Hilhouse [SEP] industry
Hilhouse
Hilhouse (also spelled "Hillhouse") was a shipbuilder in Bristol, England who built merchantman and men-of-war during the 18th and 19th centuries. The company subsequently became Charles Hill & Sons in 1845.
The company, and its successor Charles Hill & Sons, were the most important shipbuilders in Bristol, and taking the concern together built over 560 ships over their 200 years of existence.
History.
History Origins.
The shipbuilding concern Hilhouse and Company was first established in 1772 by James
Martin Hilhouse, after inheriting a fortune from his father, James Hilhouse, a Bristol Sheriff and councillor who also ran a successful privateering venture. The company acquired the large Hotwells drydock, built by the engineer William Champion in 1765 on the north side of the River Avon, to build merchantman and undertake ship repair work. From 1778, Hilhouse secured Admiralty contracts for warships following the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, including for the fourth rate "Trusty".
On 28 September 1785, Hilhouse launched the 1,406 tonne 64-gun