Leyland Line
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Industry | Shipping |
---|---|
Founded | 1873 |
Defunct | 1935 |
Area served | North Atlantic |
The Leyland Line was a British shipping transport line founded in 1873 by Frederick Richards Leyland after his apprenticeship in the firm of John Bibby, Sons & Co. After Frederick Leyland's death, the company was taken over by Sir John Ellerman in 1892. The Company was liquidated in 1935.
History[]
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Early History[]
As the Company was established in 1873, 21 of the Bibby Line ships were transferred to the new company's maritime traffic of cargo ships before it added its passenger service on the Boston to Liverpool route.[1] in 1888, Leyland retired from his active business leaving his son, Frederick Dawson Leyland, in charge of the line.[2]
Under John Ellermann[]
With the death of Frederick Leyland in 1892, John Ellermann, Christopher Furness and Henry Withy took over the Leyland Line.[2] Ellermann became managing director of the company and, in 1893, also took over the chairmanship of Frederick Leyland & Co. In 1896, Leyland set up a passenger service in co-operation with Furness Withy, from Liverpool to New York and the Canadian ports. In 1896, the Wilson Line was added and the joint service was called Wilson, Furness & Leyland Line.[2]
Decline and Fate[]
In 1902, the company was under the control of the International Mercantile Marine Company and, in the same year, a rationalisation of services followed and Leyland withdrew their ships from service and transferred to the Ellerman Lines. By the First World War and the 1920s, many ships of the Leyland Line transferred to other companies. With The Great Depression, many more ships were sold to other companies or scrapped and, in 1935, Leyland Line's last ship was sold and the company was ceased in the same year.[2][1]
Ships of the Leyland Line[]
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The list of Leyland Line ship when they enter service for the company.
Name | Shipyard | GRT | Length [m] |
Passengers | Launch date |
Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SS Armenian | Harland and Wolff | 8,825 | 156 | - | 25 July 1895 | Torpedoed and sunk by U-24 on 28 June 1915. |
SS European | Harland and Wolff | 8,249 | 145 | 60 passengers | 9 July 1896 | Scrapped at Genoa in 1933. |
SS American | Harland and Wolff | 8,249 | 145 | 60 passengers | 8 August 1895 | Scrapped at Genoa in 1932. |
Louisianian[3] | Barclay Curle | 3,643 | 113 | - | 1891 | Broken up in 1924. |
SS Asian[4] | Caird & Company | 5,613 | 128 | - | August 4, 1898 | Ran aground and broke up. |
SS Antillian[5] | Caird & Company | 5,613 | 128 | - | September 20, 1898 | Scrapped in 1930. |
SS Winifredian | Harland and Wolff | 10,435 | 173 | - | 1899 | Broken up in Italy, 1929. |
SS Devonian | Harland and Wolff | 10,405 | 170 | - | 1900 | Torpedoed and sunk in 1917. |
Bohemian[6] | Alexander Stephen and Sons | 8,548 | 156 | - | June 28, 1900 | Ran aground in 1920. |
SS Californian | Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company | 6,223 | 136 | 47 passengers | 26 November 1901 | Best known for its inaction during the sinking of the RMS Titanic despite being the closest ship in the area. Sunk by German U-boats, 9 November 1915. |
SS Hanoverian | R & W Hawthorn | 13,507 | 177 | 1,550 passengers | 25 February 1902 | First sold to the Dominion Line, then sold to the White Star Line, before returning to the Leyland Line as Devonian and being chartered to Red Star Line. Scrapped in 1929. |
SS Cornishman | Harland and Wolff | 5,749 | 140 | - | 1891 | Scrapped in 1926. |
SS Colonian | Harland and Wolff | 6,583 | 143 | 40 passengers | 1891 | Scrapped in 1926. |
SS Regina | Harland & Wolff | 16,314 | 175.4 | 2,300 passengers | 19 April 1917 | became Troop transport during First World War. Scrapped in 1947. |
SS Pennland | Harland & Wolff | 16,322 | 175.4 | 2,100 passengers | 11 November 1920 | Sunk 25 April 1941. |
Gallery[]
Letter from Katherine Hurd to her mother on SS Devonian
SS Oporto
cigarette card of the SS Winifredian
Hanoverian as Cretic
SS Armenian
References[]
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- Shipping companies of the United Kingdom
- Defunct shipping companies
- 1873 establishments in the United Kingdom
- Defunct shipping companies of the United Kingdom
- 1873 establishments
- Transatlantic shipping companies