Obituary of "Pioneer Shipbuilder"
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Mr. Richard Ashburner died, aged 85, on the 24th February at Newlyn, Croslands Park, Barrow. He leaves a widow and three sons, one being a captain in the mercantile marine, and another a Church of England clergyman. The Ashburner family were the pioneers of shipbuilding in Barrow. Richard Ashburner's father, William, left Ulverston almost 100 years ago and took up a position in the shipbuilding yard at Douglas, Isle of Man, rising to the position of foreman. His three children were born in Douglas, and of these William, aged 83, is still alive.
When the eldest child was about 10 years old the family came to live at Barrow, and the father opened up a shipbuilding yard on the site where the Corn Mill now stands.
The Lune Shipbuilding Company
The Lune Shipbuilding Company was formed in 1863 with £30,000 capital raised in £5 shares. Work started at the shipyard at Lancaster Marsh in December 1863, and the keel of the first vessel to be built was laid in May 1864. That ship, the Wennington, was launched March 1865. The next vessel to be launched was a steamer, the Duchess, and the yard continued to build a variety of steamers, sailing ships and barges until the last vessel, the Mallowdale, was launched in 1869. The shipyard was wound up in March 1870 and the yard was sold in the following year. The failure of the yard was partly due to mismanagement, but also to the disadvantageous location (consider the advantages enjoyed by the Barrow Shipbuilding Company, located in the same town as the largest ironworks in the world at the time).
Sailing vessels built by the Lune Shipbuilding Company were :
| NAME | DATE BUILT | RIG | GROSS TONS | DIMENSIONS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wennington | 1865 | Ship | 897 | 184 x 32.3 x 20.9 feet |
| Whittington | 1866 | Ship | 950 | 185 x 32.3 x 21.0 feet |
| Underley | 1866 | Ship | 1295 | 215 x 37 x 32 feet |
| Lady of the Lune | 1867 | Ship | 600 | |
| Gressingham (later Annie Fletcher) | 1868 | Ship | 500 | 156 x 26 x 17.6 feet |
| Mallowdale | 1869 | Barque | 1290 | 210 x 37 x 22.7 feet |
The Last Ulverston Shipbuilder
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William and John White operated one of several shipyards at the head of the Ulverston canal. They built twelve vessels at Ulverston, and William White can claim to be the last Ulverston shipbuilder, because after the launch of the Ellen Harrison no more merchant vessels were ever built there.
We have to record the death of Mr. W. White; at Ulverston, on Thursday afternoon, at the ripe age of 86, who will go down to posterity as the last UIverston shipbuilder. He was born at Canal side, Ulverston, January 24th, 1826, and received his education at the Town Bank School, under Mr. W. Farrer. He had lessons in navigation at the night school of Mr. Peter Tipping, and received special instructions as ship's draughtsman later in life at Whitehaven.
He served a full apprenticeship with Messrs. Petty and Postlethwaite, shipbuilders, etc., and afterwards had much practical experience in designing and building of boats for the lakes at Ulverston, Fleetwood, Barrow, etc., when he entered partnership with his brother John as shipbuilders, launching their first ship, Mary Goldsworthy, into the Ulverston Canal, in October, 1865. Eleven other ships followed, the last, Ellen Harrison, in 1879. The deceased was the designer and draughtsman for these craft, which were recognised as pretty models, and had both sailing and carrying powers for which they were noted. Mr. White was of a bright, cheerful disposition, which he maintained to the last. Very retiring, he took no active part in public life. He was a decided Conservative in politics, and a firm upholder of Church and State, having no sympathy with the so-called Progressive views of to-day. He leaves a grown-up family, two sons and three daughters.
