William Ritchie (1756–1834): Pioneer Shipbuilder

Before the American War of Independence, it was cheaper for Britain to build ships in the American colonies. When the war cut off that supply, demand for home-built vessels surged. In response, three new shipyards were established in Saltcoats. Between 1775 and 1790, shipbuilder William Ritchie worked in these yards, contributing to the construction of 64 vessels. Many of the ships and brigs built here were sold on to owners in England, Ireland, and Spain. At their busiest, the Saltcoats yards employed up to 60 men.

By 1791, however, the local industry was in decline. The Statistical Account of the Parish—written by Rev. Dr James Woodrow of Stevenston—reported that one of Saltcoats’ three master shipbuilders was preparing to move to Belfast, where new opportunities were emerging. That shipbuilder was William Ritchie, who would later become known as “the father of shipbuilding in Belfast.”

Family Background

William Ritchie was born 12 February 1755, the son of James Ritchie and Susanna Niven, who had married in Stevenston on 30 March 1750. William was one of twelve children. In early parish records, his father James is listed as a coal grieve—either a coal merchant or a mine overseer—but later appears as a merchant and then an innkeeper.

William’s siblings were:

John (b. 1751)

James (b. 1752)

William and Robert, twins (b. 1754, died in infancy)

Robert (b. 1757)

Susanna (b. 1759, died in childhood)

Jane (b. 1761)

Walter (b. 1763)

Hugh (b. 1766)

Susanna (b. 1768)

Margaret (b. 1773)

One brother, Hugh, travelled with William to Belfast, working alongside him until establishing his own yard in 1798. William and Hugh launched their first Belfast-built ship, the Hibernia, on 7 July 1792.

The Ritchie Shipbuilders in Belfast

The Belfast Trade Directory of 1800 lists William Ritchie as a shipbuilder at Thomas Street (North Dunbars Quay). Hugh later entered a partnership with Alexander McLaine, forming Ritchie & McLaine. When Hugh died in 1808, their eldest brother John Ritchie moved to Belfast and took Hugh’s place in the firm.

Ritchie & McLaine went on to build the first steamship in Ireland.

A report in the Belfast Newsletter (8 April 1828) described the launch of a new brig:

“On Friday, at one o'clock, a very fine coppered brig, 168 tons register, was launched from the dockyard of Messrs. Ritchie & McLaine... intended for the West India trade. She was named the Boyne.”

John Ritchie died on 4 April 1828, prompting the dissolution of the partnership. Alexander McLaine continued the business independently.

Another brother, James Ritchie, was also likely living in Belfast. A death notice published on 26 September 1828 for his son, also named William Ritchie, highlights the family’s long-standing ties to the city.

Public Life and Later Years

Like many businessmen of the time, William Ritchie was heavily involved in charitable and civic organisations. He served on committees for the Poorhouse, Dispensary, House of Industry, Pipe-Water, and Police. In 1829, now retired from shipbuilding, he chaired the General Board of the Charitable Society and announced a meeting to consider a proposal for a new lying-in (maternity) hospital.

By 1835, a government report listed William as the proprietor of a quay used for loading and unloading ships, showing he maintained business interests beyond shipbuilding.

William Ritchie died on 19 January 1834, aged 78. The Belfast Newsletter described him as:

“Ever zealous in the cause of humanity… greatly respected by all who knew him.”

Legacy and Family Records

The will of Susanna Ritchie, daughter of John Ritchie (proved in 1867), provides a detailed picture of the extended family. Her bequests ensured that her nieces received income through trusts—one of the only ways at the time to protect money for married women, whose property otherwise passed to their husbands.

She lived in Corporation Street and left £2,750 in the care of her nephews Alexander and John McLaine. Their brother George Langtry McLaine became a solicitor. The family included several siblings—Lachlan, Jane, and Helen—and many connections through marriage in Belfast, Liverpool, London, and Edinburgh.