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JC Godeffroy : Hamburger- Dampfschiffs-Compagnie / Hamburger- Elbe- Dampfschiffs-Compagnie
JC Godeffroy & Sohn was
a long-established family concern and a major player in worldwide
trading with numerous ships. The "JC" who established a paddle
steamer operation on the Elbe was Johann Cesar VI (1813-1885) who
was responsible for introducing paddle steamers on the Helgoland route
soon after joining the company and before driving its growth
internationally, particularly after taking full charge after the death
of his father ten years later. One
brother was a banker and senior politician, another (Adolphe) was a
co-founder and long-time president of the Hamburg-America Line. The
family company became particularly associated with trade in the
Pacific until bankruptcy in 1879 as a result of the failure of certain
speculative ventures. Whilst Godeffroy was attracted by the success of
the Dutch-run service to the newly establishing coastal resorts in the
early 1830s, his own enterprise, known as the Hamburger- Dampfschiffs-Compagnie proved not to be profitable, but he
continued with it as a personal project as the Hamburger- Elbe- Dampfschiffs-Compagnie
from 1843. Only the Patriot sailed to Helgoland under normal
circumstances whilst the increasingly obsolete Elbe and Henriette
remained on the estuary. By the mid 1850s, new tonnage was needed and
Helgoland was ordered from the Caird yard in Scotland and a new Patriot
from a Hamburg yard which had been taken over by the main Godeffroy
organisation.
Elbe (1834-1863)
Patriot (1836-1854)
Henriette (1838-1867)
Helgoland (1854-1863)
Patriot (1858-1867)
.
Elbe
Built in 1833 by John Wood & Co. in Glasgow, Scotland
Dimensions : 33.7 x 5.52 m
Sailed for JC Godeffroy from 1834 until 1843
From 1843 until 1863 she was operated by the Elbe Dampfschiffahrts Companie
Patriot
Henriette
Built in 1829 in Poplar, London, England
Dimensions : 34.4 m
Sailed on the River Thames until 1838 under the name Essex of London
Purchased by JC Godeffroy (Hamburger Dampfschiffahrts-compagnie), sailing on their Helgoland route until 1843
From 1843 until scrapping in 1867 she sailed for the Hamburger-Elbe Dampfschiffahrts Compagnie
Helgoland (later Racoon)
Built in 1854 by Caird & Co at Greenock,
Scotland
Dimensions : 59.4 x 6.7 m
Owner : JC Godeffroy & Sohn, Hamburg
Route : Hamburg - Helgoland
Sold in March 1863 for use in Britain as a tug and renamed
Racoon
Patriot (II)
Built in 1858 by Reiherstieg Shipyard at Hamburg
Dimensions : 42.7 ft x 5.5 m
Operated on the Helgoland run for the Elb-Dampfschiffahrts Compagnie
Sold in 1868, possibly to Russia
.
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German North Sea Coast and
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