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Original Text (Annotation: EPW019895 / 2080687)
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Northfleet Dockyard preceded Bowaters on this site, an area of 184 acres with a river frontage of 850 feet. Northfleet Dockyard was founded in 1788 by Thomas Pitcher and launched its first vessel in 1789. Eventually the yard passed to William Pitcher, the last of Thomas's two sons, who died in 1860. With a dry dock and 6 slipways, over 190 ships were built for customers including the Honourable East India Company, the Royal West India Mail Company, the Royal Navy and the governments of Russia, Brazil, Spain, Greece and Turkey. The yard was put up for sale in 1865, see Grace's Guide: https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Northfleet_Dockyard It was then shown as 'disused' on the 1897 and 1909 OS maps. In 1914, the dockyard was purchased by Bowaters but the advent of the First World War delayed redevelopment until 1924.
It appears that the old Northfleet Dockyard may have been used during the First World War. The Imperial War Museum has two photographs showing women making panels for concrete ships at the 'Stewart Concrete Ship Company, Northfleet Dockyard'. See:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205288464 and
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205213419
I can't find any other reference to this company in Grace's Guide or elsewhere.
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