Yves GARY Hits: 3946
Category: OTHERS
A family of boatbuildersThe Lawley family spans four generations of Massachusetts ship builders and designers. Beginning with George F. Lawley, an English shipbuilder who sailed to America in 1851, his son, also George F., his son Frederick D, and ending with his son, the English George's great grandson, George F. Lawley II (1901-).
Interwoven within the family history is the story of the family shipyard, George Lawley and Son. The first George Lawley (1823–1915) was born to a "family of boatbuilders in Limehouse (London), England. He began his career as an apprentice to Thomas and William Forrest while in England. In 1851 he moved his family to Massachusetts. Family lore states that the steamship passed the yacht AMERICA on her famous Cup voyage and set the family on its road to subsequent Cup victories. After working with the East Boston ship designer, Donald McKay, George Lawley and fellow worker William Maybury opened a shipyard in Scituate, Massachusetts, in 1866 for the construction of pleasure boats. Within a few years his son George joined the business and the company name became George Lawley and Son.
The yachting boom struck, and the firm transferred its yard to a more advantageous location near the city, a fairly large lot next to the Boston Yacht Club station at City Point in South Boston. Within a few years, the demand for new yachts became so great that the plant was moved to the north side of City Point, and in 1902 additional area was secured when the city abandoned the old House of Correction property. It was here that the firm built two of Boston's greatest yachts, the cup defenders Puritan and Mayflower.
George's son, Frederick D. Lawley (1878–1953), studied naval architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and subsequently joined the company as manager and designer. In 1901 the Lawleys began working for the United States navy and launched two torpedo boats. In the years to come they would continue the association, especially during the World War I.
The Lawley Company was practically crowded out of its City Point yard in 1910 by an overflow of work, and inability to expand, so the plant was moved across Dorchester Bay to the old Putnam Nail Works at Neponset. The Guinevere was built at the Neponset yard. It was the first yacht ever fitted with Diesel oil engines motoring her electric Westinghouse equipment which propelled the boat, hoisted the sails, lighted, heated and "cooked" the craft, and twirled the big gyroscope which keeps the boat on even keel.
The company remained at Port Norfolk until 1945, when it closed. Prior to that however, in 1926, George, Frederick and George II left the company and set up F.D. Lawley in Quincy Massachusetts. George died in 1928, but the Lawley's continued to design and build first class vessels for several years.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| PURITAN (1885) | MAYFLOWER (1886) | VOLUNTEER (1887) | JUBILEE (1893) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| INDEPENDENCE (1901) | VANITIE (1914) | WHIRLWIND (1930) | YANKEE (1930) |
George Lawley & Son - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Lawley Family Collection (Coll. 279) - MYSTIC SEAPORT
- George Lawley & Sons - shipbuildinghistory.com
- George Lawley & Son - Dorchester Atheneum
- George F. Lawley - Motorboating - ND janv. 1928
- NOTED YACHT BUILDER DIES - The New York Times - February 28, 1915
