Great Western (1837)

Builder:
William Patterson
Bristol, England
Keel Laid:
July 26, 1836
Launched:
July 19, 1837
Year Built:
1837
Completed
March 1838
Fate:
Scrapped at Castles' Yard, Millbank, London Oct. 1856-1857.


Owner
Great Western Steamship Co.
Bristol, England

Apr. 24, 1847:
Royal Mail Steam Packet Co.
Liverpool, England


Dimensions, machinery and performance

Length:
234' 9"
Hull:
Wood
Beam:
35' 1"
Engines:
1 two cyl. side lever by Maudslay Sons & Field
Across wheels:
57' 7"
Boilers:
N/A
Wheel diameter:
N/A
Speed:
8.5 knots
Draft:
16' 7"
HP:
750
Gross tons:
1,340
Funnels:
1
Crew:
60
Masts:
4 (rigged for sail)
Passengers:
148


Captains
From
To
Name
Mar. 1838
Unknown
Lt. James Hoskin RN


History
Mar. 24, 1838:
Sea trials.
Mar. 31, 1838:
En route to Bristol from London for her maiden voyage the ship's boilers caused the deck
beams around the funnel to catch fire. Hoskin grounded the ship and the fire was put out,
but Brunel was injured when a ladder he was climbing collapsed. The ship was refloated
with the next tide and arrived in Bristol on Apr. 2.

Apr. 8-23, 1838:
Maiden voyage Bristol - New York.
Only 7 passengers made the trip with 50 canceling passage following the fire.
On arrival at New York an accident scalded to death engineer George Pearne.

1839-40:
Refit, lengthened to 251' 9" GRT increased to 1,700.
Apr. 23, 1838:
Won Blue Riband (Westbound) 15 days, 12 hours 8.66 knots. Taking it from the Sirius
which had won it the day before. Held the record until June 15, 1841 losing to Cunard's Columbia.

May 22, 1838:
Won the Blue Riband (Eastbound) 14 days, 15 hours, 59 minuets, 9.14 knots. Taking it
from the Sirius.

June 17, 1838:
Bested her record westbound to 14 days, 16 hours, 8.92 knots.
July 8, 1838:
Bested her record eastbound to 12 days, 16 hours, 34 minuets, 10.17 knots. Held
the record until Aug. 14, 1840 losing to Cunard's Britannia.

May 31, 1839:
Bested her record westbound to 13 days, 12 hours, 9.52 knots. Held the record until
June 15, 1841 losing to Cunard's Columbia.

May 11, 1842:
Regained the Blue Riband (Eastbound) 12 days, 7 hours, 30 minuets, 10.99 knots. Held the
record until Apr. 14, 1843 losing to Cunard's Columbia, never held the record again.

May 11, 1843:
Regained the Blue Riband (Westbound) from the Columbia, 12 days 18 hours 10.03 knots. Held the record until July 29, 1845 losing to Cunard's Cambria, and never held it again.

Dec. 1846:
Removed from service and laid up at Liverpool.
Apr. 24, 1847:
Sold to Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. for £25,000. Used on the UK to West Indies route.
1855:
Transport in the Crimean War.
Oct. 1856-57:
Scrapped.


Notes
First ship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Made 67 trans-Atlantic voyages.


Builder's Data
Page revised Jan. 29, 2007