HARLAND AND WOLFF, LIMITED. This ship building and engineering firm was established in 1858, when the shipbuilding works of Robert Hickson and Co. on Queen's Island, Belfast, were acquired by E. J. Harland (afterwards Sir Edward J. Harland, Bart.), who had been Messrs. Hickson's manager, and in 1861 G. W. Wolff became a partner, the firm since then being known as Harland and Wolff. W. H. Wilson and W. J. Pirrie (afterwards Viscount Pirrie), pupils of the original firm, became partners in 1874, and on the death of Sir Edward Harland in 1895 Lord Pirrie became chairman, a position which he occupied until his death in 1924. Viscountess Pirrie was in (1928) president of the company. When Sir Edward Harland started on his own account in 1858 the yard at the Queen's Island covered an area of 32ac. and undertook the building of hulls only. Later on the manufacture of machinery was begun, and the firm progressed and extended until (1928) the shipyards and engine works at Belfast covered an area of 2 2oac. ; in busy times they have given employ ment to more than 20,000 men.
While the firm's main interests are centred in the establishment at Belfast, they have great shipyards at Govan and Greenock, en gineering works and foundries at Glasgow, and ship repairing and engineering works at London, Liverpool and Southampton. The British Admiralty have had a large number of ships built by Harland and Wolff, including cruisers, monitors and destroyers as well as engines for battleships and submarines. The nominal share capital of the company is 112,100,000; the issued capital amounts to 110,340,394. In addition to the many establishments owned directly by the company, they have also controlling in terests in steel manufacturing, coal mining and other concerns connected with the supplying of the various materials used in their main business.