James Martin Hilhouse (1749-1822): Ships for the Navy
James Martin Hilhouse set up as a shipbuilder in 1772. He had inherited significant money from his father and grandfather, both also called James, who had developed a successful shipping business. Their trade had mostly been with the West Indies, although there is no evidence to indicate direct involvement with slaving. The younger James had also invested in privateering, whereby the government licensed privately-owned armed ships to attack French and Spanish merchant ships in times of war and keep a portion of the spoils. James made a considerable fortune from this.
James Martin bought a lease on a newly-completed dry dock at Hotwells in 1772, together with some land adjacent to it. The first vessel that he is known to have built was launched in 1773. This was the Exeter, a ship of 270 tons probably built for the West Indies trade. Other merchant ships followed.
In 1778 Hilhouse secured a contract to build a frigate for the Royal Navy. Britain had been at war almost continuously since 1739 and was in urgent need of more warships. Usually these were built at the navy yards around the country but these were busy building larger ships, so small provincial yards were commissioned for small vessels like frigates. Hilhouse will have been required to show the Admiralty a detailed model of the ship he was intending to build, particularly its hull. This model of the Medea has survived for us to have an inkling of what this ship looked like.
Like most ships at this period, the Medea was built of oak. The shape of a tree governed its use; some parts could be more easily integrated into the shape of different components than others, involving less work. Every saving on cutting or shaping was worthwhile; the workforce only had hand tools to work with, and even these would not have held an edge like modern tool steels. Steam engines were only just being applied to power planking saws, and the bulk of any cutting work was achieved with pit saws and hard labour.
A ship started life as a carved model of one side of the hull – a half-model - to show her shape, made from drawings prepared by the master shipwright. Hilhouse himself was a skilled draughtsman. Craftsmen would then scale up the shape from the model at many points along the length of the hull and transfer these shapes onto the floor of a moulding loft. A pattern for each of these was used to make two frames – one for either side of the ship.
On the slipway, the ship’s keel – the major timber running the whole length of the bottom of the hull in the centre – was laid. The frames were brought out in turn and connected to the keel, creating a skeletal version of the ship. The frames were then covered with planking and the gaps between the planks filled with oakum caulking – old rope untwisted into strands and tarred, usually by prisoners – beaten in with mallets. Decks beams and decks were added and the decoration applied around stem and stern. At this stage the hull was launched and, unless it was due to sail almost immediately, that was it. Masts, spars, rigging and sails were only added when the ship was about to venture forth.
Often ships were built on spec, at the builder’s expense, in the hope that a buyer would come along at a convenient moment. Building for the Admiralty was a bit of a luxury, as the money to pay for the ship was guaranteed.
Medea was launched on 28 April 1778 and spent the next four months being fitted out – the process of finishing the ship off with everything it needed. By October, she was in active service off Cape Finisterre, Brittany. In 1781 she sailed to America and was present at the battle of Cape Henry off Virginia. In 1783 she was in Indian waters, taking part in actions off Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu. In 1801 she was fitted out as a hospital ship at Portsmouth and was sold out of the service in 1804.
Hilhouse built a further 11 warships before 1786. He was so busy with them that he had to build a second yard at Red Cliff, Rownham, although this was short-lived. He continued to build merchant ships at the Hotwells yard. In 1810 Charles Hill joined the company and he and Hilhouse formed a partnership in 1824, shortly after they had moved across the Harbour to the new Albion dockyard. Hill and his sons became sole proprietors after 1845 and continued as shipbuilders until 1977.
James Martin bought a lease on a newly-completed dry dock at Hotwells in 1772, together with some land adjacent to it. The first vessel that he is known to have built was launched in 1773. This was the Exeter, a ship of 270 tons probably built for the West Indies trade. Other merchant ships followed.
In 1778 Hilhouse secured a contract to build a frigate for the Royal Navy. Britain had been at war almost continuously since 1739 and was in urgent need of more warships. Usually these were built at the navy yards around the country but these were busy building larger ships, so small provincial yards were commissioned for small vessels like frigates. Hilhouse will have been required to show the Admiralty a detailed model of the ship he was intending to build, particularly its hull. This model of the Medea has survived for us to have an inkling of what this ship looked like.
Like most ships at this period, the Medea was built of oak. The shape of a tree governed its use; some parts could be more easily integrated into the shape of different components than others, involving less work. Every saving on cutting or shaping was worthwhile; the workforce only had hand tools to work with, and even these would not have held an edge like modern tool steels. Steam engines were only just being applied to power planking saws, and the bulk of any cutting work was achieved with pit saws and hard labour.
A ship started life as a carved model of one side of the hull – a half-model - to show her shape, made from drawings prepared by the master shipwright. Hilhouse himself was a skilled draughtsman. Craftsmen would then scale up the shape from the model at many points along the length of the hull and transfer these shapes onto the floor of a moulding loft. A pattern for each of these was used to make two frames – one for either side of the ship.
On the slipway, the ship’s keel – the major timber running the whole length of the bottom of the hull in the centre – was laid. The frames were brought out in turn and connected to the keel, creating a skeletal version of the ship. The frames were then covered with planking and the gaps between the planks filled with oakum caulking – old rope untwisted into strands and tarred, usually by prisoners – beaten in with mallets. Decks beams and decks were added and the decoration applied around stem and stern. At this stage the hull was launched and, unless it was due to sail almost immediately, that was it. Masts, spars, rigging and sails were only added when the ship was about to venture forth.
Often ships were built on spec, at the builder’s expense, in the hope that a buyer would come along at a convenient moment. Building for the Admiralty was a bit of a luxury, as the money to pay for the ship was guaranteed.
Medea was launched on 28 April 1778 and spent the next four months being fitted out – the process of finishing the ship off with everything it needed. By October, she was in active service off Cape Finisterre, Brittany. In 1781 she sailed to America and was present at the battle of Cape Henry off Virginia. In 1783 she was in Indian waters, taking part in actions off Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu. In 1801 she was fitted out as a hospital ship at Portsmouth and was sold out of the service in 1804.
Hilhouse built a further 11 warships before 1786. He was so busy with them that he had to build a second yard at Red Cliff, Rownham, although this was short-lived. He continued to build merchant ships at the Hotwells yard. In 1810 Charles Hill joined the company and he and Hilhouse formed a partnership in 1824, shortly after they had moved across the Harbour to the new Albion dockyard. Hill and his sons became sole proprietors after 1845 and continued as shipbuilders until 1977.