Robert Napier is often regarded as a great engineer and the ‘father of Clyde shipbuilding’. However, most commentators do not fairly represent the contribution of his chief engineer David Elder to the establishment of the reputation and success of Clyde shipbuilding and marine engineering in the mid-nineteenth century. Elder served as Napier’s works manager for over 30 years, before being dismissed in 1852. The quality of the design and construction of the firm’s engines lay solely with Elder and this allowed the firm to build a reputation with major ship owners and the Admiralty. It is often customary to give the principal of a firm all the credit for the work of that firm, but the Napier family seem to have set out to reduce Elder’s contribution to minimal proportions. This article explores David Elder’s professional relationship with Robert Napier, and how it has been represented in publications relating to Napier. It concludes that the reputation of Robert Napier’s firm, and its ability to make successful contracts was based largely on the work of David Elder as designer of engines, boilers and machinery, and as manager of construction.

中文翻译：

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大卫·埃尔德：海洋工程之父

罗伯特·纳皮尔通常被认为是一位伟大的工程师和“克莱德造船之父”。然而，大多数评论家并不能公正地代表他的总工程师大卫·埃尔德对 19 世纪中叶克莱德造船和海洋工程的声誉和成功的建立做出的贡献。埃尔德在 1852 年被解雇之前担任了内皮尔的工程经理 30 多年。公司发动机的设计和建造质量完全由埃尔德负责，这使公司在主要船东和海军部中建立了声誉。通常习惯于将公司的工作归功于公司的负责人，但纳皮尔家族似乎已着手将埃尔德的贡献减少到最低限度。本文探讨了 David Elder 与 Robert Napier 的专业关系，以及该关系如何在与 Napier 相关的出版物中得到体现。它的结论是，罗伯特·纳皮尔公司的声誉及其成功签订合同的能力很大程度上取决于大卫·埃尔德作为发动机、锅炉和机械设计师以及建筑经理的工作。