Post by superduper on Sept 7, 2010 22:38:03 GMT -6
Up until the age of 14, I dreamed I would stowaway on a ship leaving from Liverpool to be a star in Holywood, only to find out some years later that the ships from liverpool only went as far as Ireland or the Isle of Man. !!
Maggie,
I am a professional genealogist as well as a Coop fan. In response to your comment about ships sailing from Liverpool to America, here's some information that you may find interesting. I believe you were old enough to have been a stow away to America after all because Cunard did not end its Liverpool to New York service until 1966 (and there were ship’s leaving Liverpool for Canada until 1971).
Liverpool's first dock was the pioneering Old Dock built in 1715. The old Pool was converted into the enclosed dock. The dock was the world's first enclosed commercial dock.
Not only was Liverpool the port of registry for the RMS Titanic, it was a major port of embarkation for immigrants leaving the UK for America. Between 1830 and 1930, over nine million emigrants sailed from Liverpool bound for a new life in the "New World" countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia.
In 1840 Cunard's wooden paddle-steamer Britannia began the first scheduled transatlantic passenger service (from Liverpool to Halifax).
In the 19th century, Liverpool rose to become, after London, the second port of the British Empire and one of the greatest ports in the world. This was primarily due to her role as the ain 'western gateway' for the raw materials and finished goods of the industrial revolution, which was then taking place in the mills and factories of Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Midlands. Liverpool's ships, their owners, builders and sailors, became famous throughout the world and played a major part in developing Britain's trading links with North and South America, West Africa, the Middle and Far East and Australia.
By 1851, Liverpool had become the leading emigration port in Europe with 159,840 passengers sailing to North America, as opposed to the second port, Le Harve, with 31,859. Irish immigrants crossed to Liverpool by steamship, and the Irish potato famine of 1846-1847 further increased the demand for passage from Liverpool to America.
The story of the Liverpool-based ‘great liners’ is associated with the passenger liners of the Cunard and White Star Companies. Cunard’s most serious competition on the transatlantic run emerged when Thomas Ismay established the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company (usually known as the White Star Line). The pioneer White Star vessel, the 'Oceanic', created a sensation when she was introduced in 1871.
In the last quarter of the 19th century, competition increased between Cunard and White Star. During this time, many of the first-class passengers were Americans who wished to travel to Europe for either business or pleasure. The best and fastest ships were employed on this route, and for first-class passengers, there were luxurious accommodations, glamour, and excitement. A new generation of ‘floating palaces’ were introduced symbolized by Cunard’s ‘Mauretania’ and ‘Lusitania.’ They were the first ships to cross the Atlantic in under five days.
Liverpool's share of the emigrant trade began to decline from the late 19th century as emigrants increasingly came from the countries of southern and eastern Europe, and although some passed through Liverpool, most sailed from the nearer German (Bremerhaven) and Italian (Naples) ports.
Up until the 1890s, most of the smaller English passenger-ship lines (Guion, Inman, National, Dominion, Anchor) were profitable, but increasing competition and shifting demographics led to reduced passenger demand, and all of the them were eventually bought out by bigger lines or folded.
In 1907 the White Star Line transferred its express liner service from Liverpool to Southampton as the latter could accommodate larger vessels more easily and had the advantage of being closer to London and continental Europe.
In 1912, the White Star Line introduced the 46,000 ton 'Titanic', which was so tragically sunk on her maiden voyage with the loss of 1,503 lives.
By 1914 Britain was no longer the world's leading industrial power. The growing strength of her foreign competitors had also begun to adversely affect the fortunes of the port of Liverpool, which had long been the country's leading export port.
After World War I in 1919, Cunard also transferred its express liners to Southampton, but some transatlantic liners (Cunard liners RMS Saxonia, Britannic, Parthia, Franconia, Media) still operated out of Liverpool and crossed the Atlantic bound for New York. By the early 20th century, Southampton became the main departure port for Cunard liners and other ships sailing to America.
Despite the dramatic reduction in North Atlantic passengers caused by the shipping depression beginning in 1929, the Germans, Italians and the French commissioned new "ships of state" prestige liners including the German Bremen, which took the Blue Riband award for fastest Atlantic crossing in 1933. She was followed later that year when the Italian liner Rex took the award. The French Normandie crossed the Atlantic in just under four days in 1937.
In 1934, Cunard agreed to acquire the White Star Line, and in exchange, two large liners, Queen Mary (1936) and Queen Elizabeth (1940), were built with government assistance. Both played vital roles as troopships during WWII.
When the North Atlantic passenger operation became unprofitable in the early sixties due to airliners, Cunard’s RMS Sylvania, Cunard’s last liner built specifically for transatlantic service, was used more and more for cruises. In 1966 Cunard ended its Liverpool to New York service, and in 1971 it was taken over by Trafalgar House
It is important to note that many liners sailed from Liverpool to Canada in the 19th century. The 'Empress of Canada III' of the Canadian Pacific line made the last North Atlantic passenger voyage from Liverpool on 7 November 1971.
Within ten years of the introduction of jet liners in 1958, most of the conventional Atlantic liners were gone.
Although Liverpool was still the second British port in 1970, by 1984 it had been overtaken by the south and east coast ports of Dover and Felixstowe and was being closely rivaled by Southampton, Harwich, and Immingham. Amongst the reasons for this relative decline were revolutionary changes in transport and cargo handling technology introduced in the mid 60s. These changes quickly made Liverpool’s conventional port facilities obsolete. The cost of providing modern port facilities is less in the south where the tidal range is not so great. Similarly, the large shift of Britain’s trade towards continental Europe has benefited the southern and eastern ports to the detriment of Liverpool. Subsequently, Liverpool’s dock system was closed to commercial traffic in 1972.
Cruise liners returned to Liverpool's Pier Head in 2008, berthing at a newly constructed cruise liner terminal. Ships that have called at Liverpool include RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) Grand Princess from Bermuda and the RMS Queen Mary 2, along with a number of large Royal Navy ships. As well as being a calling point, cruises also depart from Liverpool's Langton Dock. Liverpool is one of the few cities in the world where ocean going liners can berth in the city centre, providing a spectacular addition to the waterfront skyline.
Here is a photo of RMS Sylvania, one of the last super liners to make the crossing from Liverpool to New York around 1966.