ABSTRACT
The London yards derived the benefits that were obtainable, however, building all the Admiralty's required tonnage, even though this amounted to a total of only five ships in seven years, divided between four yards. For some time, shipbuilders in the London area had been highly innovative in the technologies of iron shipbuilding and the region had become an important centre for the new trade. In the shipbuilding and engineering industries as a whole, average earnings rose 6 per cent from 1850 to 1853 with many reports that wages on the Thames were almost stationary from 1822 to 1850. Between 1849 and 1853, Mare also built an entire fleet of 14 auxiliary screw passenger ships for the General Screw Steam Shipping Co. and several steamers for the P&O. Rennie was by trade very much an engineer, but he was more than prepared to use his firm's skills to make a wide range of marine products, including iron ships.
