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7.
The
Docks in the Twentieth Century
Dock-related industries
Most of the people who worked in Docklands were not employed in
the docks but in other industries. Some of these were, of course,
connected with dock work or with the ships that used the docks.
Ship repair was one of the largest industries. The King George V
Dock had a dry dock for the repair of ships. Large shipyards were
to be found at Blackwall, Silvertown and on the Isle of Dogs as
well as many smaller yards which serviced the smaller craft which
used the river.
In addition there was a host of industries, large and small, which
supplied the needs of the docks and its users. There were rope-makers,
chain-makers, boiler-makers, firms making sacks, casks and drums,
engineering works specialising in lifting gear or ship's propellers
and many more.
Other
industries
Many industries were not related to dock work or to ship repair
and maintenance. They had been drawn to Docklands by the advantages
of being near the port or along the River Thames, at the centre
of a transport network.
Goods which arrived in the port could be manufactured, processed
or packaged and then distributed by railway to other parts of Britain.
Tobacco, leather and fur, timber, furniture-manufacturing and food-processing
were the type of industries mat had been attracted to Docklands
by the beginning of the twentieth century.
Of course goods were also exported through the docks. Britain exported
mainly manufactured goods such as engines, bridge sections and machinery
for factories, which went to all parts of the world.
It was no accident that a large number of firms producing these
goods were based in Docklands. Much of the heavy manufacturing and
refining (oil, sugar, flour) industry was concentrated in West Ham.
This was partly to do with the nearness of the Royal Docks and the
river. But it was also to do with the space offered by the area
at the turn of the century and the lack of restrictions placed on
industry.
West Ham was outside the boundaries of the London County Council
which would not allow 'noxious' (unpleasant) industries to be developed
in the area of London under its control.
E: List of manufacturers in West Ham, c.
1910.
The
India Rubber, Gutta Percha, and Telegraph Construction Co. Ltd,
Silvertown. Manufacturers of Rubber Goods, Submarine and all kinds
of Electric Cable, Electrical Machinery and Apparatus of every description,
& c, & c.
Messrs. Henry Tate & Sons Ltd, Silvertown. Sugar Refiners.
Messrs. James Keiller & Sons Ltd, Silvertown. Jam, Marmalade,
and Confectionery Manufacturers.
The Co-operative Wholesale Society Ltd, Silvertown. Flour
Millers, Soap Makers. Manufacturers and Packers of various Food
Products, &c.
Messrs. Joseph Rank & Co. Ltd, Silvertown. Flour Millers.
The Thames Iron Works, Shipbuilding and Engineering Co.
Ltd, Tidal Basin, Canning Town. Shipbuilders. Mechanical, Electrical,
and Constructional Engineers, & c. & c.
Messrs. Spencer, Chapman & Messel Ltd, Silvertown. Chemical
Manufacturers.
Messrs. Burt, Bolton & Haywood, Silvertown. Timber Importers,
Cutters, and Creosoters; Manufacturers of Residuals from Gas Production.
Messrs. Brunner, Mond & Co. Ltd, Silvertown. Chemical
Manufacturers.
Messrs. Venesta & Co. Ltd, Silvertown. Manufacturers
of Three-ply Wood Work, Packing Cases, & c.
Messrs. R. Moreland & Son Ltd, Silvertown. Iron Constructional
and Mechanical Engineers.
Messrs. John Knight Ltd, Silvertown. Soap Manufacturers.
Messrs. Abram Lyle & Sons Ltd, Silvertown. Sugar Refiners.
The Anglo-Continental Guano Co. Ltd, Silvertown. Manufacturers
of Artificial Manures and Fertilizers.
Messrs. Pinchin, Johnson & Co. Ltd, Silvertown. Paint
and Varnish Manufacturers.
The United Alkali Co. Ltd, Silvertown. Soda Manufacturers
& c.
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A: Work on a ship's propeller, King George V Dock, c. 1930
B: Lead works, Westferry Road, 1930s.
C: Map showing industries along riverside in West Ham, about
1900.
1 Thames
Ironworks
2 Chemical works
3 Ohlendorffs Guano works
4 Lyle sugar refinery
5 British Alazarine Works
6 Keiller marmalade works
7 India Rubber, Gutta Percha and Telegraph Construction Co. Ltd.
8 Tale sugar refinery
D: Poster to encourage industry to move to West Ham, produced
by West Ham
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