Bristol General Steam Navigation Company
Encyclopedia
The Bristol General Steam Navigation Company provided shipping services between Bristol
and ports in southern Ireland, principally Cork
from 1821 to 1980. There were also services to other destinations including ports in southern England, south Wales and France.
Originally offering passenger and freight services between Bristol
and a range of ports in Southern England, Wales
and Ireland
, passenger services were terminated in 1914 because of competition from the Great Western Railway at Fishguard
.
The Calypso was a 1865-built screw steamer which was on a voyage from Antwerp to Gloucester in November 1890. Because of the bad weather it sheltered in the lee of the shore of Dungeness and was anchored with a number of other ships during the night. In the morning the Calypso was hit by the Spanish steamer Pinzon, damaged she was beached at Dungeness. The tug Zeelander then towed the Calpyso stern first in an attempt to take her to Dover. They soon got into trouble and the Sandgate lifeboat was called to remove the crew just before the vessel sank.
On 7 April 1899 the newly built Cato was on her second voyage from Cardiff to Hamburg encountered bad weather on the north coast of Cornwall. The ship sank and eight lives were lost and the Board of Trade held an inquiry, the inquiry cleared the master of any wrongful act.
In February 1916 the steamer Argo sank with the loss of one life.
In March 1923 the Echo was bound to Bristol from Hamburg when it hit the Portuguese ship Coimbra in the fog and sunk.
In May 1937 the steamer Alecto sank with the loss of ten lives. The Alecto which had left Swansea for Rotterdam hit the Yugoslav steamer Plavnik during the night in fog. The Plavnik rescued three men from the sea but a further ten were missing.
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and ports in southern Ireland, principally Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
from 1821 to 1980. There were also services to other destinations including ports in southern England, south Wales and France.
History
The company was founded in 1821 as the War Office Steam Packet Company. In 1827 it became the General Steam Packet Company, in 1834 the Bristol Steam Packet Company and in 1835 the Bristol General Steam Navigation Company. In 1877 it changed to the Bristol Steam Navigation Company which continued until 1980.Originally offering passenger and freight services between Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and a range of ports in Southern England, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, passenger services were terminated in 1914 because of competition from the Great Western Railway at Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
.
Accidents and incidents
On 21 January 1888 the 1871-built iron screw steamer Constance, which was from Rotterdam bound for Plymouth then Bristol, ran ashore outside Plymouth harbour in fog. The ship sank with the loss of three crew members.The Calypso was a 1865-built screw steamer which was on a voyage from Antwerp to Gloucester in November 1890. Because of the bad weather it sheltered in the lee of the shore of Dungeness and was anchored with a number of other ships during the night. In the morning the Calypso was hit by the Spanish steamer Pinzon, damaged she was beached at Dungeness. The tug Zeelander then towed the Calpyso stern first in an attempt to take her to Dover. They soon got into trouble and the Sandgate lifeboat was called to remove the crew just before the vessel sank.
On 7 April 1899 the newly built Cato was on her second voyage from Cardiff to Hamburg encountered bad weather on the north coast of Cornwall. The ship sank and eight lives were lost and the Board of Trade held an inquiry, the inquiry cleared the master of any wrongful act.
In February 1916 the steamer Argo sank with the loss of one life.
In March 1923 the Echo was bound to Bristol from Hamburg when it hit the Portuguese ship Coimbra in the fog and sunk.
In May 1937 the steamer Alecto sank with the loss of ten lives. The Alecto which had left Swansea for Rotterdam hit the Yugoslav steamer Plavnik during the night in fog. The Plavnik rescued three men from the sea but a further ten were missing.