The Master Builder: William Pile
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2015-12-08T22:54:17-08:00
The story of William Pile Junior, the masterful and renowned shipbuilder that built the Clarence, begins in 1823 when he was born, son of William Pile Senior, also a shipbuilder. William had two brothers, John and William. As soon as William left school...
Monkwearmouth on today's map.
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Pile continued his apprenticeship with his father until he was about 20, when he was ready to move onto bigger and better things!
William Pile's Shipyard in North Sands, Sunderland.
Courtesy of Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens
In 1852, Pile crafted the sailing ship King Richard for John Hay of Sunderland. The creation of this incredible ship was a turning point in his career.
One of these later-requested ships, the Windsor Castle was built by Pile in 1857 for Green, and is pictured here.
Nautical Photo Agency
Pile's ability to create first-class ships for a cheaper price earned him a lot of loyal customers (including His Imperial Majesty Napoleon III-See entry 6 under "Iron and Composite Ships"!) that demanded a multitude of ships; by 1865 Pile's yard employed 3,000 men.
A list of ships built by William Pile, copied from the notebook of Thomas Collie Stamp, first cashier to William Pile.
Merchant and Sailing Ships
Or, if you're more into super-neat excel spreadsheets, we've got that too.
After the creation of numerous ships and garnering quite the reputation, Pile died in 1873.
Quite the sideburns!
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
References:
1. Bowen, F C. "Pile of Sunderland." Shipbuilding and Shipping Record 65 (1945): 69. Print
2. MacGregor, David R. Merchant Sailing Ships 1850-1875: Heyday of Sail. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1984. Print.
Other Sources Utilized
Clarke, J F. Building Ships on the North East Coast: A Labour of Love, Risk, and Pain. Vol 2. Whitley Bay: Bewick Press, 1997. Print.
-Matt Schofield, U Penn Class of 2019
