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Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company

 

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This is the header page to a series on the Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company (L&NWSS). A list of L&NWSS pages in the series is shown below. There is also a list of all ships owned by the company. The Table beneath gives links to complete history pages on selected individual ships.

 

The Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company (L&NWSS) was formed on the 19th January 1891, when the Fairfield Shipbuilding-owned New North Wales Steamship Company (NNWSS) took over their rivals the Liverpool, Llandudno and Welsh Coast Steam Boat Company (LL&WC). The NNWSS had only started in 1890, using the almost new, Fairfield-built, St Tudno (1). The older and smaller LL&WC steamers were no match for this magnificent paddle steamer. St Tudno (1) was sold to Germany after her first season, replaced by the very similar St Tudno (2) (794gt), which became the the first ship to run under the Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company name.

 

The company's main route was as described in their name, between Liverpool, Llandudno and Menai Bridge. Their largest ships usually operated on this route. In 1896, a slightly smaller Fairfield paddle steamer, the St Elvies (567gt), was introduced, which regularly undertook excursions to the Isle of Man. Another rival company, the Snowdon Passenger Steamboat Company, also started in 1892 with the small paddle steamer Snowdon (338gt). This company, and the Snowdon, were taken over in 1899.

 

In 1904, Fairfield's magnificent, but expensive, La Marguerite (2205gt) was transferred from their Thames services. She had been uneconomic on the Thames, but operated successfully from Liverpool until 1925, when she was replaced by the equally superb turbine St Tudno (3) (2326gt). St Tudno (3) was not the first turbine in the fleet, the smaller St Seiriol (1) (928gt) had been built in 1914, but did not enter service with the company having been lost in the war. A second St Seiriol (1586gt), a smaller version of St Tudno (3), joined the fleet in 1931, replacing the Snowdon. The fleet was completed with the tiny motorship St Silio (314gt), which operated short cruises from Llandudno. She was renamed St Trillo (2) after the war. The company's fortunes declined in the 1950s, along with most other excursion ship operators, and St Seiriol (2) was sold for scrap in November 1962, followed by St Tudno (3) in April 1963. St Trillo (2) was sold to P&A Campbell, and continued to run excursions from Llandudno for some years. Services from Liverpool to Llandudno, and Llandudno to Douglas (IOM) were continued by the IOMSPCo, at reduced frequency.

 

The St Tudno (3) and St Trillo (2) were the first excursion ships that I travelled on in the mid-1950s, whilst holidaying in the area. I still remember the experiences well, despite being only 3 or 4 years old. I particularly remember running across Menai Bridge to catch the imminent departure of St Tudno (3) after we had been delayed by a late-running train (circular train/boat tickets were always popular). I lost a much-loved red cap into the Menai Straits, as we dashed across, with St Tudno (3) blowing its siren below (we caught the ship). I also remember being splashed by a large wave whilst on St Trillo (2), which could be very lively in a choppy sea. My first ship postcards were also of these vessels, the beautiful John Nicholson paintings of St Tudno (3) and St Trillo (2). The originals were very worn after years of study, so I was pleased to get further mint copies in more recent years, which have been scanned in.

 

 

L&NWSS Pages:-

L&NWSS - Header Page - this page!

L&NWSS - Page 1 - 1840-1899

L&NWSS - Page 2 - 1900-1914

L&NWSS - Page 3 - 1915-1963

L&NWSS - Page 4 - Publicity Material

 

List of L&NWSS Ships Covered:-

Bonnie Princess (1891-1895)

Paris (1890-1892)

Snowdon (1899-1931)

La Marguerite (1904-1925)

St Elian (1) (1907-1915) - ex-Southampton (1872)

St Elian (2) (1922-1927)

St Elvies (1896-1930)

St Seiriol (1) (1914-18)

St Seiriol (2) (1931-1962)

St Silio (1936-45)

St Trillo (1) (1909-1921) - ex-Carisbrooke (1876)

St Trillo (2) (1945-63)

St Tudno (1) (1890)

St Tudno (2) (1891-1912)

St Tudno (3) (1926-1963)

 

Associated Pages:-

Welsh Piers

IOMSPCo - Header Page - The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company

North West England Pleasure Steamers - Miscellaneous North West Excursion Fleets

Ferry Postcards

Cruise Ship Postcards

Ocean Liner Postcards

Simplon Postcards Home Page

 

References:-

West Coast Steamers by Duckworth & Langmuir

Steamers of North Wales by F.C.Thornley

Liverpool & North Wales Pleasure Steamers by John Cowell

 

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Table of Ship Histories

Name	Other names	Built
La Marguerite		1894
St Seiriol (2)		1931
St Silio	St Trillo	1936
St Trillo	St Silio	1936
St Tudno (3)		1926

 

 

 

 

 

 

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