Cook and Welton were both born in London, and served apprenticeships as boilermaker and plater respectively in London shipyards. After years of talking about their plans and their vision for how the industry could develop, they scraped together enough funds to form a partnership.
In 1872 they moved up to Hull together when they obtained the contract for the iron work on two warships being built by Earle's Shipbuilding and Engineering Co.
William Gemmell was born in Scotland, and served an apprenticeship as a shipwright at Earle's in Hull. Cook and Gemmell found a kindred spirit and the three went into business together in 1883, leasing property at Sammy's Point, Hull – where The Deep stands today.
Their first ship was an iron sailing smack called the Precursor, built for Robert Hellyer in 1885. The vessel was a success at a time when iron-hulled boats were still in their infancy. Cook, Welton and Gemmell (CWG) quickly showed they could handle any size of contract and more orders followed as their workforce grew.
Thyge writes about the Cuckoo in his log. These are his own words.
"Commenced with the ss Cuckoo on the 24th of Feb 1896 in which I had a ⅛ or 8/64 shares. I paid one hundred pound down and the rest I paid 5% on with the Yorkshire S.T Co. and in one year and six month I was clear. It was then turned into a limited Liability Company of £30000 in 3000 ten pound shares. I got my share one hundred and eighty seven shares which was my share in the Cuckoo. The sum of two pound ten shillings been paid up and Mr. C Pickering & H Russel and of course Mr J. McCann being directors. J. McCann was also the manager, we were seven of us what formed the company all shareholders in the “Cuckoo” and the “Lord Charles Beresford” the only two ships what the company had up till then. "
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| Lord Charles Beresford H731 |
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