South Dock, Iliff and Mounsey Shipbuilding Yard

Part of a timber shipbuilding yard (HER ref. No. 2886) was taken over by the partnership of Iliff and Mounsey in 1870. They proceeded to construct vessels in iron. Iliff retired in 1873 and the partnership became Mounsey and Foster. Within a few years of Mounsey’s retirement in 1880, Robert Foster had formed a limited liability company (Sunderland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.). This was the first such business in the area, and became known as the ‘Limited Yard’. Output of over 16,000 tons in 1900 made the yard the ninth most productive on the Wear. The record over WW1 was also impressive, with production of 11 ships (totalling nearly 43,000 tons) and 19 small naval craft. Subsequent to WW1, orders began to dwindle for the yard, and the final launch was in 1926. The yard closed and was demolished before the 1930s.