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Stoomvaart Maatschappij "Zeeland"
Page 1: 1875-1938
This page is one of a series devoted to postcards and photographs of Stoomvaart Maatschappij "Zeeland" (SMZ - the Zeeland SS Co). This page shows ships delivered between 1875-1938. Earlier ships are shown on
SMZ Page 2: 1939-1989
.
An alphabetical list of ships
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.
A Brief History of SM "Zeeland" - 1875-1939
Stoomvaart Maatschappij "Zeeland" ( SMZ - the Zeeland SS Co) was formed in 1875 to operate services from Vlissingen (Flushing) (Flushing), Zeeland, Netherlands to England. Over the years, seven different English ports have been used:- Sheerness, Queenborough, Dover, Port Victoria, Tilbury, Folkestone and Harwich. The Dutch port remained Vlissingen (Flushing) until after the Second World War, when it transferred to Hook of Holland.
Services started with the ex-Confederate blockade runners
Stad Middelburg
and
Stad Vlissingen
on July 26th 1875 between Sheerness and Vlissingen (Flushing), since the pier at the intended UK port, Queenborough, had not been finished. Sheerness and Queenborough are close to each other on the eastern bank of the River Medway. A third steamer, the ex-
Snaefell (1)
of the
IOMSPCo
was bought as a reserve ship, becoming the
Stad Breda
. Poor support led to the route ceasing in November 1875. The service restarted in May 1876, between Vlissingen (Flushing) and the newly completed pier at Queenborough, cargo traffic also being carried. Initially a daily overnight service (except Sundays) was offered. The Dutch Government awarded SMZ the mail contract to England. In first ships built for the route were the
Prinses Marie
and
Prinses Elisabeth
of 1878, built by John Elder of Glasgow. Similar steamers
Prins Hendrik (1)
and
Willem Prins van Orange
followed in 1880 and 1882.
In 1882, Queenborough Pier was seriously damaged by fire, and the passenger service moved to Dover for four months. Cargo services to Queenborough did not restart until 1885, and cargo steamers were chartered to operate into London in the interim. In 1887, the service became twice-daily, with three new paddle steamers, the
Duitschland
,
Engeland
and
Nederland
being acquired. In 1893, the
Great Eastern Railway
services from Harwich were improved and the Zeeland suffered a decline in traffic. They ordered three new paddle steamers which were delivered in 1985, the last paddlers to be ordered for the route. They were named
Koningin Wilhelmina (1)
,
Koningin Regentes
and
Prins Hendrik (2)
. In 1897, a temporary transfer to Dover was made again, following damage to the railway to Queenborough. In 1900, Queenborough pier was destroyed by fire a second time, and the service moved temporarily to Port Victoria, on the opposite bank of the River Medway. Things then settled down for nine years until the
Great Eastern Railway
received their first turbines in 1903, and accelerated their services. SMZ responded by building three turbines of their own at Fairfields, the
Prinses Juliana (1)
,
Oranje Nassau
and
Mecklenberg (1)
. The turbines were used on the night service, with the less competitive day service being operated by the displaced paddle steamers. After one year, the turbines were moved to Folkestone in 1911, since the Medway was unsuitable for their greater draft than the paddlers. The distance from Vlissingen (Flushing) to Folkestone was 92 miles, compared to 112 miles from Queenborough. The day service remained at Queenborough.
Prinses Juliana (1)
and
Mecklenberg (1)
were lost within days of each other early in 1916, and replacements were built in 1920 and 1922, becoming the
Prinses Juliana (2)
and
Mecklenberg (2)
. These were built in Holland using the original Fairfield drawings.
Until 1927, UK railway connections to SMZ services had been provided by the London, Chatham & Dover Railway, the South Eastern Railway, and their successors the South Eastern & Chatham Railway and the Southern Railway. From 1927, the UK port moved to Harwich, and railway connections were provide by the
London & North Eastern Railway
, who operated a competing service to the Hook of Holland. In 1939, just before the start of the Second War, the diesel sisters
Koningin Emma
and
Prinses Beatrix (1)
were delivered. Both ships escaped to the UK and were used by the Admiralty as usually landing craft vessels, which required considerable modifications.
SMZ History Continued:- 1939-1989
Ships on This Page:-
Aurora
(1881-1889) - ex-
Stad Middelburg
Duitschland
(1886-1916) - later:
Zeeland (1)
Engeland
(1887-1910)
Koningin Wilhelmina (1)
(1895-1916)
Koningin Regentes
(1895-1918)
Nederland
(1886-1910)
Oranje Nassau
(1909-52)
Prinses Juliana (1)
(1909-16)
Prinses Elisabeth
(1878-1898)
Prinses Marie
(1887-1898)
Prins Hendrik (1)
(1880-1902)
Prins Hendrik (2)
(1895-1922)
Stad Breda
(1875-1888)
Stad Middelburg
(1875-1881) - later:
Aurora
Stad Vlissingen
(1875-1879)
Willem Prins van Orange
(1883-1909)
Zeeland (1)
(1916-1922) - ex-
Duitschland
Ships on
SMZ Page 2: 1939-1989
:-
Koningin Beatrix
(1985-1989)
Koningin Emma
(1939-1968)
Koningin Juliana
(1968-1985)
Koningin Wilhelmina (2)
(1960-1978)
Prinses Beatrix (1)
(1939-1968)
Prinses Beatrix (2)
(1978-1985)
Associated Pages:-
SMZ Page 1: 1875-1938
- This Page
SMZ Page 2: 1939-1989
Great Eastern Railway
- Harwich-Hook route in GER ownership
London & North Eastern Railway
- Harwich-Hook route in LNER ownership
Stena Line BV
- Harwich-Hook route in Stena ownership
Queenborough
- details of the port used by SMZ 1876-1927
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
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References:-
Railway & Other Steamers: Duckworth & Langmuir
- published 1948, 2nd Edition 1968
A Century of North Sea Passenger Steamers: Ambrose Greenaway
- published 1986
Merchant Fleets No.25: Britain's Railway Steamers - NW & E Companies + SMZ + Stena: Duncan Hawes
- published 1993
Table of Ship Histories
Name
Other names
Built
Koningin Beatrix
Stena Baltica
1986
Prinses Beatrix
Duc de Normandie
1978
SMZ Fleet List
Stad Middelburg
(1875-1881)
- Aurora
(1881-1889)
Stad Vlissingen
(1875-1879)
SMZ services started with the
Stad Middelburg
and
Stad Vlissingen
on July 26th 1875 between Sheerness and Vlissingen (Flushing). They had been built in 1865 by Quiggin & Jack of Liverpool as the
Southern
and
Northern
, and had served as blockade runners in the American Civil War. They were acquired and renamed by SMZ in 1875.
Stad Vlissingen
stranded and lost in 1879, and her sister was renamed
Aurora
in 1881, followed by sale in 1889.
A contemporary illustration of
Stad Middelburg.
Stad Breda
(1875-1888)
SMZ services started with the ex-Confederate blockade runners
Stad Middelburg
and
Stad Vlissingen
on July 26th 1875 between Sheerness and Vlissingen (Flushing). A third steamer, the ex-
Snaefell (1)
of the
IOMSPCo
was bought as a reserve ship, becoming the
Stad Breda
.
Snaefell (1)
was the first of a series of two-funnelled paddle steamers built by Caird's of Greenock. The postcard below shows the 1976-built
Snaefell (2)
, which replaced
Snaefell (1)
. She was also built by Caird, and is similar to, but larger, than her predecessor.
Stendel postcard of
Snaefell (2)
at Ramsey.
Prinses Marie
(1878-1898)
Prinses Elisabeth
(1878-1898)
Prins Hendrik (1)
(1880-1902)
Willem Prins van Orange
(1883-1909)
SMZ was refinanced in 1878, allowing the purchase of two purpose-built paddle steamers,
Prinses Marie
and
Prinses Elisabeth
, by John Elder of Glasgow predecessors of Fairfields. They largely replaced the original three steamers except for relief work. Two-cylinder compound diagonal engines, with a low pressure cylinder diameter of 106 inches, drove them at just over 16 knots. they were sold in 1898 to German and Swedish owners, being renamed
Germania
and
Svea
. In 1896,
Prinses Marie
had been chartered by Albert Ballin (HAPAG) for services to Helgoland. She was renamed
Prinzess Marie
and received a white hull. Some references suggest that
Prinses Elisabeth
took a similar charter as
Prinzess Elisabeth
.
In 1880, the very similar steamer
Prins Hendrik (1)
was delivered by John Elder, to cope with additional traffic created when through train services started from Vlissingen (Flushing) to Berlin. She was followed in 1882 by the
Willem Prins van Orange
. She was also very close in design to her John Elder predecessors, but had taller funnels and was capable of 18 knots. The latter pair were sold in 1902 and 1909, but along with many ships in the SMZ fleet, had been kept in reserve for many years.
Prins Hendrik (1)
survived for seven years without being renamed after the delivery of
Prins Hendrik (2)
.
Photograph of
Prinses Marie
or
Prinses Elisabeth.
Photograph of
Willem Prins van Orange.
Duitschland
(1886-1916)
- Zeeland
(1916-1922)
Engeland
(1887-1910)
Nederland
(1886-1910)
In 1887, the service became twice-daily, with three new paddle steamers, the
Duitschland
,
Engeland
and
Nederland
being acquired. They were built by Fairfields (previously Elders) and were used on the new day service between Vlissingen (Flushing) and Queenborough.
Engeland
and
Nederland
were indirectly replaced by new turbines in 1910, and were sold for scrap (the new turbines were night boats, but displaced the
1895 paddle steamers
onto the day service). Holland was neutral in the First War, and
Duitschland
, was renamed
Zeeland
in 1916. She was used as a hospital ship and continued in this service after the war repatriating POWs from Boston (Lincs) to Rotterdam. She was scrapped in 1922.
Postcard of the Dayboat
Nederland
and two other paddle steamers at Vlissingen (Flushing).
Narrow black funnel tops.
Postcard of the Dayboat
Nederland
, posted from Vlissingen (Flushing) in 1904.
Narrow black funnel tops.
Postcard of one of the Dayboats, posted from Middelburg in 1907.
Narrow black funnel tops.
Postcard of the Dayboat
Nederland
, with broader black funnel tops.
Photograph of
Nederland
, with later broad black funnel tops.
Photograph of
Engeland
, with broad black funnel tops.
Photograph of
Zeeland
, in use as a hospital ship, in dazzle camouflage.
Photograph of
Zeeland
, in use as a hospital ship.
Post-war photograph of
Zeeland
.
Koningin Wilhelmina (1)
(1895-1916)
Koningin Regentes
(1895-1918)
Prins Hendrik (2)
(1895-1922)
In 1893, the
Great Eastern Railway
services from Harwich were improved and the Zeeland suffered a decline in traffic. They ordered three new paddle steamers which were delivered in 1985, the last paddlers to be ordered for the route. They were named
Koningin Wilhelmina (1)
,
Koningin Regentes
and
Prins Hendrik (2)
. In 1897, a temporary transfer to Dover was made again, following damage to the railway to Queenborough. In 1900, Queenborough pier was destroyed by fire a second time, and the service moved temporarily to Port Victoria, on the opposite bank of the River Medway. Things then settled down for nine years until the
Great Eastern Railway
received their first turbines in 1903, and accelerated their services. SMZ responded by building three turbines of their own at Fairfields, the
Prinses Juliana (1)
,
Oranje Nassau
and
Mecklenberg (1)
. The turbines were used on the night service, with the less competitive day service being operated by the displaced 1895 paddle steamers, which were modified for their new role.
Rare postcard of an SMZ paddle steamer at Queenborough Pier.
Click to see a larger image in new window
Art postcard of
Koningin Regentes
in a storm.
Scan:
Reto Raeth
Pre-war postcard of one of the Night Boats, with narrow black funnel tops.
Card overprinted with an advert for the Zeeland Hotel, Flushing.
Pre-war postcard of the Night Boat
Koningin Regentes
, with broader black funnel tops.
Posted from Vlissingen (Flushing) in 1907.
Pre-war postcard of one of the 1895 paddle steamers, as modified for use as a Dayboat.
Full black funnel tops.
Post-war photograph of
Prins Hendrik (2)
, with red, white & blue funnel bands.
Post-war photograph of
Prins Hendrik (2)
, with red, white & blue funnel bands.
Prinses Juliana (1)
(1909-1916)
Oranje Nassau
(1909-1954)
Mecklenberg (1)
(1909-1916)
The
Great Eastern Railway
received their first turbines in 1903, and
accelerated their services. SMZ responded by building three turbines of their own at Fairfields, the
Prinses Juliana (1)
,
Oranje Nassau
and
Mecklenberg (1)
. The turbines were used on the night service, with the less competitive day service being operated by the displaced
1895 paddle steamers
. After one year, the turbines were moved to Folkestone in 1911, since the Medway was unsuitable for their greater draft than the paddlers. The distance from Vlissingen (Flushing) to Folkestone was 92 miles, compared to 112 miles from Queenborough. The day service remained at Queenborough.
Prinses Juliana (1)
and
Mecklenberg (1)
were lost within days of each other early in 1916, and replacements were built in 1920 and 1922, becoming the
Prinses Juliana (2)
and
Mecklenberg (2)
. These were built in Holland using the original Fairfield drawings.
Oranje Nassau
also survived the Second War, and re-opened services from Harwich to Holland in 1946 with the
Prague
of the
LNER
. The following year she moved to the day service. When the 1939 diesels returned to service in 1948,
Mecklenberg (2)
was chartered to Batavier Line for their Rotterdam-Tilbury service. This continued until 1952, when she returned to the Harwich-Hook route. She was scrapped in 1954.
Postcard of one of the 1909 Night Boats.
Postcard of one of the 1909 Night Boats.
Halksworth Wheeler (Folkestone) postcard of
Mecklenberg (1)
at Folkestone.
Kingsway (W.H.Smith) postcard S.16849 of