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 touched.

In July, Emperor made her first Sunday visit to Rothesay.

“The Emperor and the Rothesay Sabbatarians.—On Sunday last, the steamer Emperor paid her first visit to this town, which has the inglorious reputation of being about the most priest ridden and fanatical place in all Scotland, which is saying a great deal. Well, this event has thrown all the old women, lay and clerical, in the town into a ferment. We have received a copy of the Rothesay Mail, into whose columns the concentrated intolerance of the place seems for the nonce to have been poured as into a common sewer; while a public meeting, at which our solid rabid Free Kirk opponent, the Rev. Mr Elder, figured conspicuously, has been held in denunciation of the Emperor, with a view of putting her down. The speeches delivered are of the worst class of the fire and faggot school, and are equally a disgrace to the town as to the speakers who could so far forget themselves as to utter them. An organized combination the persecution of all who entertain opinions different to the Sabbatarians is openly talked of, and one case is already brought under our notice. The miserable fanatics who are provoking this crusade also talk of resorting to the law in this case, as if the failure of Sir James Colquhoun had been thrown away upon them. Under these circumstances, we are please to learn that the Emperor’s proprietors intend to place the steamer during Sunday regularly on the station for a time, until the rampant spirit thus evoked is somewhat exercised and better counsels prevail. Meanwhile should Messrs Elder & Co. proceed from words to acts, we shall be prepared to gibbet them in this journal, which, having somewhat silenced the bigots of Dunoon, Gourock, and Garelochhead, is equally ready to deal with the much more ill-tempered and ferocious bigots of Rothesay and the Isle of Bute.”—Glasgow Sentinel, July 8 1854.

Rev. Dr. Elder of Rothesay Free Church

Through the seasons of 1855, 1856 and 1857, the Emperor established herself as the sole Sunday steamer and had a reasonable public support.

“The Clyde Sunday steamer.—The Sunday steamer Emperor made her first trip of the season down the river on Sunday as far as Dunoon and Kilmun. The day was chilly and unfavourable, and the passengers, who were respectable, were limited in number. A number landed, and about twenty joined her at Greenock.”—Scotsman April 15, 1857

As the frenzy over Sunday sailing disappeared, the Emperor’s regular service work during the week, sailing to Row and Garelochhead, continued to prove remunerative. During this period, the changes in the law stemming from the Forbes Mackenzie began to take effect. The numbers of licensed premises was decreased and the licensing laws enforced. The steamers, sailing on Sunday, were exempt from the normal Sunday licensing restrictions except when at a pier, and although the Emperor would not sell spirits on Sunday, it was not long before others realized that there was money to be made. In the middle of July, 1858, the old Rothesay steamer, Petrel, began to sail on Sundays.

“Sunday Steamers on the Clyde.—On Sunday, the river steamer Petrel, which recently changed owners, started on her first Sunday trip to the Kyles of Bute. She was crowded with passengers. The Emperor steamer, which sailed for Millport, had her usual complement of passengers.”—Scotsman July 14, 1858.

It is worthwhile spending a little time tracing the history of the Petrel, and indeed of the Cardiff Castle, because they both became Sunday steamers, from the time when they were sold by Messrs G. & J. Burns to run for Mr. William F. Johnstone.

The two black funnels with white bands of the Petrel at the Broomielaw.  Cardiff Castle is one of steamers with the same funnel colour on the south side of the river

The Petrel had been built by Barr & MacNab of Renfrew in 1845 to run in connection with the Greenock Railway.  She was significantly larger than the Emperor and was a useful addition to the Clyde fleet of G. & J. Burns, when they took over the railway steamers in 1847.

In 1851, Petrel had been sold on to Captain John Anderson and Partick Halley who continued to run her on the Rothesay Station with Anderson as her master. In 1854, Dugald Weir took over as master and at the end of the 1855 season, Petrel was offered for sale. About the same time Cardiff Castle was also offered for sale.

 

In the Glasgow Herald of December 21, 1855, it was noted that half of the steamer Petrel was sold on Wednesday, by public roup, for £1050, and a fourth of the steamer Cardiff Castle for £430. It is likely that the partnership of Alexander Williamson and William Buchanan, by this time the sole owners of the Eagle, were the purchasers as their involvement with these steamers begins around this time. They certainly took an interest in the Cardiff Castle. Dugald Weir continued as master of the Petrel till the end of 1856 when Colin Gilles took charge.

“The steamer Petrel in Fog and storm.—Years ago we heard the remark made that if a steamer found her way here through a fog in the river, or encountered a storm in the estuary, calling at all the quays, it was sure to be the Petrel, Captain Dugald Weir. This skilful and undaunted commander, we are glad to say, still sustains his reputation. During the late dense fog, when the man at the wheel was often invisible from the paddle box, the Petrel arrived here from Rothesay, calling at all the wharves except Gourock, whilst other steamers either came to anchor or went ashore, and we believe the Petrel was the only vessel that arrived here in safety from the lower ports on the day the fog was densest. On Tuesday last the Petrel left this at four p.m., and encountered in rounding Kempoch a severe gale, which heightened into a storm such as seldom is witnessed in this quarter. Captain Weir exhibited his usual daring, and reached Rothesay about seven o’clock, calling at all the quays; exposed as they were to the full fury of the blast. On leaving one of them he received three hearty cheers from the people on shore.”—Greenock Advertiser, December 15, 1856.

At the end of the 1857 season, Petrel was laid up in Bowling Harbour and was again offered for sale. Notices for her sale appeared throughout the following winter and spring with a slowly decreasing minimum upset price, and it was not until July that she reappeared on the river.

The new owner was Alexander Watson, but there was a close association with Henry Sharp, a spirit merchant from the Trongate, and John Brand, proprietor of the Oddfellows dance hall and music saloon in the Saltmarket. Brand sold the Oddfellow’s in 1859 but opened a singing saloon in the Trongate which he operated for about ten years. Henry Sharp was in charge of the steward’s department and within a year or two was listed as the owner.

Henry Sharp, in the bowler hat to the right of the door of his public house, the Royal Military Rendezvous, in Rendezvous Court, Glasgow (courtesy John Brady and Eileen Kerr)

“Second Sunday Steamer. A Chapter of accidents. A contemporary thus describes the first expedition of the new Sunday steamer.—‘The river steamer Petrel made her first run to the Kyles of Bute on Sunday last. She started from the Broomielaw, in a half finished state, about ten o’clock, a.m., having evidently been pressed into service a week earlier than was at all desirable. On Saturday, we believe, she was engaged to take a pleasure party down the Clyde, and when she stuck at Port-Glasgow, where she had to remain until a number of tradesmen were taken on board to get her into working order. The first occurrence of note was the envelopment of a number of the party in a hot water shower bath from the steam-pipe, when the boat was near Govan. The apparel of several was damaged by this unexpected vapouring, and one lady had a silk dress, barege plaid, and bonnet, utterly spoiled for future use. During the sail down the channel everybody was rendered most uncomfortable by the heeling of the vessel, occasioned by the reputed owner, who was on board, inviting numbers of passengers to the hurricane deck, and thus adding top weight to the Petrel, which, from the construction of her new boilers, was quite unfit to bear it. When opposite Port-Glasgow, she was in such dangerous proximity to the bank, than the passengers were seriously alarmed. A few minutes after escaping this danger, a new one was presented in the shape of a number of empty punts within 20 or 30 yards of the bow of the vessel. By the process of stopping and backing a collision was avoided, but she was almost on the point of running into them, to the great terror of the ladies on board. Before many minutes an alarm was raised that a coal smack was right ahead of the Petrel. The order was given to back the engines, but it came too late; for, just as the masthead of the smack appeared to the cabin passengers on the quarter deck, the Petrel struck the smack, and cut her down to within six inches of the water’s edge. The men on the smack were obliged to throw a quantity of coals overboard, and shift the remainder from one side to the other to prevent her from sinking. The Petrel then passed her, and encountered no other misadventure till her arrival at Bowling. There an attempt was made to take the lower wharf, to get some dozen of persons on board, but the steamer missed the quay. In the endeavour to back her, the rudder-chains broke, and she became so unmanageable that the attempt was abandoned, with the stem of the vessel nearly in the middle of the stream. At this time, the bow of the steamer pointed towards the upper wharf, when the order was given to start. The captain was not aware that the rudder-chains were broken, and expected the Petrel to answer the helm. This, she could not do, and as it was quite clear that she would run right into the wharf, the terror among the passengers who knew the danger was extreme, and some ladies fainted, and had to be assisted below. The man at the helm called to the captain to stop her, but not knowing the cause he paid no attention to him. Ultimately the pilot, as a last resource, inserted the tiller, and turned the helm in time to pass the wharf by about a foot. There was mismanagement visible everywhere. The advertisements said no spirits would be sold on board, yet whisky was freely sold to all and sundry. The supply of tumblers was so limited that drink was handed about in tea-cups, egg-cups, sugar basins, and slop bowls. To show the unfinished condition of the repairs, it is only necessary to add that the donkey-engine was not in working order, and a number of the hands were engaged all day pumping water into the boilers.”—Glasgow Herald, July 14, 1858.

Colin Gilles had continued as master when Petrel entered the Sunday trade in 1858. Presumably he was not on board on that day or was unfamiliar with how the handling of the vessel had changed with her new boiler.

“A second Sunday steamer, the Petrel, came down the river on the Sabbath, crowded from stem to stern. Her destination was the Kyles of Bute. The Emperor had a moderate of passengers for Largs.”—Greenock Advertiser, July 13, 1858.

“Sunday Steamers.—On Sabbath, the Emperor made her trip with a full complement of passengers to Largs.—The Petrel, which made her first Sunday passage last Sabbath, had also a full complement to and from the Kyles of Bute.”—Paisley Herald July 17, 1858

At the end of July there was some speculation that the Sunday career of the Petrel would be short lived, but the rumours proved false.

“The Sunday Steamers.—We are glad to learn that one-half of the steamer Petrel has been purchased by the master of one of the river steamers, and that in future the Petrel is to have no Sabbath sailings. We have little doubt that under the improved regime the Petrel will regain the good character which it was fast loosing.”—Glasgow Herald, July 28, 1858

“The Sunday Steamer Petrel.—We are requested to contradict a statement which appeared in our last, copied from a contemporary, to the effect that the steamer Petrel would discontinue sailings on Sundays. By a notice in our advertising colums, it will be seen that the Petrel will continue her Sunday sailings as usual.”—Glasgow Herald, July 30, 1858

“A Sunday’s Pleasuring.—The steamer Petrel left Glasgow on Sunday at 10 o’clock for Rothesay with about three dozen passengers on board. In consequence of the fog, she did not reach Greenock until between three and four o’clock, when she started for Rothesay. She returned to Greenock at 7 p.m., but the fog prevented her from proceeding further, and those of her passengers who had not sufficient of the wherewithal to enable them to take lodgings at Greenock, or who did not wish to lose their yesterday morning’s work, were obliged to tramp the 24 miles between Greenock and the city. The Sunday steamer Emperor did not reach this from Glasgow at all.”—Greenock Advertiser, October 27, 1858.

Towards the end of the year, there was an announcement concerning a third Sunday steamer. This referred to the Alliance that took up Sunday sailing early in 1859. Further details can be found in the blog devoted to the career of that particular vessel.

“Another Sunday Steamer.—It is in contemplation to have another steamer on the Clyde to ply on Sundays from Dumbarton to Glasgow, and the other ports and watering places on the river. This form of Sabbath desecration is therefore on the increase.”—Glasgow Herald, September 1, 1858.

The Greenock Advertiser of May 31, 1859 carried a note that “A third Sunday steamer began to run this week from Glasgow, viz., the Alliance, which started for Bowling at half-past four o’clock.  The thunder-storm prevented many persons from proceeding with her, and she was but indifferently patronised.”

Meanwhile, the Cardiff Castle was purchased in 1851 by W. F. Johnstone, Neil McGill, and Dugald Weir. Built originally for the Castle Company by Caird & Co., in 1845, she was comparable in size to the Petrel and her main sailing was the Rothesay route. However, within a year or two she appears to have been relegated to excursion work.

She was offered for sale in September 1853, and again in 1855 when William Buchanan and Alexander Williamson purchased a quarter share.

The new owners attempted to capitalize on their investment and fares were reduced on the Rothesay station.  During this time, John Robertson had command of her.

“During the week the steamers Cardiff Castle and Ruby have been conveying passengers from Glasgow to Rothesay for six-penny (cabin) and three-penny (steerage) fares. The speculation has been very successful, the boats having been crowded. On Monday, the Craignish Castle is to follow their example.”—Greenock Advertiser. August 8, 1856.

Determined to open new markets, in the early summer of 1858, Captain Buchanan turned over command of the Eagle to Captain Williamson who had been her steward, and took the Cardiff Castle to the Shannon where she sailed between Limerick and Kilrush.  Incidentally, she sailed on Sunday excursions without the uproar that she was to experience on the Clyde.

This short experiment appears to have met with some success as the  steamer Kelpie was purchased to run on the station when the Cardiff Castle returned to the Clyde.  On the return of Cardiff Castle, Captain Buchanan regained command of the Eagle and Captain Williamson moved to the older vessel.

“The fast steamer Kelpie has been sold to Irish owners, and will henceforth ply on the river Shannon. The Clyde steamer Cardiff Castle has been on the same station for several months. The Kelpie will sail from the Clyde during this week.”—Greenock Advertiser, July 2, 1858.

In June of the following year, 1859, Cardiff Castle was sold to the owners of the Petrel and entered the Sunday trade.  By this time the result of the action of Sir James Colquhoun was known and so the private piers were no longer destinations for the Sunday steamers.

“Sunday Steamer.—The Cardiff Castle came down the river on Sunday afternoon, and after passing close to the ships of war, proceeded to Blairmore, where her passengers disembarked and re-embarked in the course of an hour. She was crowded from stem to stern. There are now four Sunday steamers on the river.”—Greenock Advertiser, June 14, 1859.

“Sunday Sailing.—On Sabbath last there were no fewer than four Sunday steamers from Glasgow to various parts of the coast. The Emperor for Rothesay, the Petrel for Largs, the Cardiff Castle to visit the war ships, and the Alliance to Bowling. The steamers were all very full.”—Greenock Telegraph June 14, 1859.

Still the protests continued.

The four Sunday steamers were crowded on the Sabbath. One of our city missionaries took up his post on the Broomielaw when the afternoon steamer sailed, and about the time when the Petrel and Emperor returned, and preached to large congregations on both occasions. Many of the passengers by the boats went out of their way to escape the words of the preacher, but others passed on in his direction and listened. The Working Men’s Sabbath Protection Association are distributing handbills and posting bills over the city to the effect:—Short-time movement. Six days’ pay for seven days’ work. Such are the French Sabbaths, and such the French remuneration. Will our Scottish sons of labour copy so degrading an example, by trampling in the dust their own rights, together with our glorious Scottish Sabbaths, by supporting those speculative schemers who are using the Sabbath steamers for the special object of filling their own coffers at the expense of robbing God and the sons of toil of the holy Sabbath. We would quote the words of God himself, than whom there is no higher authority, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy!”—Scottish Guardian, June 14, 1859.

Perhaps with some new-found vigour resulting from the Sunday steamer court case, the harbour master at Glasgow changed the berths available to the Sunday steamers from the convenient location on the north bank of the river next to the Broomielaw bridge to a more remote spot a mile downstream on the south bank.

“Berthing of the Sunday Steamers.—We understand that Captain Johnstone, the harbour master, has arranged, in the exercise of the power and discretion vested in him, that the Sunday steamers shall be berthed in future at the bottom of the harbour on the south side. This arrangement has been rendered necessary in consequence of the immense crowds of idle gazers which the departure of these vessels brings together, in a manner very hurtful to the feeling of a large section of the population, and in itself causing inconvenience. Further, very few of the hands of the other vessels in the harbour are on shipboard on that day, to attend to the hawsers, &c., and it is complained that, in these circumstances, the ships may sustain damage from the commotion caused by the sailing of these Sunday steamers, for instead of one there are now four or five of them. This arrangement has been made, we are assured, without any reference to the question whether it is proper or improper that these steamers should sail on Sunday or not. It is simply considered necessary for the proper management and working of the harbour.”—Glasgow Herald, June 23, 1859

In a letter of response to the Clyde Trustees, Mr. George Mills, proprietor of the Alliance, noted that the Alliance made no wake and so could not be responsible for breaking the hawsers of the other steamers and further that the Sunday steamers started from the bridge on Sunday and moved down to pick up their cargo at the prescribed berth on the South Side of the river, then on returning, moved back to the bridge to be ready for Monday morning. Mr. Andrew Paton, for the owners of the Emperor, also pointed out that no hawsers had actually been broken and that the crowds on the quayside were much diminished when the morning steamers left. There were crowds in the afternoon but these would subside when the novelty of the situation wore thin. A separate issue raised by Mr. Mills was the barricading of Bowling Pier. The Trustees indicated that they supported the harbour-master and tabled the letters with no official response. The Bowling Pier in question was closed on other days of the week too.

“Sunday Steamer.—The Cardiff Castle came down the river on Sunday with between 600 and 700 people on board, and after passing close to the men-of-war proceeded to Blairmore. There they found the gate of the pier locked, and after examining it closely a consultation was held, which resulted in the laying of a couple of planks, one leading from the pier to the top of the gate and the other from the top of the gate to the ground, and over these the passengers passed. It seems that the conduct of some of the passengers on the previous Sunday had considerably annoyed several of the residents at Blairmore.”—Greenock Advertiser, June 21, 1859.

The notoriety of the Sunday trade grew as the steamers began to sell spirits on board.  The particular culprits were the Petrel and the Cardiff Castle, and their trade flourished.  The Alliance found other work in 1860, and around 1862, the Emperor returned to more respectable duties and was renamed Acquilla.

“On Sabbath, the Sunday steamers Emperor and Cardiff Castle were crowded. The Emperor, which was at Largs from Glasgow and back, in touching at our quay on the way down, landed 70 passengers and took 20 on board. The Cardiff, which was at Bute from Glasgow and back, landed 70 passengers and took 34 on board.”— Greenock Telegraph, July 14, 1860

“Spirit Traffic in Sunday Steamers.—At the Clyde Police Court on Monday before Bailie Ure, Henry Sharp, spirit merchant, Trongate, pleaded guilty to a charge of contravening the harbour regulations, in having, on Sunday, May 5, sold whisky and ale to fourteen persons on board the Cardiff Castle, of Glasgow, of which he is part owner and steward. He was fined £3.”—Paisley Herald May 18 1861