The shipbuilding interests of the Denny family date back toWilliam Denny (born 1779), for whom ships are recorded being built inDumbarton as far back as 1811 such as the sailingsloopAlpha.[1] By 1823 the company name had changed toWilliam Denny & Son. The first ship it built under this name was the paddle steamerSuperb. From 1845 the company becameDenny Brothers (this being William jnr, Alexander andPeter), and in 1849 the firm was reconstituted asWilliam Denny & Brothers, this being William, James and Peter Denny.
Although the Denny yard was situated near the junction of the River Clyde and theRiver Leven, the yard was on the Leven.[2] The founder developed the company's interests in ship owning and operation with interests in the British & Burmese Steam Navigation Company, theIrrawaddy Flotilla Company and La Platense Flotilla.[3]
The Company built all types of ships but were particularly well known as producers of fine cross-channelsteamships andferries. It was a pioneer in the development of theship's stabiliser in conjunction withEdinburgh-based Brown Brothers & Company. In 1913 the Channel steamerParis was one of the first ships to use geared turbine engines utilising newMichell tilting-padfluid bearing.[4] It also undertook experimental work inhovercraft andhelicopter-type aircraft.
A marine engineering company, also based inDumbarton, was formed byPeter Denny, John Tulloch and John McAusland in 1850 asTulloch & Denny. In 1862 the company was renamedDenny & Co. The company manufactured a wide range of types ofmarine engines and was absorbed into William Denny & Brothers in 1918.
Type 41 frigate HMSJaguar (1957)
Dennys were always innovators and were one of the first commercial shipyards in the world to have their own experimental testing tank: this is now open to the public as a museum.[5] William Denny & Company went into voluntary liquidation in 1963.[5]
Inspired by the work of eminent naval architectWilliam Froude, Denny's completed the world's first commercial example of aship testing tank in 1883. The facility was used to test models of various ships and explored various propulsion methods, including propellers, paddles and vane wheels. Experiments were carried out on models of theDenny-Brown stabiliser and the Dennyhovercraft to gauge their feasibility. Tank staff also carried out research and experiments for other companies:Belfast-basedHarland and Wolff decided to fit abulbous bow on the linerCanberra after successful model tests in the Denny Tank. After the Denny yard closed, the test tank facility was taken over byVickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited and used for the testing ofsubmarines until the early 1980s.
Re-opened as part of theScottish Maritime Museum in 1982, it retains many of its original features, including the 100m longship testing tank. The towing carriage is still in working order and is demonstrated from time to time, but all instrumentation has been removed and so the tank cannot currently be used for hydrodynamic research and testing.
TS King Edward (1901); excursion steamer and the first commercial ship powered by steam turbines
SS Parthia (1870); an ocean liner built for theCunard Line. Existed under multiple roles and ownerships for over 80 years before finally being scrapped in Japan.[9]
SS Seaford (1893) A cross-channel ferry which sank in 1895 after collision with another LBSCR vessel, the cargo ship Lyon.
SS Sussex (1896) A cross-channel ferry, built as an almost exact replacement for SS Seaford. It was severely damaged by a torpedo from a German U-boat in 1916. At least 50 passengers died.
SS Brighton (1903) A cross-channel ferry which was involved in a collision with the windjammerPreußen 8 nautical miles (15 km) south of Newhaven, resulting in its total loss.
SS Otaki (1908); arefrigeratedcargo liner that was the first commercial ship to be powered by a combination of reciprocating steam engines and a low-pressure steam turbine[10]
HMS Engadine (1911); a cross-channel packet boat that was converted into a seaplane tender in 1914, sold to Filipino owners in 1933 and sunk by a mine in 1941
TS Queen Mary (1933); A Clyde turbine steamer that was once a floating restaurant in London. Now undergoing restoration next to theGlasgow Science Centre.
PS Caledonia (1934); a Clyde paddle steamer that was converted into a minesweeper in 1939, a pub and restaurant in 1969 and was destroyed by fire in 1980
PS Ryde (1937); built for theSouthern Railway,[12] and the World's last coal-fired sea-going paddle steamer when withdrawn from service in 1969. There were hopes to preserve the ship at theIsland Harbour Marina on theIsle of Wight, but she is now planned to be dismantled.
MV The Second Snark (1938); a former Denny-owned tug and tender on the Clyde
MV Lymington (1938); an Isle of Wight ferry that in 1974 became the Clyde ferry MVSound of Sanda
MV Royal Iris (1950); a former Mersey ferry berthed at Woolwich, London
The company's flag consisted of a blue elephant against a white field. This image was taken from the civic arms of Dumbarton, and it also served to symbolise the strength and solidity of the company's products.
^Dowson, D; Taylor, CM; Godet, M; Berthe, D (1987).fluid film lubrication – Osborn Reynolds centenary: proceedings of the 13th Leeds-Lyon symposium on Tribology. Amsterdam: Elsevier. p. 51.ISBN0-444-42856-9.
