Paddle Steamer La Marguerite



This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the famous paddle steamer La Marguerite.

La Marguerite was built by, and owned, by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company of Govan, one of three vessels delivered to separate companies over the three years 1892-1894, which formed the finest fleet of excursion ships on the River Thames, managed by the Victoria Steamboat Association (VSA). The VSA had been formed in 1890 to take over the assets of the River Thames Steamboat Co, including the well-travelled Glen Rosa. The VSA bought the famous Lord of the Isles from the Glasgow & Inverary Steamboat Company, and they retained their colours of red funnel and a black top, separated by two white bands. She created a sensation on the Thames, when she entered service in 1891. She was given telescopic funnels to operate from the Old Swan Pier in London.

In 1891, the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company had placed their excellent steamer St Tudno (2) in service with the Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company. This was a great success, and Fairfields looked elsewhere to position other steamers. They entered into an agreement with the VSA to build three large paddle steamers at their own expense, which the VSA would purchase by instalments. The first of these steamers was the Koh-I-Noor of 1892, followed by the similar Royal Sovereign (2) the following year. The three steamers were to be owned by separate companies, all under the management of the VSA. They eclipsed the standards of all other Thames steamers, and were not surpassed for many years. The first two steamers operated from Old Swan Pier in central London, sailing to Southend and Essex and Kent resorts, in competition with both Belle Steamers and the General Steam Navigation.

The third steamer of the trio, La Marguerite, was delivered in 1894 to Palace Steamers, but mortgaged to and operated by the VSA like the others. She was really a cross channel steamer, being 2205 gross tons and 330 feet in length. After the 1894 season, the Victoria Steamboat Association was unable to pay its instalments, and Fairfields foreclosed and took possession of their three steamers. A new company was formed, New Palace Steamers, and the services were operated much as before. the funnels of all three ships were then painted buff.

La Marguerite sailed for ten years, Saturday to Thursday, from Tilbury (reached by train from London) to Margate and Boulogne. In 1897, another Fairfield-owned steamer, La Belgique, was added to the fleet on charter. She sailed from Tilbury to Ostend, but was probably too slow, and the charter was not continued. However, La Marguerite began to sail to Ostend on two days a week from 1898, and also added Calais as a destination. Although easily the most popular excursion ship in the country, La Marguerite was not profitable and was moved in 1904 to the Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company, another company with extensive Fairfield involvement. The Koh-I-Noor and Royal Sovereign (2) continued until the war, but were sold in 1918.


Sections on this Page:-
La Marguerite - Thames services: 1894-1904
La Marguerite - Liverpool & North Wales services: 1904-1925

Associated Pages:-
L&NWSS - Header Page - The Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company
L&NWSS - Page 1 - 1840-1899
L&NWSS - Page 2 - 1900-1914
L&NWSS - Page 3 - 1915-1963
L&NWSS - Page 4 - The 1956 Souvenir Guide
New Palace Steamers
IOMSPCo - Header Page - The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates
Simplon Postcards - Home Page

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(Palace: 1894-1904) La Marguerite on trials, in original Victoria Steamboat Association colours. Photo: © Adamson, Rothesay. Official postcard of La Marguerite in original colours The card was posted from Liverpool to Llandudno in 1904, the year of her move north. Maybe the L&NWSSCo used some old stocks of postcards until local ones could be printed Click to open larger image in new window Official postcard of La Marguerite in later Thames colours The card above modified to show the livery change Postcard of La Marguerite. La Marguerite on the Thames with a good load of passengers. La Marguerite off Southend. La Marguerite at Boulogne. La Marguerite at Boulogne. La Marguerite at Boulogne. La Marguerite at Boulogne. La Marguerite at Ostend. La Marguerite
(L&NWSS: 1904-1925) Official fleet postcard showing La Marguerite. Click to open larger image in new window Colour art card of La Marguerite. Colour art card of La Marguerite. La Marguerite at Llandudno. La Marguerite at Llandudno. La Marguerite at Llandudno. La Marguerite at Liverpool. La Marguerite off Penmon. La Marguerite at Menai Bridge. La Marguerite in the Menai Straits. La Marguerite in the Menai Straits at night (did she sale at night?). La Marguerite at Llandudno. A modern reproduction of an old card. Photographic postcard of La Marguerite. Photographic postcard of La Marguerite . La Marguerite at Llandudno. Photographic postcard of La Marguerite . Photographic postcard of La Marguerite . La Marguerite off Puffin Island. La Marguerite at Menai Bridge pier. Modern postcard of La Marguerite published by Friends of the Ferries. La Marguerite arriving at Douglas, IOM. Photo: © S.R.Keig. Ferry Postcards - Cruise Ship Postcards - Ocean Liner Postcards
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