paddlesteamers.info : The Internet's leading website for
Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
Thames
Estuary, River Medway, Kent, Essex and East Anglia Coast, England,
U.K.
The Thames Steamboat Company (1897) Ltd
Was
the ultimate successor to the London Steamboat Company being founded to
own and operate the up-river fleet of the Victoria Steamboat
Association. The company survived until 1912 when it was liquidated but has already disposed of most of its fleet in 1908.
The remaining fleet was disposed of, mostly for scrapping (marked * below) but three found further use :
- The Mermaid moved up to the River Ouse in Yorkshire and spent her final year (1923) on the
west coast of Ireland at Limerick
- Boadicea remained with a London owner until 1919
- Cleopatra was used on the River Tay until 1931 after a short spell on
the Ouse in Yorkshire.
Above
: The company built three new boats in 1898 including Boadicea which
became known as the "ABC" steamers on account of their names
Ships taken over on establishment of the company
Withdrawn 1898 and replaced by new build
Cupid
Vesta
Prince Arthur
Withdrawn in 1908
River Queen
Primrose
Rifleman
Redfern
Snowdrop
Fuchsia
Prince of Wales
Thistle
Shamrock
Lotus
Cardinal Wolsey
Survived until company wind-up
The Mermaid
Orchid
Palm
New build
Alexandra
Cleopatra
Boadicea
Built in 1898 by the Thames Iron Works & Shipbuilding Co of Blackwall, London
Length 120.1 ft : 111 GRT
Purchased
Stour (1891)
Built in 1878 by the Thames Iron Works & Shipbuilding Co of Blackwall, London
Length 125 ft : 112 GRT
Engine Oscillating by TA Young & Son
Purchased from the Great Eastern Railway (River Orwell services)
Go to :
Victoria
Steamboat Association
Return
to:
River Thames
Historical - Up-River Services
Historical Database