Messrs Hutcheson’s Clansman of 1855

on Mar 10, 2020

The loss of the Chevalier in 1854, just over a year after her commissioning was a significant loss to the expansion plans of Messrs. David Hutcheson & Co. The company had to scramble to the charter market to supplement the service when their problems were compounded with the closure of the Crinan Canal after a lock was broken. Through the winter, the opposition steamer, Islay, carried much of the traffic. In the middle of January, 1855, however, there was some relief on the horizon. The Crinan Canal reopened and it was announced that a replacement for the Chevalier would be ready early in the summer. Glasgow Herald, February 5, 1855 The new steamer was launched on Saturday June 16, 1855 at the yard that had built the Chevalier and in March 1855, had launched the new Iona for the Clyde connection of the swift steamer route to Oban and the highlands. “Launch.—There was launched on...

Edgar Battersby’s trip to Rothesay

on Sep 25, 2019

I was recently contacted by a gentleman by the name of Rupert Battersby who has a large number of quarter-plate glass negatives taken by his great uncle, Edgar Battersby. Some of these were taken on a trip to Scotland in August 1913, and just over twenty feature views taken on the Clyde and Loch Lomond. This is an important and interesting collection and I have been given permission to reproduce the photographs of the Clyde on this site. I have to point out that these images are copyright and any further use requires permission of the owner. The Battersby family were hat manufacturers from Stockport in Lancashire. A history of the business has been documented in a book “Battersby Hats of Stockport — An Illustrated History” also by Rupert Battersby and published by Amberley in 2016. The factory in Stockport closed in 1966. Edgar Battersby was a young man on his visit to Scotland. He is...

David Napier on the Clyde

on Sep 10, 2019

In 1816, just four years after the Comet commenced her role as the pioneering steamboat on the Clyde, David Napier had a small steamboat built for himself. He named his little boat Marion, after his wife, and for just over a year she was well known on the Clyde, sailing to Greenock and Helensburgh. Her advantage was that she had a shallow draft and could sail at any state of the tide to provide a regular and reliable service. “The Marion steamboat will commence sailing to-morrow for Greenock and Helensburgh, and every lawful day at 8 o’clock morning) and on Saturday evening at 6 o’clock. Will leave Greenock for Glasgow at 2 o’clock every afternoon, and on Monday morning at 4 o’clock.  Those intending to go by the Marion will require to be on board by the hour fixed, or they will lose their passage.  From her draught of water she is enabled to sail at all times of the tide, and will...

The twins of 1937

on Aug 1, 2019

From 1930 onwards, the L.M.S. railway company had embarked on a program of replacement for the fleet of steamers built before the first world war. The Duchess of Montrose in 1930, Duchess of Hamilton in 1932, Caledonia and Mercury in 1934, Marchioness of Lorne in 1935 and Marchioness of Graham in 1936 had been revolutionary and a tremendous investment at a time when shipbuilding work on the Clyde was scarce and prices were low. Additional tonnage was required, however, for the popular routes to Dunoon and Rothesay and in 1936, an order was placed with the Fairfield Company in Govan for two steamers, designed as ferry-class vessels like Marchioness of Lorne, but with higher speed and greater capacity. The new steamers, to be named Jupiter and Juno, were built on the same slipway at the Govan yard. Although named after two steamers of the former Glasgow and South Western Railway Co.,...

Caledonia and Mercury of 1934

on Jul 23, 2019

The trade depression of the early 1930s had many consequences on Clydeside. Prolonged periods of unemployment and short-time working in the shipyards meant that shipbuilders trying to weather the economic crisis offered low prices for new construction just to keep key employees and equipment in operation. The Government of the day stepped in slowly with help for replacement tonnage and eventually also for warships. Both railway companies had seen some benefit from the low prices. In 1930 and again in 1932, the L.M.S. Railway Company had placed orders for the turbine steamers Duchess of Montrose and Duchess of Hamilton respectively from Messrs Denny at Dumbarton and Messrs Harland and Wolf at Govan. The L.N.E.R. had gone to the Fairfield Company in Govan for the paddle-steamer Jeanie Deans in 1931, and Williamson-Buchanan Steamers had the turbine Queen Mary built by Denny in 1933. In...

Duchess of Hamilton (1932)

on Jun 11, 2019

The success of the Duchess of Montrose in 1930 as a one-class cruise steamer brought forth a proposal to the L.M.S. board to build a second steamer of the same class. In the trade depression of the early 1930s, there was an incentive to take advantage of the low rates for shipbuilding on the Clyde and at the end of the 1931 season, an order was placed with Messrs Harland and Wolff, Govan. The new steamer was launched as Duchess of Hamilton on May 5, 1932. “New steamer for Clyde Service.—Duchess of Hamilton names the ship.—Brightening the lives of city dwellers.—The Duchess of Hamilton performed the naming ceremony at the launch of the new L.M.S. steamer named after her at Messrs Harland and Wolff’s Govan Shipyard yesterday. “The new ship, said the Duchess, was one of the hopeful signs of the future, as she was designed and built to bring to the people of towns the opportunity of...