The North Sands were full of shipyards through the early to the late 19th century. It featured a line of yards with fluid ownership and constantly changing boundaries, so trying to tie down fixed ownership is difficult when the absence of detailed maps is what we are working with. Therefore, I have tried my utmost to match descriptions and timelines of yards with ownership.

We certainly know the Hutchinson family operated here from the early 1800s. John Hutchinson was born in 1786 and worked in a shipyard from an early age. John married Sarah Crawford in 1813 and they had 12 children. Soon after he achieved his majority, he went into partnership with John Brown in Monkwearmouth from 1809 to 1812. He was building wooden ships on North Sands very early in the 19th century and certainly by 1810. Initially he leased a large yard from the Earl of Durham and subsequently bought the dock adjoining, then known as Richardson’s Dock. He moved to the yard of Francis Septimus Burn, whose widow he bought out. By 1815 he would seem to have moved to Panns, on the south side of the river just east of the road bridge. At least 12 ships were built by Hutchinson & Brown at the North Sands. Unfortunately it's difficult to ascertain the exact site of Richardson's Dock, as it appears to have been cleared by the first clear maps in the 1850s.

Sand Point was certainly occupied for shipbuilding very early on, and likely since the first occupation of Monkwearmouth for fishing vessels. A Mr James Crone is known to have occupied a yard next to John Storey from 1812. Crone (the family later known as Crown) built at least 9 vessels here for cargo use for local merchants, with some in use until at least 1860 highlighting the durability of his ships. He in fact puts up a hull for advertisement in 1822, "built of the best seasoned English oak, copper fastened, locust treenails, and finished in a very superior manner" (Durham County Advertiser, 30/03/1822).

Crone was made bankrupt in 1825 as per a notice in July of that year. His solicitor, William Allison, was assigned his full estate to pay back his creditors. Within the next few years, the yard was taken on by a partnership of Frank Oliver and John Harrison, the latter previously being in ownership of the ferryboats over the Wear. It was known as the best building yard in this area through the 1820s and built primarily for the coasting business. Overall they built 5 vessels until 1835. From there, there is 25 years where I have not yet identified who built here.

William Barklay (or Barkley) had his own yard at the North Sands until 1868, when it appears he moved to Pallion and later made bankrupt in 1869.

Little is known about Barkley's yard except its general location and the ships that were built here. The register does indicate he built at North Sands, the area now occupied by the Glass Museum and the relatively new housing development. Here at least 12 vessels were constructed all out of wood. His first, the Ratcliff in 1860, was a Snow for himself. This was perhaps a demonstration, or prototype, of his abilities as it dates before company registration a couple of years later.

His later constructions were quite similar. He generally built for merchants in the North East such as William Davison of North Shields, Robert Ness of South Shields and John Robinson of North Shields. One outlier is Luca, a barque built in 1867 which had Messina as its first port of register.

Barkley had vacated the yard in 1868. Advertisement notices report the yard as "previously occupied by W. Barklay and Co., North Sands". Applications were to be forwarded to William Pile, implying he was either the owner of the plot or was the agent for its sale. Either way, the suggestion is Pile's yard was immediately adjoining which narrows down the location a lot. Pile's yard covered the area at Potato Garth, so pinned site on this entry is reasonably accurate.

After moving to Pallion, William Barkley was declared bankrupt as per various newspaper notices in 1869.

Thank you to Peter Hutchinson for his contribution on the Hutchinson's stake in North Sands shipbuilding.