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New Palace Steamers
 
 
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of Thames excursion fleet of New Palace Steamers.
 
The three vessels of New Palace Steamers were all owned by their builders Fairfields of Govan. They were delivered to separate companies over the three years 1892-1894, and were the finest fleet of excursion ships on the River Thames. It evolved out of the Victoria Steamboat Association (VSA), 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.
 
 
Ships on this Page:-
Koh-I-Noor - 1892-1918
La Marguerite - 1894-1904
Royal Sovereign (2) - 1904-1925
 
Associated Pages:-
GSN - Header Page - The General Steam Navigation Company
L&NWSS - Header Page - The Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company
IOMSPCo - Header Page - The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company
 
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Koh-I-Noor
(1892-1918)
 
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 Koh-I-Noor and Royal Sovereign (2) continued until the war, but were sold in 1918.
 
 
Official New Palace Steamers advertising card of Koh-I-Noor.
 
 
 
Official New Palace Steamers advertising card of Koh-I-Noor.
 
 
 
Photographic card of Koh-I-Noor.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Royal Sovereign
(1893-1918)
 
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 Koh-I-Noor and Royal Sovereign (2) continued until the war, but were sold in 1918.
 
 
Official New Palace Steamers advertising card of Royal Sovereign.
 
 
 
Official New Palace Steamers advertising card of Royal Sovereign.
 
 
 
Photographic postcard of Royal Sovereign leaving Ramsgate.
 
 
 
Photographic postcard of Royal Sovereign.
 
 
 
Photographic postcard of Royal Sovereign.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
La Marguerite
(1894-1904)
 
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 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.
 
Complete history of La Marguerite
 
 
La Marguerite on trials, in original Victoria Steamboat Association colours.
 
 
 
La Marguerite on the Thames with agood load of passengers.
Photo: © Adamson, Rothesay.
 
 
 
La Marguerite off Southend.
 
 
 
La Marguerite at Boulogne.
 
 
 
La Marguerite at Boulogne.
 
 
 
La Marguerite at Boulogne.
 
 
 
 
 
 
La Marguerite at Ostend.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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