Scarborough - Page 1: Steam Excursion Ships


Page 1: Steam Excursion Ships


This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the steam excursion ships of Scarborough. The later motor vessels are covered on Scarborough Excursion Vessels - Page 2. An alphabetical list of ships shown on this page is shown below. The Table beneath gives links to complete history pages on selected individual ships. Below the table is a Fleet List in chronological order.

Contact Tom Machin, at 01723 363605 / 07855 381139 for details of the cruises currently run from Scarborough.
Website:- scarboroughpleasuresteamers.co.uk

The first steam boat used on local Yorkshire services was the Streonshalh (an ancient name for Whitby) of 1836 which ran from Whitby. Like most of her successors, Streonshalh was a paddle tug also used for summer excursions. She worked from Whitby until 1858. Steamers are known to have worked from Scarborough from the 1840s, one of the first recorded being the Royal Victoria, which regularly visited Scarborough from Hartlepool from 1847-1855.

The first steamboat owned and registered in Scarborough was the Transit of 1848, which was bought by Jeremiah Hudson in 1852, and ran to both Whitby and Bridlington. He owned the second steamer registered in Scarborough, the new Eclat of 1854, but also chartered other steamers such as the Britannia and Black Eagle. In 1855, the Eclat was replaced by the larger Contraste, which ran with the chartered Brothers and Firefly. Contraste, was in turn superseded in the Jeremiah Hudson fleet by the 222 gross tons Fame in 1857, which ran until 1862. Competition for Hudson came from the Sir Colin Campbell, the Minnet and the Xantho. By 1865, the Sir Colin Campbell was running from Scarborough for the Humber-based Gainsborough Steam Packet Company, and Jeremiah Hudson was her captain - he had not owned a ship since 1862. Other steamers at this time were the Superb and Lady Londesborough. The Superb had been built for Jeremiah Hudson in 1853, but sold again for a profit soon after arriving in Scarborough.

In 1865 the Scarborough Harbour Commissioners acquired their first paddle tug, the Kate. The Kate (which had been built in 1862) was replaced by the more powerful Alexandra in 1879. Neither was used to carry passengers, despite the fact that most local excursion boats originated as paddle tugs, and often returned to this work in winter. However, in 1899 they acquired the Cambria, which was to be used as an excursion paddler. Her price was low, but modifications to make her fit for service took nine months. Cambria entered service in 1900 and ran successfully until she ran aground in 1912.

Scarborough arrived in the port of her name in 1866, and dominated the local scene for the next forty-eight years. At 150 feet long and licensed for 300 passengers, Scarborough was larger than all her rivals. Scarborough was owned by the Gainsborough United Steam Packet Company Ltd. She made her last trip on 4th September 1914, a month after the start of the First World War. Steam trips were not repeated from Scarborough until 1924.

The Bilsdale arrived in 1924 to carry on the excursion tradition. She had been built as the Lord Roberts at Preston in 1900, and spent most of her career at Great Yarmouth. At Scarborough she was owned by the Crosthwaite Steamship Company of Middlesbrough. She was 199 gross tons and could carry 386 passengers, in excess of any previous local steamers. In 1934 the pioneering motor ship Royal Lady arrived. Bilsdale competed for that season, but was then sold for scrap. The subsequent history of Scarborough's motor vessels is covered on Scarborough Excursion Vessels - Page 2.


Ships on This Page:-
Bilsdale (1924-1934)
Cambria (1899-1913)
Scarborough (1866-1914)
White Lady (19??-19??) - steamboat?
White Lady II (19??-19??) - steamboat?

Associated Pages:- Scarborough Excursion Vessels - Page 1 Steam Vessels Scarborough Excursion Vessels - Page 2 Diesel Vessels Scarborough Excursion Vessels - Page 3 Publicity
Bridlington Excursion Vessels
Croson Ltd
UK Excursion Ships
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates
Simplon Postcards - Home Page

References:-
Pleasure Steamers of Old Yorkshire by Arthur Godfrey - c.1975
British Pleasure Steamers 1920-1939 by Geoffrey Grimshaw - Richard Tilling 1945
MV Coronia 1935-1995 by Tom Machin - Carrick Publications, Scarborough 1995
60 Years A Lady 1930-1990 by Tom Machin - Carrick Publications, Scarborough 1990
The Gozo-Malta Ferry Service by Joseph Bezzina - Bugelli Publications, Valletta 1991
Ferry Malta by Graeme Somner - World Ship Society 1982

Search This Website:-
powered by FreeFind






Table of Ship Histories
Name Other names Built

Coronia (1) Bournemouth Queen, Queen of Scots, Rochester Queen 1935

Coronia (2) Brit, Watchful, Brit, Yorkshire Lady 1935

New Royal Lady Crested Eagle, Imperial Eagle 1937

Regal Lady Oulton Belle 1930

Yorkshire Lady Brit, Watchful, Brit, Coronia (2) 1935

Fleet List

Cambria
(1899-1913)

Scarborough Harbour Commissioners had maintained a paddle tug for many years. The Kate (built 1862) was replaced by the more powerful Alexandra in 1879. Neither was used to carry passengers, despite the fact that most local excursion boats originated as paddle tugs, and often returned to this work in winter. However, in 1899 they acquired the Cambria, which was to be used as an excursion paddler. Her price was low, but modifications to make her fit for service took nine months. She entered service in 1900 and ran successfully until she ran aground in 1912. Nobody was seriously hurt, and although she was refloated later, she was sold in 1913 to Hull owners, the last of the Harbour Commissioners' paddle boats. Postcard of Cambria.
Card posted 1907 - Published: Boxell &Co. Scarborough
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Cambria.
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Cambria.
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Cambria.
Publisher: Bon Marche, Scarborough - Posted 1911
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Cambria.
Publisher: Dainty Series - Posted 1906
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Cambria.
Publisher: Shurey's publications - Posted 1903
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Scarborough lighthouse and paddle steamer Cambria
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of Scarborough lighthouse and paddle steamer Cambria
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of Scarborough lighthouse and paddle steamer Cambria
Variation of the card above with different sky
Click to open larger image in new window
Scarborough
(1866-1914)

Scarborough arrived in the port of her name in 1866, and dominated the local scene for the next forty-eight years. At 150 feet long and licensed for 300 passengers, Scarborough was larger than all her rivals. Scarborough was owned by the Gainsborough United Steam Packet Company Ltd. She made her last trip on 4th September 1914, a month after the start of the First World War. Steam trips were not repeated from Scarborough until 1924. Postcard of Scarborough.
Publisher: T.T.& S. (Scarborough) Queen Series No.60
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Scarborough.
Published: Unique Series - A.M.Pepper, Scarborough
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Scarborough harbour, lighthouse and paddle steamer Scarborough
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of Scarborough leaving Whitby.
Publisher: Photochrom Ltd Celesque Series
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Scarborough leaving Whitby
Posted August 1912
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Scarborough at Whitby
Posted August 1912
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Scarborough leaving Whitby
Bilsdale
(At Scarborough: 1924-1934 - Built: 1900)

Postcard of Bilsdale.
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Bilsdale.
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Bilsdale.
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Bilsdale.
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Bilsdale. and Royal Lady in 1934, the last season for the Bilsdale.
Publisher: Excel Series - Posted June 1935
Click to open large image in new window
Postcard of Bilsdale. and Royal Lady in 1934, the last season for the Bilsdale.
Photo used taken shortly after the card above
Click to open large image in new window
White Lady (Round: 192?-193?)
White Lady II (Round: 192?-193?)

White Lady was the first of Thomas Round's fleet of 'Ladies'. I am not sure whether they were steamboats or internal combustion, but she appears to have a steam whistle in the postcard below. Postcard of White Lady in 1928.
Click to open larger image in new window
UK Excursion Ships - Ferry Postcards - Cruise Ship Postcards - Ocean Liner Postcards
Top of Page - Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates - Simplon Postcards - Home Page (c) 1999-2015 Copyright Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards (all pages on web site) All Rights Reserved

Name	Other names	Built
Coronia (1)	Bournemouth Queen, Queen of Scots, Rochester Queen	1935
Coronia (2)	Brit, Watchful, Brit, Yorkshire Lady	1935
New Royal Lady	Crested Eagle, Imperial Eagle	1937
Regal Lady	Oulton Belle	1930
Yorkshire Lady	Brit, Watchful, Brit, Coronia (2)	1935