Pile, William

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William Pile (October 10, 1822 – June 5, 1873) was a renowned British shipbuilder. He was the first to introduce the clipper class of ship to the River Wear, Sunderland. 'his genius was displayed in the building of ships, wherein he was not excelled. As Watt was great as a builder of engines; and Stephenson was great as a builder of railways; so William Pile was great as a builder of ships.'

Reputation

It is related that, when a young man after his day’s work was done, he used to go into the loft, lay of a ship’s after body, draw the frames in ready for the moulds making, and have yet time to enjoy himself afterwards.

He was in his element in the midst of difficulties. It was at these times his stoutness of heart, cheerfulness and wonderful flow of good spirits acted like a charm to those around him.

What endeared Mr. Pile so much to those who knew him was his kindness, carefree bearing, and the total absence of pride or affectation. It was said to be a pleasure to deal with or work for him.

He was beloved by every workman under him, many who had served him for ten to twenty or more years, could never remember receiving an inconsiderate word or action from him. Even in the severest trial of all – the death bed – he showed to those around him that his workmen were then in his thoughts, and nearly the last wish he expressed connected with earthly things was, that all should be paid the wages due to them.

Among the most distinguishing traits of Mr. Pile was the simplicity and genuineness of his character, and the total absence of cant. He had the softest heart (which was also often imposed on). He could not bear to see distress without relieving it, or hear a request without granting it. But he shrunk from parading his charity; to what extent will never be known now.

During his business career he must have turned over some millions of pounds, and had self been the all-ruling passion, he, no doubt, would have left a very handsome fortune behind him.

It is said that when he died he left only a good name. He was the greatest ship designer of his age, but no business man]. Costs mattered little to Pile; his only thought was to produce a good ship regardless of profit to himself. He left no fortune and his stock was sold off to pay his creditors. The ships on his stocks were completed by others and his shipyard, once the greatest in Sunderland was absorbed by other firms.

He had contributed in a great measure towards the establishment of Sunderland as the largest shipbuilding town in the world, and one can only imagine the heights he would have reached had he been given another 20 years in ship designing.

His bust was paid for by donations from his friends and is now on display in the Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens.

Childhood

William was born at the White House, Low Southwick, Sunderland, son of William Pile and brother to John. The house was surrounded by the shipyard of J. Mills, for whom his grandfather, another William Pile, was superintending] the construction of wooden ships. At a very early age he took great interest in everything connected with ships and could not be kept out of the shipyard. In 1823 he moved to Monkwearmouth. When he was only 5 years of age, he began to construct little ships with paper sails. From these he advanced to little yachts with cotton sails which he sailed in local ponds and streams. When asked by a friend, as to the shape of his yachts, he replied "Cod's head and mackerel tail", a shape favoured by British boat designers from as far back as the 18th century.

During the 1830s Sunderland became the most important shipbuilding centre in the country, and by 1840 there were 65 shipyards on the river. It was at this time, as he grew older, that William walked the banks of the River Wear from the first shipyard to the last, night after night, never growing tired of seeing ships in the various stages of construction.'. As he grew older he could tell the name of every ship belonging to Sunderland, and who built them.

It was said of him after his death, that being born in a shipyard he was hardly ever out of one.

Education

William disliked school; and thus received little education and was put to work very young. His character was more practical than theoretical, trusting more to their eye than the plan. Ships, and how best to build them, where his constant study. He was constantly watching the progress of the ships he had built, corresponding with their captains. His custom was to seek information where he thought it was to be obtained, and to get it he periodically used to visit the largest ports of the United Kingdom; and he used to say even to the last that he never went anywhere without learning something.

Shipwright training

His mother and/or father apparently did not appreciate his shipbuilding disposition and preferred him to work in a ropery. This employment however did not last long, as he ended his engagement by running away from it after six weeks. His family must have relented as it is recorded that he served his time as a shipwright with his father.

In 1836, his family removed to Stockton. At the age of 18, William had a very serious accident by having his right hand nearly cut in two which crippled him to a great extent for the rest of his life. On his recovery he went to a shipbuilder in Monkwearmouth to complete his apprenticeship. There his talent was recognised; he was promoted to foreman and was in charge of a yard with a large number of men.

He continued with his relations until 1848 (26 years old) when he took part of the yard and commenced on his own account. When his brother removed to Hartlepool, in 1853, (31 years old) he took the whole of the establishment.

Accolades

John Thompson writes of what he saw on the river Wear in the year 1850. 'At this period a complete revolution in shipbuilding took place, when both Mr. John Pile and his brother William got in full swing. Their mode of construction eclipsed all that had ever previously taken place on the Wear, and even in any other part of the country ... their vessels were acknowledged, and held by many, to be the swiftest sailing vessels in the China trade, known as tea ships.'

Pile brothers were among the first, at all events, in this river, to introduce long ships with beam in proportion. Their vessels were of large dimensions, and the items of their fittings enormously costly, and they won for the builders the high name they attained in every quarter of the globe.

It was here the first improvements in modelling took place, the old-fashioned counter was abolished, and all the planking turned up to the arch-board; the old fashioned stern-frame and transoms were done away with, and the vessel framed all round the stern. The first clipper stem was her put up that was seen on the Wear, and was, as it was then termed, turned inside out and upside down, and which is still continued by the builders on the Wear up to the present day.(1874) Pile was the first to introduce the clipper class of vessel to Sunderland and by his skill in building them he gained recognition in the nautical world.

Ships

Pile built more than a hundred wood ships, and a similar number made of iron, but although many of the latter were steamers, it was his sailing ships that brought renown to his name.

Below are some of his clipper ships:

1852 — Lizzie Webber

1853 — Crest of the Wave

1856 — Lammermuir - Specification

1861 — Kelso

1864 — City of Adelaide

1865 — Maitland

1867 — Jumna

1867 — Poonah

1868 — Syria

1869 — Miako

1869 — Osaka

Obituary

William Pile died on June 5, 1873, aged 50. One day he was suddenly seized with contractions of the bowels, and after suffering severely for a few hours, he expired, leaving a family of wife and seven children.

Funeral was conducted at St Marys Church, Monkwearmouth. The church was crowded and many where unable to gain admission. The crowd stretched over the bridge – shops closed in respect – with the procession over two miles in length consisting of over 3,000 people.

Family

The ancestors of the late William Pile came into Sunderland around 1770 from Rothbury Northumberland. They were farmers and came to occupy the West House Farm, and afterwards a farm running along each side of Fulwel Lane.

The grandfather of William Pile was the first shipbuilder of the family. Preferring shipbuilding to farming he was duly apprenticed to that profession, and became so skilful by the time his apprenticeship expired that he was made a manager of a shipyard shortly after. He became thoroughly conversant with both the theory and practice of shipbuilding and was celebrated for his well-built and fast ships. He preferred rather to manage for others than to build on his own account. He was a celebrated draughtsman, and taught many of the shipbuilders who have built on the Wear for the last half century (1824–1874) including Mr. Pile, as it was from him and his brother that he received his lessons in shipbuilding.

The name of their grandfather, Wm. Pile, was a household word throughout the port, for the fame of this old veteran spread far and wide, through the building of the Ganges, an East Indiaman, in 1825 on the rock at Ravenswheel, the last yard of the late Mr. Dennis A. Douglass.' The father of Mr. Pile was also noted for his well-modelled ships and considered the first shipbuilder of his day.

His brother John Pile was born at Sunderland in 1820, and served his apprenticeship in Yarm-on-Tees. In 1852 he moved to Hartlepool to develop a shipyard in the newly-opened Jackson’s Dock. In 1889 the people of West Hartlepool presented him with a marble bust of himself, now in the collection at the Gray Art Gallery, Hartlepool,in recognition of the role he played in the industrial development of the town.

Pile was married, in 1849, to Miss I. Rickaby, of Coniscliffe, near Darlington'