Yorkshire history

When I was a lad, about the age of 12 going on 13, all I wanted to do in life was to go to sea. This ambition was later achieved with no disappointment, the life style suited me, and I enjoyed the job – mostly. However, before even venturing towards a nautical career, I sated my lust for all things maritime, by sending letters to several shipping companies in the United Kingdom, asking if they would send me pictures of some of their vessels. The end result was quite staggering, and the collection was as extensive as it was, then, educational. I am aware that this site is titled “Yorkshire History”, but I felt as though I needed a window to display the by now, some 40 years later, the sad remnants of that collection. Although most of those presented here are passenger vessels, in those days, the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, they were often filled with eager emigrants seeking new lives in Australia, Canada, or South Africa; or they were on regular services connecting often far-flung reaches of the newly forming Commonwealth, born out of the old British Empire. Some however are the workhorses of what was then the biggest and dare I say – the best - merchant service in the world (but I am biased!!) The regular runners with mixed cargoes, and a few passengers, the then normal sized oil tankers, and the ubiquitous British tramp ships, which I my self chose to work on. I know, if I have any regular readers, that you expect Yorkshire articles, and that this is not one, I have to agree, it isn’t, what it is however is a gallery of images, not quite so old as some, but at the same time, cast into the depths of history, because such vessels will not serve the country, nor sail the seas again. The British Merchant fleet has been reduced to a few cruise liners and a few more ferries, with very few other real ships and those predominantly carrying large metal boxes.

This gallery, as said, is but the remnant of a once more representative collection of British foreign going shipping. Once famous companies such as Port Line, Blue Funnel Line, Bibby Bros., Palm Line, and all the others used to be included in the collection, but they have over the years gradually diminished in number and scope. These are the best of what remains. Click each thumbnail to access a larger image. One or two have additional information on the reverse of the cards, which is reproduced below.

EMPRESS OF BRITAIN

Length 640 ft., breadth 85 ft., 25,500 tons, service sped 20 knots. This vessel carries 160 first class and 898 tourist class passengers. Regular sailings Liverpool – Quebec and Montreal in summer; Liverpool – St John, N.B. and cruising in winter.

EMPRESS OF CANADA

Largest ship built to sail up the St. Lawrence to Montreal. Length 650 ft., breadth 86 ft., 27,300 tons, service speed 21 knots. This vessel will carry 192 first class and 856 tourist passengers. Regular sailings Liverpool – Quebec and Montreal in summer, Liverpool – St John, N.B. and cruising in winter.

EMPRESS OF ENGLAND

Length 640 ft., breadth 85 ft., 25,500 tons, service speed 20 knots. This vessel carries 160 first class and 898 tourist passengers. Regular sailings Liverpool – Quebec and Montreal in summer, Liverpool – St. John, N.B. and cruising in winter.

I hope my self-indulgence will be forgiven, but now the ice has been broken, dare I say, there might from time to time crop up more such off topic additions to the site. The main thrust of the place however remains focused upon aspects of Yorkshire History.