Irvine Currie & Co.                                                       1864-1866
R. Irvine & Co.                                                               1866-1881
Irvine & Co.                                                                   1881-1898
Irvine’s Shipbuilding & Dry Docks Co. Ltd.                     1898-1930
Irvine’s Shipbuilding & Dry Docks Co. (1930) Ltd.        1930-1938

Irvine Currie and Company was formed in 1863, with the partnership of Robert Irvine and Alexander Currie. Their first ship, the Island Queen, was launched in August 1864. A further four ships were produced up to 1866, when the yard closed temporarily to allow the building of a dry-dock. At this time the partnership was dissolved.

Between 1866 and 1870 the yard concentrated on repair and overhauling work, gaining a reputation as salvers of stranded and sunken ships. Shipbuilding recommenced with the launch of the Fuh-Le in 1870. After the death of his wife in 1882 Robert Irvine began to withdraw from the running of the firm and by 1887 the entire concern had been handed over to his heirs, led by his son, Robert Jnr.

The yard was modernised in 1887 and Christopher Furness became the principal shareholder, with the firm renamed as Irvine's Shipbuilding and Dry Docks Company Limited. In 1909 the yard was combined with the Furness, Withy and Company's shipyard at Middleton and continued trading throughout several changes of ownership until the financial depression in the 1920s. Work ceased in 1924 and the yards were closed in 1925.

The company went into liquidation in 1930. Some of the assets were purchased by a syndicate, but this mainly concentrated on repair work and shipbreaking. In 1938 the syndicate was bought out. The Port Authority maintained part of the yards, which were a valuable asset during the Second World War. In later years they gradually fell into disuse.

The large picture above is the results of six weeks of bufferting by hurricanes, damage on board the "Snowdon Range" showing the broken wheel.

The smaller picture shows the chief hero of the "Snowdon Range" Captain Dickinson whose fine seamnship saved the vessel.

On arrival at Queenstown, (Cobh) the "Snowdon Range" bore obvious signs of the terrible bufferting she had experienced. The rudder was gone, the wheel was broken, the boats were shattered or lost and the rails and ironworks were twisted into all kinds of shapes. While she was finally brought into port, all the sirens blew a welcome, and the people onshore cheared the Captain and crew.

Captain Dickinson received a telegraph from Mr. Stephen Furness, M.P Chairman of Furness, Withy & Co, owners of the "Snowdon Range" saying " We are ...very proud of you all and all members of the crew."

Also, a telegram of congratulations from Sir. Walter Runciman. Captain Dickinson comes from Sunderland.

Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 24^th Dec. 1912
THE MISSING STEAMER SNOWDON RANGE. Hopes of receiving any news of the West Hartlepool steamer Range, which for some weeks past has been in the list of overdue vessels, are gradually becoming weaker. Our London Shipping Correspondent, writing last night says, The Snowdon Range, which left Philadelphia on November 22 for Leith, has not been heard she was spoken on November 28 in Mid-Atlantic, and the hopeless premium of 92gs. per cent, is being paid to reinsure her.
The Snowdon Range, which belongs the Neptune Navigation (Limited), West Hartlepool, is of 3.060 tons gross register, and carries about 30 hands, a list of whom we published few days ago. There is too much reason to fear that she was a victim of the hurricane in the North Atlantic at the end of last month.