Railway connections and racing

on Aug 23, 2015

When the Caledonian Railway took over the Glasgow, Paisley and Greenock Railway in August 1851, the relationship between the railway and the steamboat owners had reached a low point. However, matters on the water had also greatly changed with the withdrawal of Messrs. G. & J. Burns from the river trade and the proliferation of new ownership. In the following year, 1852, the Caledonian Railway made a determined effort to run its own steamers to the coast resorts and bring the revenue earnings of the railway closer to their potential. “We observe the Caledonian Company have advertised frequent trains to run on the Greenock section of their line after 15th April, which will afford great facilities to our citizens and to the inhabitants of Paisley who reside during the summer months on the coast, by means of these trains and the present steam vessels on the river, as also a superior...

More Sunday Steamers

on Aug 3, 2015

The pioneering Sunday Steamer, Emperor, began sailing in 1853 amidst strong opposition from the Scottish Sabbatarians. The opposition culminated in the “battle of Garelochhead” and an ensuing court case that raised an interdiction against Sunday sailing. At the end of 1853, the Court refused to grant the interdict and so Sunday sailing could continue. In the new year, 1854, the Emperor began to sail in mid March with a celebratory visit on March 19 to Row and Garelochhead and a week later to Dunoon and Kilmun. With a court judgement in its favour, the future on Sunday sailing seemed assured. On April 12, 1854 the Scotsman reported that two additional Sunday steamers would sail that season but they did not make an appearance. Much of the animosity had died down but there were still crowds of Sabbatarians, admittedly smaller than the previous year, to greet the steamer at the piers she...

The Battle of Garelochhead

on Aug 2, 2015

Broomielaw in 1850 (Sam Bough) The Emperor was advertised to return to Gareloch-head on Sunday, the 21st August 1853. The local landowner and owner of the pier, Sir James Colquhoun was determined to prevent the steamer from landing passengers and the resulting “battle of Gareloch-head” has become one of the most notorious events of the time. Most of the Scottish newspapers covered the event and several accounts are given here to sample the differing points of view. “On Sunday the pier at Garelochhead was barricaded to prevent the landing of the passengers by the Emperor steamer, and in addition a number of the inhabitants armed with sticks assembled with the evident intention of resisting any attempt which might be made. Those on board of the steamer laid hold of a quantity of potatoes and turnips which they plentifully distributed among those on shore, and after effecting a landing,...

The Sunday Steamer

on Aug 2, 2015

The rise in the Evangelical movement that led to the disruption of the Established Church in Scotland in 1843 had a marked influence in the political and social structure of the country for many years afterwards. The lot of the working man in the larger cities, and especially in Glasgow held little relief from endless toil and grim accommodation and well-intentioned efforts to improve these conditions were aimed at curtailing the availability of the great evil of alcohol and preserving the Sabbath, the one day in the week when no work was expected. The culmination of the efforts against alcohol was the Forbes-Mackenzie Act of 1853 that closed public houses at 11:00 p.m. on weekdays and all day on Sundays, though hotels were allowed to serve bona fide travelers on that day. The preservation of Sunday as a day in which no work was expected had a long history in the country. Sir Andrew...

Smaller craft around the resorts

on Jul 5, 2015

A number of small steamers and later, motor boats provided cruises from Rothesay to such destinations as the Kyles of Bute, Loch Striven and Ormidale. They were very popular. Comet in Rothesay Bay (Adamson) The little wooden paddle steamer Comet operated cruises in the early 1890s for Mr. H. McIntyre. She was built in 1892 at Port Glasgow by Robert Rodger and was destroyed by fire in 1894. Unidentified paddle yacht in Rothesay Bay There were other small paddle steamers at Rothesay at this time. Above is an unidentified vessel about to experience the wake of the new Lord of the Isles. Francis Dewar’s Lady Bute With the introduction of the motor boat and motor launch, there was a considerable expansion of these short cruises. Francis Dewar carried on a business as Carpenter and boatbuilder at 14 Watergate Rothesay in the years before the first-world war. He offered cruises with the...

William Findlay Johnstone

on Jul 1, 2015

When Messrs. Burns withdrew from ownership of their Clyde and West Highland Steamers in January 1851, the steamers on the West Highland line went to Messrs. Hutcheson while the Clyde steamers were purchased by a company headed by the shipbuilders, William Denny & Brothers. Of the ships sold to the Denny concern, the Rothesay Castle of 1837, and Inveraray Castle of 1839 were immediately transferred to the ownership of Messrs. Roxburgh for the Glasgow and Lochfyne service. It is reported that the Rothesay Castle was subsequently sold in April 1851 to southern England but she certainly returned to the Clyde and made her way eventually to the Island of St Thomas in the West Indies where she had mechanical problems on her way to Australia. She survived there until May 1855 at least, as she was sold around that month for £420. “The Culloden and the Rothesay Castle, the last of the...