*Please note this entry is a work in progress, and there may be earlier builders which will be added in due course*

Though this site was undoubtedly used for shipbuilding many years prior, William H Pearson is the first confirmed builder I can find so far. His name is used across the early Ordnance Survey maps labelling the site. He built and utilised a slipway here, neighbouring the Austin Yard and Hutchinson's Docks.

William Henry Pearson was originally from Benton in what's now North Tyneside, and born around 1806. By 1851, when he was running the yard, he was living at 117 Lambton Street which was quite literally up the road from the yard. The lane was previously full of large townhouses, similar to High Street East, and at first will have catered for the growing industrial middle classes. It only gives credence to Pearson's success as a builder here. He lived with his wife, daughter Mary and two sons, alongside 2 female servants from Scotland and Sunderland. He was certainly building ships beforehand, but I'm not sure where from. Searlecanada nots his earliest could have been in 1835 under the name "Monica", and was used in service across the Atlantic.

Pearson built at least 12 ships here, and repaired many more. His first was the John Hunter, a barque built for the general cargo trade through the Baltic and Mediterranean. His ships travelled every corner of the world, working routes from the North East to the Black Sea, Australia and the Americas.

For reasons unknown, Pearson started building at Ayre's Quay very close by to the Laing yard. It appears he also operated at Pallion from the 1860s, though detail gets a little murkier from this point. He was certainly still noted as a builder in the 1861 census, still living at Bishopwearmouth at the age of 55. 2 of his children also worked in the trade. There is no reference to him in later censuses, suggesting he may have passed away within the next decade.

From 1858, the yard was under the ownership of John Denniston. John was originally born in Cardiff (though some sources dictate London), and was a well known and highly respected member of the Sunderland mercantile community. His brother in law was J H Usher, the vicar of Cambois. His first occupation was as a cabinet maker, but later became a shipbroker. He was known for his liberal views and took an active interest in local politics and a regular to the Sunderland Subscription Library. His wife was also from Durham with children born in the area.

He built an interesting variety of ships, including typical cargo barques as well as Ketch's and Scow's - a type of barge which specialised in navigating shallow waters. There is one surviving photograph of one of his vessels (https://www.searlecanada.org/sunderland/images10/primrose2.jpg)- the Primrose, built in 1864 which was Snow rigged and first owned by S W Rackley. It shows the ship with fine decoration. It was eventually wrecked at Longscar Rocks at Hartlepool in 1907.

Denniston later returned to Cardiff as a ship repairer, though he did build 2 iron ships somewhere on the Wear until 1872. From the late 1860s/early 1870s, Austin took over this portion of the Panns to expand their shipyard: https://www.northeastheritagelibrary.co.uk/shipbuilding-archive/sun003/wear-dockyard