Sir Samuel Cunard, 1st Baronet was a British shipping
magnate, born at Halifax, Nova Scotia, who founded the Cunard Line. He was the
son of a master carpenter and timber merchant who had fled the American
Revolution and settled in Halifax.
Born: November 21, 1787, Halifax
Died: April 28, 1865, London
Parents: Abraham Cunard
Children: Edward Cunard
Samuel Cunard was a civil engineer who came to Britain to
operate the first mail service using steamships between the UK and America. He was a highly successful entrepreneur who
had been a Captain in the Halifax Regiment of militia in Canada.
In 1839 he submitted a bid to the British government to
undertake a regular mail service by steamship across the North Atlantic from
Liverpool to Halifax, Québec and Boston Massachusetts, for £55 000 annually for
10 years. The bid was successful, and in the same year Cunard, with associates
in Glasgow and Liverpool, established the British and North American Royal Mail
Steam Packet Company, the ancestor of the Cunard Line.
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Britannia Cunards first Ship |
The company’s first steamship, the Britannia, sailed from
Liverpool to Boston Massachusetts in 1840, on board were Samuel Cunard and 63
other passengers,
this journey was to mark the beginning of a regular
passenger and cargo service.
Built in 1840 Britannia was Cunard’s first purpose built
Atlantic liner, in terms of passenger accommodation and speed she was way ahead
of her competitors, but this was not without its disadvantages. Being built for
speed the noise of her engines and the smoke belching from her funnel were not
the most pleasant of things for her passengers to endure. However, on the plus
side, compared with other vessels her passenger accommodation was considered
luxurious with small cabins, neatly appointed and a dining saloon to
accommodate 115 passengers. Cows were carried on the deck of the ship to ensure
that fresh milk was available.
Author Charles Dickens and his wife travelled with Cunard on
a voyage from Liverpool to Boston USA in 1842, and was not enamoured of the
accomodation, in his American notes he wrote “Nothing smaller for sleeping in
was ever made, than a coffin” So it would appear his first taste of travelling
in a ships cabin was not one of his greatest experiences.
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RMS Queen Mary at Long Beach |
Cunard went on to absorb Canadian Northern steamships and
the White Star Line, owners of the ill fated Titanic. Cunard was the driving
force behind the Atlantic passenger trade with some of the world’s greatest and
most famous liners, such as the RMS Queen Elizabeth 1939-1968 and the RMS Queen
Mary launched on 26th September 1934 and in service until 9th December 1967.
RMS Queen Elizabeth |
In 1859 Samuel Cunard was created a baronet by Queen
Victoria.
He was married to Susan, daughter of William Duffus (on 4
February 1815; she died 23 January 1828) by whom he had nine children. He died
in 1865 and was succeeded in the business by his son Sir Edward Cunard, 2nd
baronet. His name lives on today in the Cunard Line, now a prestigious branch
of the Carnival Line cruise empire.
The Cunard fleet, during the lifetime of Samuel Cunard, all
built for Cunard unless otherwise indicated, consisted of the following ships
in order of acquisition:
1840–1865
Ship
|
Built
|
In service for Cunard
|
Type
|
Tonnage
|
Notes
|
Unicorn
|
1836
|
1840–1846
|
wood-paddler
|
650 GRT
|
coastal steamer purchased for Montreal service, sold 1846
|
1840
|
1840–1849
|
wood-paddler
|
1,150 GRT
|
Eastbound record holder, sold to North German Navy 1849
|
|
1840
|
1840–1849
|
wood-paddler
|
1,150 GRT
|
sold to North German Navy 1849
|
|
1840
|
1840–1850
|
wood-paddler
|
1,150 GRT
|
sold to Spanish Navy 1850
|
|
1841
|
1841–1843
|
wood-paddler
|
1,150 GRT
|
Blue Riband, wrecked 1843 without loss of life
|
|
1843
|
1843–1850
|
wood-paddler
|
1,400 GRT
|
Eastbound record holder, sold to Spanish Navy 1850
|
|
1845
|
1845–1860
|
wood-paddler
|
1,400 GRT
|
Blue Riband, sold to Italian owners 1860
|
|
1848
|
1848–1863
|
wood-paddler
|
1,850 GRT
|
Blue Riband, sold 1863 and converted to sail
|
|
1848
|
1848–1866
|
wood-paddler
|
1,850 GRT
|
sold 1866 and converted to sail
|
|
1848
|
1848–1867
|
wood-paddler
|
1,850 GRT
|
Blue Riband, sold 1867
|
|
1848
|
1848–1866
|
wood-paddler
|
1,850 GRT
|
Eastbound record holder, sold 1866 and converted to sail
|
|
1850
|
1850–1868
|
wood-paddler
|
2,250 GRT
|
Blue Riband, sold 1868
|
|
1850
|
1850–1868
|
wood-paddler
|
2,250 GRT
|
sold 1868
|
|
Arabia
|
1852
|
1852–1864
|
wood-paddler
|
2,400 GRT
|
sold 1864 and converted to sail
|
Andes
|
1852
|
1852–1859
|
iron-screw
|
1,400 GRT
|
sold to Spanish Government 1859
|
Alps
|
1853
|
1853–1859
|
iron-screw
|
1,400 GRT
|
sold to Spanish Government 1859
|
Jura
|
1854
|
1854–1860
|
iron-screw
|
2,200 GRT
|
sold to Allan Line 1860
|
Etna
|
1855
|
1855–1860
|
iron-screw
|
2,200 GRT
|
sold to Inman Line 1860
|
1856
|
1856–1869
|
iron-paddler
|
3,300 GRT
|
Blue Riband, taken out of service 1868 and scrapped 1872
|
|
Australian
|
1857
|
1860–1876
|
iron-screw
|
2,700 GRT
|
built for other owners, sold 1876
|
China
|
1862
|
1862–1880
|
iron-screw
|
2,550 GRT
|
sold to Spanish owners 1880
|
1862
|
1864–1878
|
iron-paddler
|
3,850 GRT
|
Blue Riband, sold 1878 and converted to cable layer
|
|
Cuba
|
1864
|
1865–1876
|
iron-screw
|
2,700 GRT
|
sold 1876 and converted to sail
|
1865
|
1865–1878
|
iron-screw
|
2,700 GRT
|
sold 1878 to Red Star Line, and renamed
"Zeeland"
|