions and became General Secretary of the ASSOCIATED SHIPWRIGHTS OF SCOTLAND in 1877 and in 1882 of the national union, THE ASSOCIATED SHIPWRIGHTS" SOCIETY which, by 1892 had twelve thousand members.
Wilkie was very much in favour of conciliation and opposed to strikes. With Robert Knight of the Boilermakers Society, he induced thirteen unions to form the FEDERATION OF ENGINEERING AND SHIPBUILDING TRADES whose main aim was to resolve inter-union disputes.
Wilkie stood as Labour candidate for Sunderland in the General Election in 1900 at the invitation of Sunderland Trades Council. He failed to get elected by a narrow margin. In 1910, he contested Dundee. A local arrangement was made between the Liberal Party and the Labour Party enabling Wilkie to win the seat which he then held until 1922.
He was a delegate to the Trades Union Congress for many years. In 1912 he was made a magistrate for Newcastle. He was also a Free Mason. During the First World War, he supported the British Workers' National League and voted for conscription.
He died on 2 September, 1928 at his home in Heaton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

• SHIPCONSTRUCTIVE AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION
  Reports and Papers. 1908-June 1911. 7 vols.
• SHIPCONSTRUCTIVE AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION
  Quarterly and Annual Reports. 1911-1917, 1919, 1922-1923, 1925-1928, 1930-1935, 1938-1963. 47 vols.
• ASSOCIATED SHIPWRIGHTS SOCIETY
  Reports and Papers. 1882-1892, 1894-1907. 25 vols.
• SHIPCONSTRUCTIVE AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION
  Executive Committee Minutes. January 1909-21 January 1911. 3 vols.
• SHIPCONSTRUCTIVE AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION
  Executive Committee Reports and Papers.
  1911, 1-308 (4 vols) 1915, 1-463 (3 vols)
  1912, 1-499 (6 vols) 1916, 1-206 (2 vols)
  1913, 1-459 (6 vols) 1917, 1-486 (8 vols)
  1914, 1-435 (5 vols) 37 vols in total
• SHIPCONSTRUCTIVE AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION
  Special benefit Statements and detailed returns. 1908-1911, 1913. 4 vols.
• CLYDE ASSOCIATED SHIPWRIGHTS
  Arbitration between the Clyde Shipbuilders and Engineers' Association and the above. September, 1877. Glasgow 1878. 144pp.
• SHIPCONSTRUCTIVE AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION Delegate Meeting. 28 May 1912.
• ASSOCIATED SHIPWRIGHTS SOCIETY
  Tyne Demarcation Arbitration (with Joiners). 1889-1890.
• ASSOCIATED SHIPWRIGHTS SOCIETY
  Circulars and votes on Labour Representation. 1891-1903.
• ASSOCIATED SHIPWRIGHTS SOCIETY
  Annual Reports. 1885-1907. 11 vols.
• SHIPCONSTRUCTIVE AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION
  Annual Reports 1908-1910. 3 vols.
• ASSOCIATED SHIPWRIGHTS SOCIETY
  Rules and Regulations. 1882, 1883, 1890, 1891, 1893, 1899, 1900. Bound in one volume.
• SHIPCONSTRUCTORS AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION
  Rules. 1910 - 113pp; 1916 - 175pp; Rules. 1910 - 113pp; 1916 - 175pp; 1918 - 171pp; 1919 - 175pp; (2 copies) 1920 - 171pp; 1924 - 175pp; 1925 - 175pp; 1928 - 152pp; 1943 - 152pp. Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
• SHIPCONSTRUCTORS AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION
  Port of Manchester. Working Rules. Not dated. 18pp.
• SHIPCONSTRUCTIVE AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION
  Bristol, Avonmouth and Portishead Branch. Working Rules, Regulations and Price List for Piece Work. Not dated. 40pp.
• SHIPCONSTRUCTORS AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION
  Tyne and Blyth District.Piecework prices: woodwork, ironwork and lining off: merchant ships. 29 May 1917. 48pp (2 copies)
• SHIPCONSTRUCTIVE AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION
  Shipwright's Card. Jarrow Branch. name, Wm Fletcher. Years 1909-1911. Details of unemployed benefit.
• SHIPCONSTRUCTORS' AND SHIPWRIGHTS ASSOCIATION
  Shipwright's Card. Belfast Branch. Name, Thomas Snowden. 1914-1916.
• SHIPWRIGHT'S RULES
  Of the Port Of Liverpool and Mersey District. Rules and rates agreed between the Mersey Ship Repairs' Federation and the Shipwrights of the Port. 30 October, 1911. 47pp.
• AMALGAMATED SOCIETY OF SHIPWRIGHTS
  Annual Delegate Meeting Minutes. 1876-1884, 1886. 11 items.
• AMALGAMATED SOCIETY OF SHIPWRIGHTS
  Rules. 1876 1882 (2 copies), 1884. 9 items.
• COLLINGS, Robert
  The substance of a paper on the reconstruction of the United Kingdom Amalgamated Society of Shipwrights read at the Annual Conference held in Liverpool, June 1878. By Robert Collings, Secretary of the Liverpool Shipwrights Association. 16pp.
• HARLAND AND WOLFF
  Memorandum of Agreement between Harland and Wolff and Societies to settle demarcation disputes at Belfast. (19 Trade Unions signed). 1 August, 1914. 8pp.
• THE SHIPWRIGHT
  In this print, the shipwright is seen standing at the stern of the ship on a scaffold. The holes were bored with an auger and the wedges driven in with a wooden trunnel. They were then levelled with a saw. The shipwright is shown with his tools, his saw, his auger, his axe and punches of different sizes at his feet ready for use.