William Lithgow (shipbuilder)

William Todd Lithgow (24 September 1854– 7 June 1908) was a Scottish ship-designer who became sole owner of an extremely successful shipbuilding company.

Lithgow was chief draughtsman-designer and his work was crucial to their strategy of standardising hull shapes and components, thus increasing efficiency and profitability.

[4] After building 34 ships totalling over 70,000 tons in one year, Lithgow and his partners won the 1890 Blue Ribband award for maximum output.

The firm continued to grow and prosper, and Lithgow consolidated the family's position in the later years of his life by investing in stocks and transferring money to his sons.

Publication of his will led to the title of "millionaire shipbuilder", with newspaper comment on the "huge" size of his "interest in the firm of Messrs Russell & Company".

In 1891 the Kingston Yard saw the launch of one of the first five-masted ships in the world, Maria Rickmers, and in 1901 Lithgow built what was the "largest four-masted vessel afloat" at the time.