 This in turn was made possible by the steady canalisation of the River Clyde between 1773 and the 1830s, which deepened and narrowed the river, to make it navigable by large ships.Canalisation also created 'firmer' banks along great stretches of the River Clyde, enhancing the prospect of their industrial development.In 1844 Messrs David Tod & John McGregor moved their shipbuilding operation from Govan to Partick.