David & William Henderson and Company was a Scottish marine engineering and shipbuilding company, based on Clydeside. It was founded in 1872 and traded until 1936. Its shipyard was on the north bank of the River Clyde at its confluence with the River Kelvin.
The office buildings existed until 2017 and were used by haulage businesses: initially by Duncan Barbour Ltd and then by Clyde Port Authority as Scotway Ltd.[1]
The company was founded in 1835 as Tod and Macgregor by David Tod and John Macgregor carrying out marine engineering work.[2] In 1844 an account is given (complete with drawings)[3] of the engine they built for the river steamer Invincible. This was a 'steeple' type engine rated at 85 hp,[clarification needed] with 49in piston diameter, and 50in stroke. This directly drove the 16 ft diameter paddle wheels, which were 5 ft 8in wide. Running at 31.5 revolutions per minute this gave a speed of 13.5 miles per hour. After the deaths of both David Tod and John Macgregor, the shipbuilding business was sold and renamed D and W Henderson and Company. After the First World War it was taken over by Harland & Wolff[4]
Tod and Macgregor yard built around 145 ships and D&W Henderson built around 377 ships,[5][6] including Loch Sloy (1877), PS Terranora (1878), SMS Loreley (1885), USS Christabel (1893), SS Saint Ninian (1894), USS Alcedo (1895), SS Caledonia (1904), SS Ancona (1907), SS California (1907), SS Taormina (1908), SS Verona (1908), PS Duchess of Richmond (1910), SS Cameronia (1911), HMS Arabis (1915), HMS Tonbridge (1924), Dee Why and Curl Curl (1928) and MV Henry Stanley (1929).[7]