White Star Australian Packets

1(,. , ·iuttlt.l trom The JottrruJl of l'omrttnl'l' ruul Shiprriru; 1',~1~(/niJih, 1 1 October 10, 194:!.

WHITE STAR AUSTRALIAN PACKETS

Extracts from a paper read by Captain E. A. WOODS - before - The Liverpool Nautical Research Society on October 3rd, 1942.

No. 6. ~~ tr_aci~l~ the l~istory o~ ~,i\·erpuul \\"i~sou. the sou of .Joh11 \\"ilson shipping ·durmg; the oO s of last' \11111grn tion agent, of 'i-f, \\"a terlou~ l"l'llllll".V, one might sa:r that goilwnary 26. 18-lti. \l·hen tht'y ! being washed out of the gro11nd and loadPd the lu·ig ElizahPth for ~l01i~ being picked up in the shape of ll'ea I. In :\ ngust of thl• same n•m· nuggets of gold attracted large tl:ey mm·eu their office to 20. '\Vater­ numbers of emigrants from this str<'et. The following ~-ear thC'v were eountry. uespatch.ing ships to llostoil and Every man was anxious to get out New York. uud were agents in Live•·• to the goldfields to see11re a fortHHI' pool for Anwril'an-owned Yessels. as quil·kly as Jlossihle before the dig­ On .June 28, 1849. they first. adver­ gings we•·e worked out. BE"fore tised their " White Star Line of that diseoYery the emigrant ships Boston Paekets.'' as ln·okers for between Li \'erpool and A ustra I ia, ships. to New York, Xew Orleans, indeed between the whole of · t!JP Boston and Cbadeston. These were British Isles and Australia · wpre all· Amt>rican-owned ships. of a very poor type. · SHAREHOLDERS A five months' passage in ill­ ''entilated and overerowded 'tween ,J ames ('ham ht>I"S, WhO later deeks could only be compared to the hel·ame closely conuel"ted with the conditions in the old convict ships. firm, was at the same time advPrtis­ But, on the rush of emigrants to ing .Tames_ Chambers and Co.'s the new El Dorado, the trade at White Star J,ine of American and one bound become one of the mo!>t Australiau pac·kets from 61. Wat4.!.(­ important in the mercantile marine loo-road. with the same ships appea•·~ of the world. The time had llassed ing in his sailin~ lists as were in whe1i Gm•ernment regulations were Pilkington and "' ilson 's. .J a Ill PS C'ham hPrs was the eldest needed, as competition aHtomati­ son of Isaae Chambers. who appears <'ally imprroved the emigrant ships in the T>irPctorv of 1829 as a flour out of all recognition. ch•a IPr li,·ing i'n Bnl'lington-street. I .1 18-l-1 he is entered as a corn CHIEF EMIGRATION PO_RT broker at 26, J11venal-street. hut hy Everyone, naturally, was in a vio­ 1847 he seems to have retired from lent hurry to get out to Melboume, business and settled at mcoats, and they took passage in the ships Egremont, Cmnberland, though he which were noted for speed. continued to take an interest in ship­ Through the entt~rprise of the ship­ ping by investing his money in the owners of Liverpool in ordering White Star ships. new ships, Liverpool soon became On Sl'ptember 5, 18--1-8. Henry the chief emigration port in the Threlfall Wilson man-iPd Anne. British Isles, and Liverpool gained the eldest daughter of Isaai· a name for speedy passages. T)le Chambers. In 1853, both Isaa•' most prominent firms in the Liver­ and his son James were largr! pool emigration trade were Gibbs, sharp)JOlders in the newly-formed Bright and Oo., .Tames Baines, Pil­ White Star Line of A11stralian kington and Wilson, James Beazley Packl'ts. Isaac Chambers held and C'o., Henry Fox. )filler's and a half share with Wilson in two Thompson, and Fernie Brothers- ships. Da\·iu ('annon and Iowa. and l\fanv of these firms were brokers James Chambers ht>ld Pight sharP'! before ·being owners, ·and very often in the Ji'itzjames. In the RPd ,J a<·ke", the ships mentioned in theilr sailinJ;!; Isaac held 12 sharPs and .Janws fi,-, lists were chartered bv them. The In the Golden J•:.-a, Jsaac· hPid JJ owners of the White Star Line, and James four. whilst in the Mer­ .To~n Pilkington and Henry T~relfall maid, bsac held 12 sharPs. In the W.Ison. had started in the shiphrok­ Emma the majority of thP shares ing business as early as 184!). .Tohu \\"c•rp held h~· Pilkington's relations. Pilkington \vas born in 1820, t)l(> son His father. Christopher, hPid 16, his of ChristoJ>her Pilkington. a master uncle. Daniel. four. and his brother, mariner who founded the firm of Riehard. fonr. Their ship. the White Pilkington Bros. Ht>nry ThreJ,fall Star. was bought h~· them in .laHII:II'\', JH;}.j, a11d Pilkington a11d HI& hours. . Iil six ua~·s she \\'ilson. held .J.3 shm·es in hPr. with eo\'Pred 2 020 milE's, though the Lightning 'made the world's l'P!'ord Hi1·hard Wright, one of lwr builders. ] 1oldiug the ot!wr 21. Wilso11, tlwre­ run of 4:J6 miles in cine day. Char­ ·ron•. had the strong tinam·ial ha('kin:,! tei·ed hv the White :--itar Line, on nl" his father-in-la". ami hrother-in­ her first \'IIYage to )felbourne she ·la\\'. Other sharPhol!leJ's lwsidPs made the p:issagl' out in 69 da,\·s 11 Pilkington's rl:'l<4tions "·ere Ceams hours, and reaelwd Li,·erpool in !:l a 11 d lkown, lsaa1· .la!·ksoH. Hallwad da,ys, making the roun<~ ,-o.-.·a/!e 111 a11d Lord. and \Y. I>Pnlpster. :j months and 4 daYs 1ncludmg a The first sailing of the White s:a,\' of 12 dn,vs ii1 p'Ori. Pilkiu:,!toll ~Star of Anst1:alian Paekets was on and- Wilson thPn honght her, and ~m·emher 2,j_ 1852, with the Tan­ in 18:)8 she made the pa~sagp fi'Oill tiv_,., · followed hy the DefencP in )Jelhonrne in 6i da:vs, thP f:P;test J•'ehrual.'Y, 1853. si nee 18.54. By this· ti111e " nn1_nhP1' of Lin~s Another famous ship of the Line were well estahlislwtl 111 thP Austra­ was the first -BhtP .Jac·ket of 1854. lian trade from Li,·prpool. ThP Chartel'l'd by Wilson in 1855. she most important were thP Eagle J,ine made a passage of 69 days to )fPl­ ~~f Gihbs, Bright and Co., Golden bonrne. [n 1860 she was bought for Line of :\[illers, Thompson; MersP,V the Line. The second Blue .T ac·kt>t Li11e of Cowil•: Scot and Roxbnrgh: was built in New Brnnswic·k in Li ,·erpool Blal'k Ball J,i ne of .Tames 1858. Botlt ships were lost hY fit·e Raines; Fox Line of Hen-ry Fox; _at sPa .and, curious!.'· enough.' both Li,·erpool Line of .John Starr rle ahout the same time and pla('e, 'Wolf; LiYerpnol Thistle· Line of thm1gh in differPnt year!':. The Xew Dunean Gibb: and the Australian Brnnswiek ship waF: .abandonPd on l-ine of Briee. F!'iend and Co. fii'P off ('apP Horn in )[an·h. 1864, On December 21. 185::\, .Tames whilst the . .-\inerican•built ship was ChambPrs married .Jane Gray, the hnrnt off the Falklands on :\Jarch 9, youngest daughter of .John· Wilson. 1869. Grove Road, Fairfield. at St. made the Stanley. · This In 185:3, the' Fitzjames Anne's Church, to Callao in .John Wilson was. in 1852, advertis­ passage from )lelbourne in!!; from ];J4, \Vaterloo-road as 34 days, and finished the round being passenger agent for Pilking­ voyage from Lirerpool to Ca11ao. in­ -ton and Wilson's White Star Line. cluding 23 days' stay in Hobson's On December 31, 1856 John Pil­ Bay, in 4 months and 22 da.'·s. kington retired from the firm to When the White Star Line came manage Pilkington Bros., and into existence, the sailing packets James Chambers, who had joined were fighting the early .\tlantic -the fi11·m that year, combined the steamers. The British and American two firms under the name of \Yilson tea- clippers were strennonsl,\" eom­ and Chambers. By this time the peting, as were the ''arions emigrant ·firm owned a nnmber of well-found firms to Australia. Passengers then, and speedf ships, such as the Carn­ as now, preferred to sail again in a t,vne, FitzJames, Arabian. Jrermaid, ship in which they had made a fast ~halimar, White Star and Golden and eomfortable voyage. :\Iercltnnt!l, Era. whose cargoes were carried swiftly A eompa1·ison of the priees paid and safely by some ships of a J,ine, for their ships du:ring the first four continued to make shipments b~· that ~ears of their existence is interest­ same Line. One can thus see that mg. In 1852 the Iowa was bought the House Flag was a symbol of a fnr .CA.500. 1\.l'nbinn and Me-rmaid Pompany's reputation for snfet~· and in 18.'54 cost £14,100 and £14,850 speed. respectivelv. In 1855 they paid £:10,000 for the Red .Jacket, and in PASSENGERS' COMFORT 1860 the Queen of the North cost Jumcs Baines coolly appropriated them £13,500. the flag of a well-known Packet Line RED JACKET AND LIGHTNING then running between New York and made a name Liverpool. His trick snccel'de-d in The Red J aeket soon filling his first Blaek Ball shi.p, the for herself as a fast and comfort­ able ship. J,annched at the same )Jarco Polo, with passengers. Jnm!'!'l ~ir-o! ForhPs did the re.st for him h~· time as the J.ightning, her ~reatest rival, she taced across the .-\tlan­ making the fastest passage ever known to that time. · . tic a~ainst her. making the .pas­ sage m 13 days, 1 hour, 25 minutes;, The r-ompetition betwPPn the Bla~k agaiJLOJt the Lightning's 13 days, Hall and White Star J,ines proved of the greatest benefit to both rnhin ownl•rll who fa.iled that .vt>ar for and steerage passengers, as tlwir £61i,l3l 17s 6d. In 1H-l8 it ro­ rom·enience nnd comfort heeamP suh­ oJl('ned with new capital, and· by jel·ts of considt-rntion in n mantle" 1860 lr:td n•co\'cred ns regards it.s unthought of in the old dn~·s befort> t-he disco,·er,v of gold. . a!!SI'IH. The WhitP Star Lme bought Tn IR66, although the bank was 11nother o\merican-built ship in tlw a fft•ctrd by the extraordinary serie~t Chariot of !<~amP, which, to!]:etht-r of bunking and commercial disasters, with tht> White Star, Blue .J:wket it declared n dividend of 10 per cent. 11nd Ued Jal·ket, were 11n answer to Agnin in ,July, 1867, a dividend of 7 the four fast shiJ>S of the Blaek Ball Line. The Hed .Jacket was, perhnps, p~>r l'ent. was pnid. but in Octoh<>r the most famous of all the WhitP of tlw snmc war the bank had t1• Star ftept, as she made fa~t runs out eJoS!' its door;, Jt WUR then found and home in n consistent mann!:'r. that tlu· bank had lost about. and was one of thP half-do~en ships £1,168,000. that claimed to ha,·e run m·er Jfll) In 1865 llN;sr·s. Seddon and Unr­ miles in the 2-l hours. rett nwt>d the bank £101,000, and in Hut whilst the convenienee of the ~lay, 1866, Messrs. Wilson ;_mu cabin passengers was stud!ed by the Cunningham owed them £179,!0.1. owners to an extent prenously un­ This made Wilson nnd Cunnmg­ known. the steE'rage pa-ssengers were ham's totnl liabilities £370,031, be­ not forgottPn. Strict rules wert> ing liable to other creditors· tor made for thE' !'onduet of thP steera~e £190.000 odd. The hunk, however, passengers as early 11s 181>2. Therr agrPed to carry both fir·ms •m fur hPalth, as well as thE"ir comfort. was another six years. l<'innlly, at ~he lookPd after. · 'I end of 1867. Wilson and Cunningham In the early days. nnd especra• Y nw~>d thl' bank, on its stopp11l!:e, during tht> Crimt>an War. when th•' £527.000. On ,January 18, 1868, Government hnd chartered a~l tru• t lw pa rl nt>rship het wel•n \\'ilson ::r·:d Austrnlinn stenmcrs. thl' marl •·•m• Cunninglram was dissoh·ed. tract was a big feature. and P\'CI Y pffort was made to make fast r_>as­ FLAG AND GOODWILL SOLD sa~~;Ps. Wilson always ad,•erh-;l',J On April 26, U!66, JamP" his ships as being under a penalt~· I·• Chambers h11d h~>en Plected ~~ make the passage in 68 .days .. director of the Lanc·aster :--hip­ Spel'd becarnt• thl' dommant. tal't•Jr owners' Co .. whose ships had hl'~·n in t Jw rivalry bt>twel'n the drfferent running under thl' Whitt> Star Ang Iincs. · ThPrr is no doubt '·hat since the company's foundation in gum·antl'I'S likl• this has~t>.ned tl~e 1864. After his retirPment from t'nd of n numbN of sarhng shtp the White Star J,inl' Mr. Chamhcr11 ownPrs of the last century. They YJd to :1 & ,;, King-strc~>t. by tlw speed bug." H~ had to beat When the Wlrit(• Star went m~o Haines' Black Bullers m some wny bankruptc~·. ~Jr. Wilson sold thfl. nr othl'r, nnd to build tht.> larger n'"!d Aag 11nd goodwill to Tlromus Hen;-y fincr· "hips requir·ed, he hnd to obt:11rr lsmay for £1,000. .James Cham­ fund!!. H~> borrowed on m?rtgiiJ!•·s bt'rs then found him a position :o.; from tlw Royal Bank of Lrverpool. managl'r of thP LnneaRt£>r Rlup­ and this so alnrmtod James Chamhc!·" ownpr·s' ('o .. but within n vear th() that lw retired from the firm . rn dir·ectors had I o regretfully accept. Deel'mbl'r. 1865. In the followr•rg his resignation owing to ill-health . .Jamut.ry. Wilson was joincd by a Henr·~· Thrt>lfall Wilson Lhen .Mr .•John Cunningham ns part.nPr rPtir·t;d to Surbiton, Surrey, w herlt. PARTNERSHIP DISSOLVED he d1e~ on November 1, 186!>, ot cancer ID the stomach at the age 01f 'fhe Roval Bank was established 44 yea.rs. on May 2,' 1836. I~ 1847 it had. to . His fir~t partner, John Pilkington, close its doors owmg to havmg hved until 1890, when he died at .t I granted large credits to/ Messrs. ~hrewsbury-road, Oxton, on Febru: Barton frlan and Higginson, an uld­ ary 26, and was bm·ied in Wullu.s!>.Y pstabli~hed J,iverpool firm of ~hip- Chun~hyard. ·

Charles Bi1·chalJ & Son., Ltd., Printen, 17, Ja.mes Street, Lh-erpool, 2.