John Gibb Dunlop

John Gibb Dunlop (1844–1913) was a Scottish engineer and shipbuilder who ran John Brown Shipbuilders for many years. He is best remembered as the overall person in charge of the building of the ill-fated RMS Lusitania and the renowned RMS Aquitania.

Life
The grave of John Gibb Dunlop, Glasgow Necropolis

He was born in Polmont near Falkirk on 28 September 1844[1] the second son of Robert Dunlop (b.1819) a farmer, and his wife Mary Gibb. In the 1861 they were living at Claret farmhouse near Polmont.[2]

Around 1862 he was apprenticed to Randolph, Elder & Company, shipbuilders in Glasgow. He was with the company in 1864 when they founded the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company.[3]

Around 1879 he left Fairfield and joined the Orient Line in London as Superintendent Engineer. Hs family lived at 115 Edwards Road in Hackney.[4]

In 1887 he returned to Scotland to work for J & G Thomson at Clydebank. He was then living at Scotstownhill in Renfrewshire.[5]

In 1895 Thomson's yard was taken over by John Brown & Co. Here he rose rapidly, becoming Director in 1899. As John Brown had not previously undertaken shipbuilding, his presence was now critical, and as senior engineer he would have had a control over all ship design thereafter. This led to a major expansion along the banks of the River Clyde.[6]

At the beginning of the 20th century he was living at 12 Crown Terrace in Govan.[7]

In 1907 he was a controlling influence of the acquisition of a majority share in Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. In this role he may have had some influence on the design of Titanic[8]

He retired to Brighton in 1911.[9]

He died in Glasgow on 13 September 1913. He is buried in Glasgow Necropolis. The grave lies in the north-east section of the upper plateau.[10]

Family

In July 1875 at Stobhill he was married to Isabella Clark (1852-1919). They had one son and three daughters.[11]

Notable Ships under his Design

In this capacity Dunlop acted as the enabler of "master-plans" by naval architects such as Leonard Peskett who worked for Cunard, bringing a design concept to reality. Dunlop would be the specifier of the physical structure and co-ordinator of all detailed design.

References


  1. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dunlop-1630
  2. 1861 Census: Stirlingshire
  3. https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Gibb_Dunlop
  4. 1881 census: London
  5. 1891 Census: Renfrewshire
  6. https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Gibb_Dunlop
  7. 1901 Census: Govan
  8. https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Brown_and_Co
  9. 1911 Census: Brighton
  10. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/198723061/john-gibb-dunlop
  11. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dunlop-1630
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