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James Foster Jr
Ship NameJames Foster Jr
Years in Service1854 - 1890
Funnels0
Masts3
Shipping LineBlack Ball Packet Line
Ship DescriptionBuilt in 1854 for C.H. Marshall and Company, by then the owners and operators of New York's famous Black Ball packet line, by William H. Webb, New York's premier ship builder. It is possible that Antonio Jacobsen saw her for she ran for C.H. Marshall until 1881, surviving on what the steamships which had largely taken over the passenger trade could not carry. She was sold to Bremen in 1881 and continued until about 1890. If Jacobsen did not see her and sketch her himself, he may have had access to photographs of the ship, or other data. Three decked packet ship of 1,410 tons, draft 22'.
HistoryThe James Foster, Jr. was quite a well known packet ship, sailing regularly between Liverpool and New York. Three masts with square sails. Conditions on board were terrible by modern standards. Berths were usually built out of timber in the hold, often shared by four or six people, not necessarily related and not necessarily of the same sex.
 
Ship NameCity of Bristol in 1871 (Originally Etna in 1854)
Years in Service1854 - 1896
Funnels1
Masts3
Shipping LineOriginally Cunard in 1854 then Inman in 1871
Ship DescriptionBuilt by Caird & Co., Greenock, Scotland. Tonnage: 2,215. Dimensions: 304' x 37'. Single-screw, 10 knots. Three masts and one funnel. Lengthened to 349 feet (2,655 tons) in 1871, compound engines installed.
HistoryOriginally launched on 26th August 1854 and named the Etna. She was a Crimean War Transport ship in 1855 then used as a passenger ship to New York. In 1860 she was purchased by the Iman Line before being rebuilt in 1871 and renamed as the City of Bristol. In 1876 she was chartered by the American Line then subsequently sold in 1880 to J.P. Davies and renamed the Messico in 1881 for the Italian owners. She was again renamed in 1883 to Sempione and to Adria in 1884 before being scrapped in Italy in 1896.
 
Hotspur
Ship NameHotspur
Years in Service1857 - 1888
Funnels0
Masts3
Shipping LineFrank Hathaway et all
Ship DescriptionHotspur (862 tons) was a clipper built in 1857 by Roosevelt & Joyce, New York for Frank Hathaway et al., New Bedford.
HistoryThe Hotspur was wrecked in 1888.
 
Hiburnian
Ship NameS.S. Hibernian
Years in Service1861 - 1901
Funnels1
Masts3
Shipping LineAllan (British)
Ship DescriptionBuilt by Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton, Scotland. Tonnage: 1,888. Dimensions: 280' x 37'. Single-screw, 11 knots. Inverted engines. Three masts and one funnel. Iron hull. Clipper bow. Maiden voyage: Liverpool-Quebec-Montreal, May 23, 1861. Lengthened in 1871 to 351 feet (2,752 tons). Tonnage raised to 3,440 in 1884; reduced to two masts; compound engines installed.
HistoryScrapped in Germany, 1901. Sister ship: Norwegian. Note: First Atlantic steamships built with "spar decks" fore and aft, without bulwarks, an arrangement which added to the safety of the ships and also to the comfort of the passengers in bad weather
 
Ship NameS.S. Australia
Years in Service1870 - 1895
Funnels1
Masts3
Shipping LineAnchor (British)
Ship DescriptionBuilt by Robert Duncan & Co., Port Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 2,243. Dimensions: 324' x 35'. Single-screw, 12 knots. Compound engines. Three masts and one funnel.
HistoryServices: (a) Great Britain-India, (b) North Atlantic, Scrapped in 1895.
 
S.S. Ohio
Ship NameS.S. Ohio
Years in Service1872 - 1909
Funnels1
Masts2
Shipping LineAmerican Line
Ship DescriptionSS Ohio was an iron passenger-cargo steamship built by William Cramp & Sons in 1872. The second of a series of four Pennsylvania-class vessels, Ohio and her three sister ships­Pennsylvania, Indiana and Illinois­were the largest iron ships ever built in the United States at the time of their construction,[1] and amongst the first to be fitted with compound steam engines. They were also the first ships to challenge British dominance of the transatlantic trade since the American Civil War.
HistoryOhio spent most of her career on the Liverpool-Philadelphia route she had originally been designed to service. After 25 years of transatlantic crossings, Ohio was sold in 1898 for service in the Alaskan gold rush. She was wrecked in British Columbian waters in 1909.
 
Scythia
Ship NameS.S. Scythia
Years in Service1875 - 1899
Funnels1
Masts3
Shipping LineCunard
Ship DescriptionBuilt by J. & G. Thomson, Ltd., Clydebank, Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 4,556. Dimensions: 420' x 42'. Single-screw, 13 1/2 knots. Compound engines. 2,780 I.H.P. Three masts and one funnel. Iron hull.
HistoryMaiden voyage: Liverpool-New York, May 1, 1875. Passengers: 340 cabin and 1,100 third. Served also in Boston trade. Scrapped in Italy, 1899. Sister ship: Bothnia.
 
Lake Manitoba
Ship NameLake Manitoba
Years in Service1880 - ?
Funnels1
Masts3
Shipping LineBeaver
Ship DescriptionBuilt by J. & G. Thomson, Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 3,322. Dimensions: 355' x 40'. Single-screw, 12 knots. Compound engines. Three masts and one funnel.
HistoryCarried first, second and third class passengers. Stranded on Miquelon Island, June 14, 1885, with no loss of life. Sister ship: Lake Winnipeg.
 
Cephalonia
Ship NameS. S. Cephalonia
Years in Service1882 - 1900 (Sold to China in 1900)
Funnels1
Masts3
Shipping LineCunard
Ship DescriptionExtracts from the The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954)The Cephalonia, a new steamship is one of the latest additions to the well-known Cunard line. In consequence of the unlooked-for accidents to the Austral and Cotopaxi, steps had to be taken to fill their places, in order that the time-table of the Orient Company might not be disturbed. The directors were fortunate in securing the services of the Cephalonia and Iberia, vessels which hold first rank in the steam mercantile marine of Great Britain. The Cephalonia was built for the Atlantic trade, and the traditions of the Cunard Company are sufficient guarantee that she is a steam ship complete at all points for passenger or cargo traffic and that her equipment is on a carefully thought-out and liberal scale. The Cephalonia has the distinction of being the first vessel built on the Mersey for the Cunard Company, and she is, moreover, the largest vessel which has ever been launched from a Liverpool yard, and the builders (.Messrs. Laird Brother*) are said to have been entirely successful in turning out a first-class specimen of an iron steamship in the Cephalonia. Some details concerning this steamship have already been given in the Argus, and to these a few supplementary items may be added. The Cephalonia has evidently been built for coping with heavy weather, and her entrance gives no encouragement to head sea's to come on board. Her appearance is substantial, and yet there is much of the clipper as well as of the carrier in her lines. The passenger accommodation is on a most extensive scale, and in saloon and steerage there is ample space and plenty of light and ventilation. The dining saloon is the full width of the ship, and the rows of tables have the usual revolving chairs which are to be found on all modern steamships. The saloon is lofty, and the style of ornamentation is pleasant, and free from obtrusiveness or vulgarity, polished woods, including maple, walnut, rosewood, and other veneering*, are largely used for panellings and pilasters, and the white und gold of the ceiling lend an agreeable relief to these. Above thi dining saloon is the music hall, and some taste and skill are displayed in the decoration of this apartment. The want and requirements of passengers have been carefully studied, and the comforts of a first-class hotel are to be found on board. Electric bells and pneumatic tubes are direct necessities on such a huge vessel, and they meet the eye at every turn. The second saloon is comfortably fitted up, and the steerage accommodation Is a credit to any steamer. Long experience in the Atlantic trade, in which thousands of immigrants are conveyed across the ocean annually, has led to this perfection. The Cephalonia, if occasion requires, can berth 1500 people, and by strict attention and proper appliances, their quarters ran be kept clean and wholesome. The hospital accommodation onboard is well found in all requirements, and the health and immigration officers, after examination of the vessel, expressed satisfaction with the order and cleanliness and freedom from bad smells which characterized that portion of the steamer allotted to third-class passengers. The Cephalonia is an Iron steamship of 5500 tons, barque rigged, and straight stemmed. The hull is bulkheaded off into watertight compartments, and every provision is made on board for extinguishing fire and for guarding against the effects of collision and other accidents. The Cephalonia amidships is something like the Rome and Carthage, with wide alleyways under the promenade deck, and open to seaward. On this deck is the chart-room, and over it is a double bridge, from the topmost one of which a splendid outlook can be had. The vessel is steered by steam, and notwithstanding her immense proportions is easily controlled, and can be handled like a yacht. The engines, which have already been described, are also of Messrs. Laird's design and build. They are of the latest compound type, and have the newest improvements in marine machinery. Steam is employed extensively on board for taking in and. discharging cargo and other purposes, and the appliances in the, shape of winches windlasses, etc, are the best of their kind. The sidelights are placed in two miniature lighthouses, well forward, and a strong, clear light is given by port and starboard lamps. The Cephalonia at night is lit up in all parts with the electric light, and during the whole time it has been used there has been no hitch ' in the working of the machinery. Swans incandescent lamps are used.
HistoryThe steamer is commanded by Captain C. W. Hoseason, formerly of' the Samaria, and a tried and trusted officer In the Cunard Company's service. With him as chief officer is Mr. Alex. M'Kay, Mr.J.B. Silk being second; Mr. Henry Agnew, extra second' ; Mr. Wm. Duff, third; Mr. W.E. Steele, extra third; and Mr. Hugh Inglis, fourth. Mr. Peter Miller is Chief engineer, and the purser is Mr. Herbert Heathcote, who was so long and favorably known In the Orient Company's steamship, Cuzco. Dr., J. E. M'Cracken is medical officer on board, and he reports' that the health of the passengers was satisfactory during the voyage.
 
Aurania
Ship NameAurania
Years in Service1883 - 1905
Funnels2
Masts3
Shipping LineCunard
Ship DescriptionBuilt by J. & G. Thomson, Ltd., Clydebank, Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 7,269. Dimensions: 470' x 57' (485' o.l.). Single-screw, 17 1/2 knots. Compound engines. Three masts and two funnels. Steel hull.
HistoryPassengers: 480 cabin, 700 third. Maiden voyage: Liverpool-New York, June 23, 1883. Her displacement was 13,360 tons. Scrapped at Genoa in 1905. Running mate: Servia
 
SS Cymric
Ship NameSS Cymric
Years in Service12 October 1897 - 8 May 1916
Funnels1
Masts4
Shipping LineWhite Star
Ship DescriptionSS Cymric was a steamship of the White Star Line built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast and launched on 12 October 1897. She had originally been designed as a combination passenger liner and livestock carrier, with accommodations for only First Class passengers. During the stages of her design layout, it became clearer to the designers at Harland and Wolff that combining passengers and livestock had become rather unpopular, so the spaces designated for cattle were reconfigured into Third Class accommodations. She departed Liverpool on her maiden voyage on 29 April 1898, arriving in New York City on 9 May 1898. She spent the first five years of her career on the White Star Line's main passenger service route between Liverpool and New York, until 1903 when she was transferred to the less traveled Liverpool-Boston route, which she sailed on for nine years before being returned to the Liverpool route in 1912.
HistoryDuring both the Boer War and the First World War she was pressed into service as a troop transport. On 8 May 1916 she was torpedoed three times by Walther Schwieger's U-20, which had sunk RMS Lusitania a year earlier. Cymric sank the next day with the loss of five lives, 140 miles northwest of Fastnet. While the general location of the wreck of the Cymric is known, the wreck has not been found.
 
Saxonia
Ship NameSaxonia
Years in Service1900 - 1926
Funnels1
Masts4
Shipping LineCunard
Ship DescriptionBuilt by John Brown & Co., Clydebank, Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 14,197. Dimensions: 580' x 64' (600' o.l.). Twin-screw, 16 knots. Quadruple expansion engines. Four masts and one funnel. Distinctive liner, as she had the tallest funnel ever fitted to a ship. Cost about $1,600,000 to build. Passengers: 160 first, 200 second, 1,600 third.
HistoryMaiden voyage: Liverpool-Boston, May 22, 1900. Transferred to Trieste-New York service in 1911. After the First World War she was placed in the Liverpool-New York service. Sold to Dutch shipbreakers in March 1925. Broken up by 1926. Sister ship: Ivernia. Note: Her funnel too was of the same height (106 feet high from deck level) as the Saxonia's.
 
S.S. Empress of Britain
Ship NameS.S. Empress of Britain
Years in Service1906 - 1924
Funnels2
Masts2
Shipping LineCanadian Pacific
Ship DescriptionBuilt by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 14,189. Dimensions: 548' x 65' (570' o.l.). Twin-screw, 20 knots. Quadruple expansion engines. Two masts and two funnels.
HistoryPassengers: 310 first, 350 second, 800 third. Maiden voyage: Liverpool-Quebec, May 5, 1906. Note: First "Empress" of the North Atlantic service. Made the Liverpool-Halifax run in 5 days, 18 hours, 18 minutes. Converted to auxiliary cruiser in World War I. Resumed regular service in March 1919. Service speed listed as 18 knots. Renamed: Montroyal (1924). Sold to Norwegian shipbreakers in April 1930. Sister ship: Empress of Ireland.
 
S.S. Adriatic
Ship NameS.S Adriatic
Years in Service1906 - 1932
Funnels2
Masts4
Shipping LineWhite Star
Ship DescriptionBuilt by Harland & Wolff, Ltd., Belfast, Ireland. Tonnage: 24,563. Dimensions: 709' x 75' (726' o.l.). Twin-screw, 18 knots. Quadruple expansion engines. Four masts and two funnels.
HistoryLaunched, September 20, 1906. Maiden voyage: Liverpool-New York, May 8, 1907. A very steady and excellent type of passenger ship. Sold to Japanese shipbreakers in December 1934. Dismantled in Japan, 1935. Sister ship: Baltic. Note: The top superstructure differed considerably from the Baltic. However they were quite similar in other aspects. The general appearance also was similar to the Cedric and Celtic. The four liners comprised the White Star Line's "Big Four".
 
Grampian
Ship NameGrampian
Years in Service1907 - 1926
Funnels1
Masts2
Shipping LineAllan
Ship DescriptionGrampian and Hesperian Built by Messrs. Alex. Stephen & Sons, Linthouse, these steamers have established a reputation for steadiness and fast passages, the Grampian holding the record for the Montreal-Glasgow route. Five of their eight decks are devoted to passenger accommodation. Located on the promenade deck forward is the Lounge and Music Room, adjoining the saloon companionway are rooms ensuite, with bath, while aft on this deck is the First-Class Smoking Room. Forward, on the bridge deck is the main Dining Saloon, large square windows on three sides, insuring an abundance of light and perfect ventilation. The staterooms on this deck are unusually spacious. They are fitted with two berths, full length sofa berth, and wardrobes. Aft on this deck is the Second-Class Entrance Hall, Smoking and Music Rooms and sheltered promenade for second cabin passengers. On the shelter deck amidship is the Second-Class Dining Saloon, extending the full width of the steamer and with seating accommodations for two hundred passengers, also staterooms for first and second-class passengers.
HistoryIn 1917 the Grampian was taken over by Canadian Pacific Line but in 1921 it was gutted by fire at Antwerp during a refit and abandoned to the undererwriters befoe being scrapped in 1925.
 
Lusitania
Ship NameLusitania
Years in Service1907 - 1915
Funnels4
Masts2
Shipping LineCunard
Ship DescriptionBuilt by John Brown & Co., Clydebank, Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 31,550. Dimensions: 762' x 87' (790' o.l.). Quadruple-screw, 26 knots. Steam turbines. 68,000 I.H.P. Two masts and four funnels.
HistoryHad eleven elevators. Passengers: 563 first, 464 second, 1,138 third. Maiden voyage: Liverpool-New York, September 7, 1907. Note: Recaptured the trans-Atlantic speed record for the British. She and her sister ship Mauretania retained the "Blue Ribbon" for a number of years. Torpedoed and sunk by German submarine near Old Head of Kinsale, May 7, 1915, with the loss of 1,198 lives, as she went down in 18 minutes after being hit, while on voyage from New York to England. Sister ship: Mauretania.
 
S.S. Borda
Ship NameS.S Borda
Years in Service1914 - 1931
Funnels1
Masts2
Shipping LineP & O
Ship DescriptionBuilt by Caird & Co., Greenock, Scotland. Tonnage: 11,136. Dimensions: 500' x 62'. Twin-screw, 14 knots. Quadruple expansion engines. Two masts and one funnel.
HistoryRoute: England-Australia, via Cape Town. Scrapped in 1931. Sister ships: Ballarat, Beltana, Benalla and Berrima.
 
S.S. Letitia
Ship NameS.S. Letitia
Years in Service1925 - 1960
Funnels1
Masts2
Shipping LineAnchor-Donaldson
Ship DescriptionBuilt by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Glasgow, Scotland. Tonnage: 13,475. Dimensions: 525' x 66'. Twin-screw, 15 1/2 knots. Steam turbines. Two masts and one funnel.
HistoryMaiden voyage from Glasgow to Montreal on April 24, 1925. In 1939 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and commisioned as an Armed Merchant Cruiser. She later became a troopship and was extensively damaged in 1943 and was temporarily repaired in the USA In 1944 she was taken over by the Canadian Government and converted into a hospital ship. She was sold in 1946 to the Ministry of Transport and renamed EMPIRE BRENT. While on route to Halifax in 1947, she collided with and sank the STORMONT in the River Mersey in 1947. She returned to her home river in December 1947,overhauled and refitted as a troopship for voyages to India and the Far East until 1949. In that year she began an emigration service to Australia until later in 1950 when she was laid up for about six months but returned to perform the same role, this time to New Zealand with the new name CAPTAIN COOK and her ownership eventually passed to the New Zealand government. She commenced sailings from Glasgow via Panama to Wellington on 5th Feb.1952. She arrived at Glasgow February 1960 on her last voyage, laid up at Falmouth and sold to British Iron and Steel Corporation taken to Inverkeithing for breaking by T W Ward Ltd. Sister ship: Athenia.

 


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Correct as at 1st December 2020