It always seems to me that these two ships have been most unfairly belittled in references to them in the Press. That they rolled, that the services on which they operated were not a success, that the Cunard Line rid itself of Royal George as soon as possible, are frequently stressed. But the Royal George was designed and built by one of the finest yards in Britain for a fine weather express service. Within two years she was pitchforked on to a route just about as different as it well could be from that for which she was designed. As a trooper she did excellent work, and in her last years she was taking the place, temporarily, of ships over three times her size which had already established a worldwide reputation for themselves....The Royal George's sorry end, after only 15 years of strenuous life, was no fault of hers.
J.H. Isherwood, Sea Breezes, October 1957
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| Royal Line postcard by the artist Odin Rosenvinge. Credit: author's collection |
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| Royal Edward Outward Bound from Avonmouth-- Farewell to Old England. Credit: delcampe.net |
Royal Edward and Royal George managed to earn a measure of success during their short four-year careers, cut short, like the Edwardian Era they so exemplified, by the Great War. They were uniquely Canadian in their new roles. Canadian-owned, they held the Blue Riband of the St. Lawrence Route route and were the first (and only) trans-Atlantic liners ever to be registered in the Dominion. On "the other side", they were also, just as uniquely, West Country ships, the only trans-Atlantic liners based on the historic port of Bristol.
Both performed valiant and valuable service as transports in the Great War. Royal Edward was tragically sunk with great loss of life in the Gallipoli Campaign whilst Royal George survived and "filled in" briefly on Cunard's express service afterwards. Doubtless among the most handsome pair of sister ships ever built, they surely earned more enduring success. And their story deserves to be told.
ROYAL ROUTE
A notable event in the history of steam navigation between England and Canada was the departure from Bristol last Thursday evening of the "Royal” liner Royal Edward. This vessel and her sister ship Royal George are the pioneers of the express service between Avonmouth and Quebec and Montreal which will be conducted by the Canadian Northern Steamships, Limited. This concern is, of course, part and parcel of the Canadian Northern Railway system, a vast undertaking which has been brought to its present powerful position by the energy, doggedness and foresight of Messrs. Mackenzie and Mann.
The Syren & Shipping, 18 May 1910
The twin-ship beginning of the Canadian Northern Royal Line of passenger boats is conclusive proof that the day of the Canadian route to the British Isles, not only for Canada but for the United States has arrived. With it has come also the recovery by Bristol of her place as the port from which the quickest passage to British North America are made; for the Royal Line connects Montreal with the West of England, and also with London, by the shortest sea route travelled by the fastest steamers; and by the shortest rail route-- the Great Western-- covered by the fastest trains that are in all-British service anywhere in the world.
The Atlantic Royals
Whilst the modern history of Canada as a unified nation dates from 1867 and the creation of the Dominion, she remained a vast country with a tiny population of just 3.7 millions concentrated in the eastern and maritime provinces. Her growth and unification came with the construction of the first trans-Continental railway (the Canadian Pacific), the opening up of vast expanses of western prairie to settlement and farming, mostly through immigration from the British Isles and northern Europe, in the 25 years before the Great War by which time the Dominion stretched from Atlantic to Pacific and eight millions called it home. All of which was accomplished by a remarkable combination of railway and steamship lines, indeed the first "intermodal" transportation system, pioneered by Canadian Pacific, which also with the introduction of trans-Pacific service, bound Canada into an "All Red Route" that circled the globe. By 1914, Canada was not only the bread basket of the British Empire, but an increasingly important link in the chain of Imperial commerce and communication.
Canada's first transcontinental railway assumed a role far more profound than even its vital transportation function: it helped to unify the new Dominion from coast to coast as its first great national enterprise. And there was sufficient purpose, grit and enterprise, encouraged by the Government of Premier Laurier, to create another one. William Mackenzie (1849-1923) and Donald Mann (1853-1934) were among the great Canadians of their age, archtypical Edwardians and self-described Canadian Imperialists, whose own early railroad careers stemmed from the first transcontinental line and motivated by the almost unlimited scope the great Canadian West offered for "Emigration and Colonization".
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| Sir William Mackenzie (left) and Sir Donald Mann (right), the greatest Canadian entrepreneurs of their age and creators of the Dominion's second great transcontinental railway and the first (and only) trans-Atlantic Canadian-owned and flagged steamship line. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. |
Urged on by Premier Laurier, CNR began expanding their network west beyond Edmonton and create "a second transcontinental" railway, an heroic engineering task and a huge financial risk especially duplicating lines on the eastern end as well having to use less desirable rights of way west around the existing CPR lines. The realisation of this epic Halifax-Vancouver line in 1915 was truly the last great achievement of the Edwardian Era yet already sublimated by the evolving horrors of the Great War and overtaken by crushing and unsustainable financial losses to achieve it.
From the onset, Mackenzie & Mann thought of the "second transcontinental" as part of a CPR-like intermodal transportation empire built on furthering immigration and settlement in the West. CNR would, like CPR, operate its own ships to carry the immigrants to Canada and onwards into the heart of the Prairies on CNR trains, literally from quay to farmstead and indeed sell them the farmland as well.
Although it was intended that the steamship operation would complement the railway, as events proved, it was the opposite and it was far easier and cheaper to buy existing ships and start a trans-Atlantic line than lay 3,000 miles of railway line across the second largest country in the world. Indeed, the establishment of the shipping line was accomplished in remarkably short order and, following Mackenzie & Mann's start in the railroad business, it was achieved through the misfortune of others.
In 1909, Mackenzie & Mann acquired the Northwest Transport Line, which dated only from the previous January, and renamed it the Uranium Steamship Co. after the single vessel owned by the line. This service, wholly emigrant oriented, ran from Rotterdam to Halifax.
The previous year, Fairfield Shipbuilding found themselves saddled with two almost brand new ships of their construction whose owners had gone bankrupt. Holding liens on them pending payment of their construction costs upon completion, Fairfield repossessed them and even briefly tried to operate the vessels themselves. The erstwhile prides of the defunct Egyptian Mail Steamship Co., the 11,100-grt, 20-knot triple-screw turbine steamers Heliopolis and Cairo, were among the finest and fastest liners of their age. Yet, in the wake of the 1907-08 depression and resulting collapse of the shipping trade, they were almost astonishingly unwanted on the sales or charter market where they languished with no takers. They even suffered the indignity of being advertised for sale in the common press, even in Canada and Australia, like liver salts or bicycles.
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| Almost brand new and superb vessels, Heliopolis and Cairo still did not attract a single bid when auction in May 1909. Credit: Lloyds List |
As they had with their start in the railway business, Mackenzie & Mann saw an opportunity. It was eventually settled on to purchase Heliopolis and Cairo which would realise all their ambitions at a stroke. Never before or since would a new trans-Atlantic service be introduced with vessels of such qualities. Although they required substantial alterations to make a pair of Mediterranean express packets into North Atlantic liners, their speed, superb accommodation and newness would give CNR a trans-Atlantic service second to none from the onset. Indeed, one that would not only cater to the emigrant-oriented Canadian trade, but also to the wider American midwest market for which Montreal was more convenient than New York. Here, CNR were anticipating what CPR aimed for with Empress of Britain of 1931. And in many respects, Heliopolis and Cairo were to do for CNR what they had done during their brief careers with Egyptian Mail Steamship-- introduce new standards of speed and style for owners new to the shipping trade on a new route built around fast and direct rail connections at both ends to offer an express service second to none.
"Make no little plans, but spend very little" could have been the credo of Mackenzie & Mann in summer 1909. And in a buyer's market, they got the deal of the age. Having been stuck with Heliopolis and Cairo since October 1908, Fairfields were eager to be rid of them. In the end, Mackenzie & Mann bought them in late August 1909 for £415,000 (recalling they cost £606,000 to build two years previously) yet paid only £100,000 cash, the balance being settled by promissory notes for £90,000 and £225,000 of debenture stock in Canadian Northern with the further binding proviso that the stock could not be sold for less than £95 per £100 of stock. Four years later, this price was not still not realised. CNR did contract Fairfields for the refitting of Heliopolis and Cairo at about £20,000 each, but it would be a long time before the Govan firm cleared the books on these vessels.
After a summer of speculation, rumours and premature announcements, it finally appeared that Fairfield Shipbuilders had, at long last, found a buyer for two of their finest ships. On 31 August 1909 it was reported that Heliopolis and Cairo had been sold to Northwest Transport Co. with the intention of running them between Hamburg, Rotterdam to Halifax and New York in summer and "in the Mediterranean" in winter.
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| Credit: Star-Phoenix, 9 September 1909. |
Obviously plans were fluid enough that all this was forgotten by early autumn. It was wisely decided to let Uranium Line cater to the Continental-Canada emigrant trade from Rotterdam and, instead, employ the former Egyptian Mail sisters on a first-class, express England-Canada run to directly compete with CPR's new Empress of Britain and Empress of Ireland. This new line, Canadian Northern Steamships, was founded in Toronto on 21 October 1909. However, Heliopolis and Cairo were still purchased by the firm of Mackenzie, Mann & Co.
Canadian Northern engaged Capt. Gregory as their Maritime Superintendent and he was also tasked with bringing both liners up to the Clyde from Marseilles. On 5 November 1909 Cairo arrived in the Clyde, "much interest was shown in the Egyptian mail steamer Cairo when she reached the Tail-of-the-Bank this forenoon, the stately appearance of the vessel arresting attention." (Greenock Telegraph). On the 26th, Heliopolis came in as well. Fairfields was so busy with work that there was no room for the ships in their own basin at Govan so both were instead worked on in Shieldhall basin.
Canadian Northern announced on 9 December 1909 their intention to commence operations between Montreal and Liverpool that spring. The corporate structure was tidied up in February 1910 when Heliopolis and Cairo were "sold" for £403,000 by Mackenzie, Mann & Co. to Canadian Northern Steamships.
Whilst the ships were being refitted, more interest was being centered around the potential British terminus port with the focus turning to Bristol and specially the new closed dock facilities (opened in July 1908 by the King & Queen) at Avonmouth. Although the terminal port was initially stated as being Liverpool, it had not been settled on and CNR Third Vice President D.H. Hanna paid an extensive visit to Avonmouth on 25 February 1910 followed by lunch with the Lord Mayor of Bristol and Alderman Twiggs, chairman of the Bristol Docks Committee. Southampton, Liverpool and Glasgow were also inspected and under active consideration.
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| Formal notice published in Lloyd's List, 7 March 1910, announcing the change of names of Heliopolis and Cairo to Royal Edward and Royal George, respectively. |
On 10 March 1910 it was announced, with some sensation, that the terminal would indeed be Avonmouth. Whereas Bristol had been a major immigrant port of embarkation for America in the early to mid 19th century, it had long since been eclipsed in the age of steam by Liverpool and Southampton. It's choice was based on the brand new port of Avonmouth itself and the Great Western Railway's commitment to build a new £30,000 quayside railway station with express boat trains to London Paddington with prospect of a one-hour 45-minute journey time. As such, the choice was in the context of Cunard's use of Fishguard, Wales, and American Line using Plymouth as a "short cut" for London-bound travellers. It also made the Bristol-St. Lawrence crossing the shortest Atlantic run with but three and half days actually in the North Atlantic. In some respects, it was the trans-Atlantic version of the Egyptian Mail ship/train combination for which Heliopolis and Cairo had been built for.
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| Souvenir postcard for Royal visit of the King & Queen to Avonmouth in H.M.Y. Victoria & Albert to open the Royal Edward Dock on 9 July 1908. Credit: Bristol Archives. |
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| Rendering of the new GWR quayside terminal for the Canadian Northern ships. Credit: Bristol Times & Mirror, 30 April 1910. |
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| The first advertisement for Canadian Northern's new service introducing the "Royal Line" name, the name of the ships and the first sailings. The anachronistic "sail and steam" logo, hardly condusive to the new service's image, is merely the stock one used in Lloyd's List sailing notices at the time! Credit: Lloyd's List, 17 March 1910 |
Lloyd's List of 17 March 1910 featured Canadian Northern advertisement and noted that the line was referred to as The Royal Line and the ships renamed Royal George (ex-Heliopolis) and Royal Edward (ex-Cairo). Moreover, the initial sailings were announced: Royal Edward on 12 May followed by Royal George on the 26th. New offices for the line opened in Baldwin Street in Bristol. In Canada, Canadian Northern pointed out that "the name 'Royal Line' selected by Mackenzie and Mann was decidedly appropriate, since not only would a regal service be given, but the boats would sail from the King Edward wharf at Montreal to the King's Docks in Bristol, while the steam train run by the Great Western Railways would be known as the 'Royal Route'" (The Gazette, 21 March 1910).
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| The first advertisement for CNR's "Royal Line" in the Canadian Press. Credit: The Gazette, 29 March 1910. |
Canadian Northern Vice President Hanna, prior to sailing from Liverpool in Mauretania on 2 April 1910 denied reports his line was planning a rate war to lure passengers to the new service, but that the company would not join the Atlantic Conference.
The first week of April 1910 a cargo of coal from Wales arrived at Glasgow intended for Royal Edward and Royal George which were scheduled to go on trials the next week. Both ships took their turns being drydocked in preparation and shared Fairfield's busy fitting out basin with the cruiser H.M.S. Glasgow, destroyers H.M.S. Grasshooper, Mosquito and Scorpion and Australian destroyer H.M.A.S. Parramatta.
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| Early British press advertisements for the Canadian Northern's "Royal Line". |
On 8 April 1910 Lloyd's List reported that Capt. Roberts, formerly of Dominion Line, had been made Master of Royal Edward and Capt. Harrison, formerly of Allan Line, to command Royal George.
NEW ROUTE TO CANADA. THE ROYAL LINE The officials of the Canadian Northern Steamships (Limited) Royal Line are actively engaged in making the necessary and final arrangements for the sailing of the first steamer, the Royal Edward, which leaves Bristol for Quebec and Montreal on May 12. The various departments of the line are working with great enthusiasm, and the outlook appears to be of the very brightest character. Booklets describing and illustrating the accommodation of the steamers have now been published and circulated. From these some idea may be obtained of the magnificent accommodation provided by the Royal liners, which are described as the most luxurious and the fastest running from this country to Canada. Travellers to the Dominion are enabled on the Royal Edward and Royal George to rent what are aptly termed ocean fiats during the passage across the Atlantic. On the other hand, the accommodation for third-class passengers is quite unrivalled and costs no more than that of other steamers. On application to the Royal Line offices at Bristol, London, or Liverpool, sailing lists and copies of the company's publications can be obtained.
Lloyd's List, 13 April 1910
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| Cover of the 'Atlantic Royals', the exquisite 24-page brochure designed by one of Canada's oldest graphic design firms, Grip Ltd. of Toronto. Credit: Queen's University, Toronto |
link to the complete Atlantic Royals brochure:
https://archive.org/details/atlanticroyalsro00cana/mode/2up
ROYAL SISTERS
The ships were now a really beautiful pair with grey hulls and red boot-topping, white forecastle, and their funnels yellow with dark blue tops. Fine-lined with good sheer, stepped back bridge front and well proportioned masts and funnels, they were at the time, in my opinion, the smartest looking pair of moderate-sized liners on the North Atlantic.
J.H. Isherwood, Sea Breezes, October 1957
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| R.M.S. Heliopolis: Mediterranean express packet |
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| R.M.S. Royal Edward: North Atlantic express liner |
It would be an understatement to say that Heliopolis and Cairo were not among Fairfield Shipbuilding's more successful contracts before the Great War. Irrespective of their innovation, quality and performance not to mention beauty, they were the bane of the balance books for a considerable period. Indeed, it was a coup that they found buyers given their route specific specification. Even so, the firm lost a considerable sum on the pair, but also added to their reputation by accomplishing a speedy, cost-effective and, by and large, very successful conversion of the pair to a route and service as different from that originally conceived for them as imaginable.
A FLOATING HOTEL. By invitation of Mr. William Mackenzie, president of the Canadian Northern Railway, some 150 guests joined the Royal Edward at Greenock on Thursday morning. The vessel was, of course, then in her native waters, for she and the Royal George were befit by the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company at Govan. It is here, too, that after their brief acquaintance with the blue Mediterranean they have undergone certain structural rearrangement designed to fit them for the Atlantic trade. This rearrangement, it may be noted, has been less considerable than some people anticipated. Those whose privilege it was to voyage in the Cairo, and to enjoy her twentieth-century luxury, find all its main features preserved in undimmed splendour in the Royal Edward. The regal character of her spacious public apartments, the refined comfort of her suites de luxe and of her cabin accommodation generally, is maintained in all the fullness which made her noteworthy among recent Clyde-built ships. Her seven decks, linked up by an electric lift and laced by convenient staircases, remain a distinctive and imposing feature. Indeed, about the only obvious change, apart from some slight shortening of the funnels, is the removal from the boat deck of the kitchens, pantries, and stores formerly associated with the cafe lounge whose roof forms the flying bridge.
Lloyd's List , 30 April 1910
As the Fairplay report indicated, the refit that was given to the two ships was not nearly as extensive as suggested in both contemporary reports and later accounts. It was, however, not a facile effort to adopt two high-speed, light-displacement express short-sea Mediterranean, almost all First Class "ferries" (as Heliopolis and Cairo were so described upon their introduction) into North Atlantic three-class liners whilst still retaining their chief assets: their high speed and excellent cabin accommodation. In addition, there was the desire to mitigate what had been their principal deficiency: their rolling. It's perhaps telling that all this was not afforded a lot of coverage in the extensive shipping and engineering journals of the day, giving an impression that Fairfields, whilst carrying out a very successful and impressive "do over" of the ships they had only launched a few years previously, were not keen on drawing further attention to their troubled beginnings or any deficiencies in their seaboat qualities.
It is also a curious fact that, uniquely, these two ships, designed by Francis Elgar and built by Fairfield, were now to be directly competing with Empress of Britain and Empress of Ireland, created by the very same naval architect and yard and just a year apart. The CPR ships defined the sturdy, high freeboard North Atlantic liner on its most exacting route in terms of weather and seas whereas the Egyptian Mail ships were just as tailored for their diametrically different route and trade conditions.
Mitigating rolling and improving stability entailed reduction of tophamper and increasing their draught. The magnificent original funnels were completely replaced. In addition to their towering height, their double flue design (the outer flue ventilating the firerooms with Mediterranean conditions in mind) doubled their effective weight. They were replaced by conventional rounder profile stacks one-third shorter than the originals which, retaining a jaunty rake and profile, did not detract from their appearance.
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| Royal Edward coming alongside at Avonmouth giving a good idea of her relative size, her short forecastle, big superstructure and shorter new funnels. Credit:©Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives |
In addition, the original Café Lounge, situated right forward under the bridge, was changed in function from a full service grill restaurant to a role suited to its name, a lounge for the serving of light refreshments. This enabled the complete removal of half the Boat Deck deck house starting at the forward funnel casing taking with it the café seating either side of the casing and the galley and pantries aft. Right aft on the same deck, the steel covered sheltered seating area facing aft was removed as well. If anything, these alterations gave more unencumbered open deck space although its utility on their new North Atlantic route was doubtful.
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| The forward well deck of Royal Edward gives a good idea of the relative size of these ships. This was used as Third Class open deck space. Credit: Getty Images. |
Increasing the load draught was accomplished through the necessity of increasing their bunker and cargo capacity. A new forward transverse coal bunker was created to add 500 tons (good for two days steaming at full service speed) extra capacity and their cargo space modestly increased, including 1,400 cu. ft. in reefer space. The speed of these ships and their modern refrigerated storage made them very popular with the export Canadian butter and cheese trade although they were never heavy carriers of conventional cargo.
Additionally, the plating and scantlings forward were significantly beefed up to enable safe navigation in the light ice floes common on the St. Lawrence route in early spring and late autumn. Their forward freeboard was high enough but right aft, they were very low and open. Consequently, a somewhat old-fashioned but effective "turtleback" was added right aft to keep the new Third Class covered deck drier and more protected. The open railings in this section were also replaced by solid bulwarks.
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| Cairo as built |
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| And as rebuilt as Royal Edward: note the changes to the stern-- turtleback, solid bulwarks instead of open railings on the aft covered promenade, Boat Deck deckhouse cut back to the forward funnel and, of course, the completely new smaller and shorter funnels. Credit: Wikimediacommons. |
In the end, the loaded draught was increased by about 3 ft. to 28 ft. And when all said and done, it could be argued that the more exacting sea conditions encountered on their new North Atlantic route more than countered the desired effects from these alterations. In the end, they still earned, fairly or not, the monikers of "Rolling Edward" and "Rolling George" and there was no getting around they were simply not designed or built for their new trade.
It is also worth noting that none of these alterations seems to have diminished their speed or performance, indeed they were run "flat out" and put in some remarkable performances despite being dogged by remarkably bad luck in having other record breaking crossings spoilt at the end by fog in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. There is every probability, however, that their fuel consumption rose proportionally with the increase in displacement and draught. In actual service, they weathered the worst the North Atlantic could throw at them and came through with flying if salt-streaked colours, faring no worse than liners built for such conditions. That one survived a head-on collision with an iceberg and the other a serious grounding was further testament to their toughness.
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| R.M.S. Royal Edward showing to advantage these ships' light and attractive livery, unique on the North Atlantic route during this era. |
R.M.S. ROYAL GEORGE
Rigging Plan
credit: National Maritime Museum, courtesy Douglas Shirley
(LEFT CLICK on image to view full size scan)
R.M.S. ROYAL GEORGE
Deck Plans
(c. 1920)
credit: Facebook Group Ocean Liner Deck Plans
(LEFT CLICK on image to view full size scan)
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| Boat Deck (showing cafe cut back to beginning of funnel casing) |
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| A Deck |
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| B Deck |
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| C Deck |
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| D Deck (showing the two added Third Class dining saloons fore and aft and new Third Class smoming room forward) |
The ships' accommodation was re-arranged but, significantly, it was not expanded in real capacity. Originally having a total of 1,000 berths (710 First and 290 Second), they would now accommodate 1,114 (344 First, 210 Second and 550 Third Class). The allotment of these berths was obvious and uniquely generous on the North Atlantic in that Second Class enjoyed what had been First Class accommodation and almost all of Third Class was berthed in what been Second Class cabins. In addition, Third Class had unequalled sanitary and bathing facilities compared to other liners where the few toilets and baths were often two or three decks away from the cabins. This and the undiminished speed of these ships gave the "Royals" their marketing "niche" and they were unmatched on the North Atlantic for their accommodation in all classes. And if the Third Class was especially impressive, the First Class was without equal for the range of public rooms, lavishness of the decor and appointments.
One aspect of these ships, and certainly among their most appealing-- the superbly decorated and luxurious interiors, beautiful furnishings and impressive architecture-- from their Egyptian Mail days was entirely unchanged and quite without equal on the North Atlantic, certainly for intermediate sized vessels and indeed, compared to the largest and finest "Floating Palaces". As such, they were milestone Canadian route liners, the first to compare and compete with the biggest New York liners in their accommodation, style and speed. In many aspect, they anticipated Empress of Britain of 1931 in drawing custom to the St. Lawrence route from the American Midwest and New England.
Imagine the most complete, the most nobly furnished hotel you have ever seen. Apply the conditions of its splendor to the limitations imposed by the cleverest shipbuilder, and you have still fallen short of the charm which fits the Royal George and the Royal Edward like a garment.
All the great eras in furniture-making and decorating have been laid under contribution to the enjoyment of the passengers. Whether you walk the spacious decks, sit in the secluded alcoves and watch the rolling waves, or occupy yourself in the public or private apartments, there is a prevading sense of elegant comfort and swift progress to 'the other side.'
The Atlantic Royals
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| First Class Café-Lounge |
There is rare delicacy and refinement in the appointments of the first class café. It is in the Regnecy style, panelled in exquisitely carved oak. The furnishings are faultless examples of Louis XV style. The lighting deepens the general effect of artistic restraint; the port are coved and curtained, so as to temper daylight to the old crimson pink.
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| First Class Cafe-Lounge |
In the centre of the long steel deck-house of the promenade deck is the First Class Music Room, wherein are faithfully reproduced some of the finest exemplars of the Louis XVI period. A particularly elegant feature is the a semi-circular setteed recess framing a magnificent statuary chimney piece. The ivory white woodwork, carpets, curtains and coverings of pastel blue, the crystal effect of leaded glass from the circular dome above, combine in a brilliant decorative effect.
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| Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection |
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| First Class Library. |
The library, an abode of opulent repose, is a delightful reminiscence of the Louis XV period. Rich tapestries adorn the dark oak panelling of the walls. Delicate mouldings and rich, restrained carving suggest the elusive charm which characterizes the famous chateau at Romboullet, decorated while France was rioting in the Revolution and its Napoleonic aftermath. Grey oak and uncommon shades of green in the upholsterings help to produce an air of settled, reflective charm.
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| Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection. |
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| First Class Smoking Room |
As tobacco was introduced to the English-speaking world when Elizabeth was Queen, it is fitting that the smoke-room, with its two thousand square feet of floor space, should be a fine example of Elizabethan style, down to the minutest detail of upholstering. The oak panelled walls, and the venerable oak beams of the ceiling, with antique hanging lanthorns, suggest the baronial hall of an English hero of the Armada. The seats, luxuriously covered in a red of a curious red shade, give an effective touch of color to a faultlessly appointment apartment. A series of ingenious little bays seem to have been specially prepared to invite those genial confidences which often make of the smoke-room a citadel of unconquerable laughter.
The first class dining saloon is a great achievement in ocean-going aids to good cheer. Old voyagers will remember, by blessed contrast, the long narrow tables which used to make the best-served saloons look like charitable institutions. The very aspect of things here is an incitement to socialbility. The largest tables holds but sixteen people-- a manageable family party-- and all around are sheltered nooks in which are no more than five can foregather.
The refectory is wide as the ship, and one-seventh of her length. Over its centre is a lofty dome-- not a decorated skylight raised a few feet above the ceiling. Immediately above is the library, which gets its central light from the circular-headed windows that enclose the well and perform the extra function of helping to ventilate the dining room. Above these are the life illuminants of the lounge; so that when come to the centre of the grand saloon, you look up and again to the real dome, which opens unobscured to the fleckless sky.
If are expert in such things you will discern that the carving is modelled upon the exquisite art of Grinling Gibbons, whose work is in the Chapel at Windsor, in the choir of St. Paul's, at Chatsworth, and half a dozen other places of the Old Nobility. Proportions have had to be modified, of course; but the details are all of the eighteenth century.
The double swing doors that communicate with the great staircase are of richly figured mahogany, nut brown and wax polished. They contrast agreeably with the boldly carved mahogany architraves and carved motif above, subdued to cream color to harmonize with the walls and general woodwork. The upholstery is of rich Genoa velvet, and the seats, carpets and curtains are in old rose pink.
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| Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection. |
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| First Class Children's Dining Room |
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| First Class Entrance and Staircase. |
For those to whom stairs are a vexation there are elevators; but, in the main, life on shipboard is leisurely enough for the passenger to derive all possible advantage from the exercise of ascending and descending. In the principal stairways of a liner the naval architect has special opportunity of defeating the restrictions which nature and mechanics have imposed upon him. In the Royal George and the Royal Edward the first class entrances and grand staircase are everything that can give a sense of dignity and spaciousness.
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| Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection |
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| First Class deluxe cabin sitting room. Credit: NMM |
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| Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection |
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| First Class de luxe cabin bedroom. Credit: NMM |
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| First Class suite sitting room. Credit: NMM |
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| First Class suite bathroom (note the bath mat still reads "E.M.S.S.Co" and these photos date from August 1911) |
Forward and aft of the music room are state-rooms accommodating 133 passengers. Here are cabins de-luxe containing sitting rooms, bedrooms and bath-rooms, all self-contained and delightfully fitted. The decorations are of mahogany and satinwood in Sheraton style, with varying color schemes.
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| First Class cabin de luxe. |
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| First Class cabin. Credit: NMM |
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| First Class Promenade Deck |
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| First Class Boat Deck |
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| Second Class cabin |
The second class passengers on the Royal Line have staterooms equal in airiness, fixtures, and comfort to those of the first class. A criticism of them by other steamship people is that they are so roomy and luxurious that will create a demand that cannot be met. But the Royal steamers were meant to set the pace for really modern travel across the Atlantic. The dining saloon extends the width across the ship, well forward. It is in fine mahogany, with revolving chairs, and is furnished with a piano. The arrangement for quick service of meals are of the very best.
There is an admirable lounge for the lady passengers, and a smoke room spacious and well arranged and furnished, for those who smoke. The library is stocked with a splendid assortment of the best books, for every good taste in reading. Indeed, there is nothing lacking for the traveller who likes luxury to be added to convenience.
An important feature in shipboard pleasures is the deck promenade. The second class on the Royal boats is remarkably good.
For the new Third Class, two dining saloons were added forward and aft on D Deck as well as a smoking room right forward on the same deck.
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| Third Class four-berth cabin (one of the newly built ones, most of the accommodation was former Second Class and far superior to this). Credit: NMM |
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| Third Class four-berth cabin. Credit: NMM |
Refitted, renewed and ready to embark on new careers, Royal Edward and Royal George were immensely attractive and appealing vessels, perfect to realise the Atlantic ambitions of the Canadian Northern as well as help to usher in a wonderful, true pre-war heyday of the Canadian route.
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| The official line portrait of The Royals, artist W. Kitzig. They were uniquely light and colourful looking trans-Atlantic liners for their era and all the more attractive for it. |
ROYAL RECORD BREAKERS
As predicted the Royal Line steamers of the Canadian Northern are turning out to be wonders in speed and fully live up to the expectations of Mr. MacKenzie and the Canadian Northern officials.
The Ottawa Citizen, 15 June 1910
The steamers of the Royal Line plying the Atlantic between Bristol and Montreal are making good. They are the fastest steamers on the Canadian route and are meeting with great favor with the travelling public.
The Victoria Daily Times, 11 August 1910
1910
NEW CANADIAN TURBINES. Three weeks hence the palatial triple-screw turbine steamer Royal Edward will inaugurate the new express service between Bristol and Canada. Her sister ship, the Royal George, follows a fortnight later. Owned by the Canadian Northern Steamships (Limited), these two 12,000-ton liners were constructed on the Clyde. and it is safe to say that they will be among the most luxurious vessels afloat. They will carry first, second, and third class passengers, and for each class every possible comfort has been provided. The vessels have seven decks, I these being linked up by an electric passenger lift. There is a café lounge on the boat deck. The steamers are equipped with the Clayton fire-extinguishing apparatus, and are thus as safe from fire as it is possible to make them. They are also fitted for wireless telegraphy. The Royal Edward and Royal George promise to be the fastest steamers in the Canadian trade, for they are known as 20-knot boats. From every point of view they may be expected to prove highly popular with the travelling public.
Lloyd's List, 21 April 1910
On 22 April 1910 it was announced that Royal Edward would leave the Clyde for Avonmouth on the 28th and have among her passengers the Lord Mayor and members of the Dock Committee. Departing Greenock at noon, her guest list of some 250 included Lord Mayor Bristol, C.A. Hayes, Sir William Howell Davies M.O. and Lady Davies, Alderman Twiggs (Chairman of the Docks Committee), Mr. W. Mackenzie (President off the Canadian Northern Railway Company), Admiral and Lady Markham and many press and trade representatives. Gale conditions the previous evening had moderated but it remained cold and blustery.
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| Aboard for Royal Edward's delivery voyage from Greenock to Avonmouth were (top right) Alex. Gracie, Chairman of Fairfields and D.J. Dunlop who designed the yard at Govan and (bottom left) Mr. William Mackenzie, President of Canadian Northern, and Mrs. Mackenzie. Credit: The Syren & Shipping, 18 May 1910. |
"After leaving Greenock the Royal Edward proceeded down the Firth of Clyde, and off Skelmorlie she ran her speed trials, the very satisfactory average of over 21 knots being recorded. The voyage to Avonmouth was commenced in cold but bright weather, a stiff north-westerly breeze blowing. Despite the heavy sea, the liner made excellent progress, and averaged 21 knots up to the time she approached Holyhead. She will thus be the fastest steamer on the Canadian service. There was a complete absence of vibration or rolling during the run." Bristol Times and Mirror, 29 April 1910.
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| An immaculate, fresh from the shipyard Royal Edward approaching Avonmouth on her delivery voyage. Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection. |
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| A Right Royal Occasion: Bristol is reborn as a trans-Atlantic passenger port as R.M.S. Royal Edward makes her maiden arrival at Avonmouth on a picture perfect West Country spring morning, 29 April 1910. Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection. |
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| Royal Edward approaching the gates to the Royal Edward Dock. The GWR station is on the left. Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection. |
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| One of the four-card set by Harvey Burton of Royal Edward's triumphant arrival at Avonmouth. Credit: author's collection. |
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| no. 3 in the set. Credit: author's collection. |
Royal Edward arrived at Avonmouth at 9:00 am on 29 April 1910, greeted by a fleet of dressed overall as were other other vessels in the port. "The vessel received a great welcome at Bristol whose citizens are displaying the very greatest interest in everything associated with the new line. The occasion was celebrated by the Bristol Dock's Committee by the opening, by the Lord Mayor, of their new passenger station at Avonmouth. The facilities provided by this station places the port in an unrivalled position in respect to the easy transfer of passengers and their baggage from train to steamer and vice versa." (Lake's Falmouth Packet and Cornwall Advertiser, 29 April 1910). It was added that "There is much speculation as to her speed. In shipping circles it is generally recognised that she will make an easy record passage, and win the blue-ribbon of the Atlantic on the Canadian route. There is, of course, no question that these two 'Atlantic Royals' are the most luxuriously fitted steamers running to Canada."
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| No. 1 in the Harvey Barton photo card set of Royal Edward's maiden arrival at Avonmouth. Credit: author's collection. |
BRISTOL AND CANADA. ROYAL EDWARD'S CRUISE Yesterday Bristol came a little nearer to the realisation of its desire for the inauguration of a fast passenger lino across the Atlantic. The triple-turbine steamship Royal Edward, which is to open the service to Canada on May 12, reached Avonmouth from the Clyde, and in so doing made her first acquaintance with what in future will be her home port on this side. It matters not that the Royal Edward is formally registered at the port of London. Henceforth she and her sister turbine boat, the Royal George, will be regarded as Bristol ships, reviving is truly auspicious fashion that old-time association between the West of England and the North American continent of which Bristol's citizens are so justly proud. Needless to say, yesterday was for them a red letter day. The bunting which the vessels in the Royal Edward Dock displayed was not merely suggestive of the deference rightly due to a monarch among ships. It was the outward and visible sign of local satisfaction that a courageous municipal dock policy is beginning to reap its reward.
Lloyd's List , 30 April 1910
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| Credit: author's collection. |
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| Credit: Western Daily Press, 29 April 1910 |
Amid the preparations and excitement building for the inauguration of the new service came the shock and sadness of the death of H.M. King Edward VII on 6 May 1910. He had opened the Avonmouth Docks in 1908 and, of course, the name Royal Edward was bestowed on both the dock and the ship that would inaugurate the first North Atlantic service from it.
Under auspicious circumstances, the 12,000-ton triple turbine liner Royal Edward cast off her moorings at 8 o'clock last evening at Avonmouth Dock. In so doing she opened the Canadian Northern Railway Company's fast mail and passenger service between Bristol and Quebec and Montreal. With the tug Bea Prince towing ahead, and the tug The King astern, she Famed out to sea, loudly cheered by large crowds of people. The Royal Edward carries 50 first-class, 150 second-class, and 500 third-class passengers, a large proportion being British emigrants of a promising type. Her crew number 288. The Royal Edward will maintain a speed of 19 knots across the Atlantic, and is due to arrive at Quebec early next Wednesday afternoon.
Lloyd's List, 13 May 1910
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| Part of the crowd on the quayside at Avonmouth to see Royal Edward off on her maiden voyage. Note one of the special GWR trains in the background. Credit: Getty Images. |
As an indication of the efficiency of the new service, on 12 May 1910 the train from London Paddington for First and Second Class passengers departed at 4:15 p.m. and had its passengers alongside and aboard Royal Edward in plenty of time for her maiden sailing at 8:00 p.m. The train for Third Class had left earlier at 11:00 a.m. and there was also a direct train from Bristol Temple Meads for West Country passengers to the quay at 6:25 p.m.
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| First Class gangway during embarkation on Royal Edward's maiden voyage. Credit: Getty Images. |
The Royal Edward, the pioneer of the new Royal Line of steamers between Avonmouth and Canada, sailed from our port last evening. We wish her and all on board 'Bon Voyage' and we would couple with this particular steamer and trip the whole undertaking which has so auspiciously begun… The Royal Edward had started for Quebec with a rich argosy of hopes and expectations. The people of Bristol, the Canadian people, and the hundreds of voyagers she is bearing towards a new land are interested in the success o her voyage and of the venture which it inaugurates.
Bristol Times and Mirror, 13 May 1910
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| Third Class passengers in the forward well deck of Royal Edward as she sails on her maiden voyage from Avonmouth. Credit: Getty Images. |
There remained time for a hurried farewell, and then preparations were made for sailing. On the quay and piers was gathered a crowd of three or four thousand people, and the passengers lined the side of the steamer, waiting to wave farewells to their friends on the shore. 'Are you ready, Mr. Rowlands?' shouted an official on shore to the well-known pilot on the bridge; and the ropes were cast off, and, with the aid of the two tugs, the stately looking liner proceeded out of the docks at ten minutes past eight. Cheers were raised on shore, and were responded to by those on board, and the vessel had a Royal reception as she passed through the lock into the roads, and then, dispensing of the tugs, proceeded on her eventful voyage on her own steam.
Bristol Times and Mirror, 13 May 1910
Not everyone was favourably impressed with the departure of the new ship or, rather the port's treatment of it as a report in Lloyds List of 14 May 1910 related:
A regrettable example of " how not to do it " was afforded in connection with the undocking of the Royal Edward. The vessel, which was proceeding out of dock whilst it was still daylight, has a large number of heavy rivets showing along her sides. Big vessel as she is, she lay close up to the stone-faced wall of the lock. Now anyone at all conversant with the handling of big vessels in dock waters would have recognised the desirability of using cork or rattan fenders to prevent friction as she moved out of the lock. Apparently, however. the authorities overlooked this matter in some measure, and the result was that the port side of the liner. to the extent of some feet, rubbed heavily against the lock wall. Sparks testified to the severity of the friction, and it was evident that some of the rivet heads projecting from the liner's side suffered damage. All this might have been prevented by the employment of a few men with cork fenders. Mr. Girdlestone. the manager of the docks, was on the quay, and it is surprising to me that in his presence more care was not taken in handling the ship. Bristol admittedly wants to attract to her fine new dock all the trade she can, but if she wants big steamers to come to the port she will need to take a few lessons in handling them. Shipowners do not like to have the paint scored off the sides of their vessels—to say nothing of something worse.
On the morning of 17 May 1910 Royal Edward passed Cape Race and a Marconigram from the vessel reported that she had been steaming at an average of 19.75 knots, the fastest yet recorded on the Canadian run and that "throughout the trip she has behaved extremely well." The next day Capt. Roberts wired: "The Canadian Northern turbine Royal Edward made a remarkably good first trip across the Atlantic. Has broken the record for the fourth day's run with 472 miles. The previous runs for 278, 447, 440 and 472 miles." CNR's Vice President Hanna replied with a telegram to the press: "Royal Edward broken all Canadian records, day ending noon Tuesday made 480 knots averaging over 20.45 knots per hour, but lost some time owing to fog. Avonmouth to Father Point, 5 days 22 hours 41 minutes."
Having made such fast passage across, it was frustrating that Royal Edward's final approach through the Gulf of St. Lawrence was retarded a good 12 hours by fog and smoke in the lower gulf. She finally came into Quebec in the small hours of 19 May 1910:
At two o'clock this morning the Royal Edward, the Canadian Northern flagship, nosed into her moorings here on her maiden voyage from Bristol to Quebec. She entered Quebec harbor at 1 a.m., at full tide, but was an hour in docking. Even if her name was Edward, and the Royal Edward at that, she was queen of a royal line and dignified. Her long length glided gracefully through the dark waters, her lighters gleaming high and revealing a symetrical slate blue body. On the farther shore, over Levis way, twinkled stationary gleams. It was a sight worth seeing, with few there to see.
From land to land, from Avonmouth (Bristol) to Father Point, she came in five days, twenty hours and forty minutes, an average of eighteen and three-quarters knots an hour. On Tuesday [17 May] she average twenty an hour for the twenty-four hours.
Ottawa Citizen, 19 May 1910
Royal Edward left Quebec City at 7:00 am and a party of newspaper men joined her for the passage to Montreal. "The trip up the river, although the Royal Edward was not hurried at first, was later made a rattling speed, and proved a most enjoyed experience to all those on board, the perfect smoothness of the vessel of the vessel and her splendid equipment in every respect rendering the voyage a memorable one." (Gazette). She arrived at Montreal at 6:30 pm, docking, appropriately enough, at the Royal Edward Pier. "The Royal Edward made a most imposing sight as she approached Montreal her great bulk and unusual height quite dwarfing any other vessels along the wharves, and making the process of pulling her into the dock a very slow one. " (Gazette).
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| Back when such things mattered, Royal Edward's record breaking maiden crossing was news in the Canadian press and a public relations coup for the infant service. |
The Royal Edward pulled in under most happy auspices, having made the fastest trip between England and Quebec of any commercial steamship, with the fastest daily average, and also the biggest day's run yet made on the Canadian Atlantic highway. More than that, the big turbiner proved herself not merely a very fast vessel, but also an extremely comfortable one, riding steadily on the Atlantic, while her engines ran so easily that it was with difficulty passengers could discover that they were moving at all, and there none of the oscillation and throbbing that is marked a feature on vessels run by reciprocating engines. In fact, Captain Roberts, her commander, stated that he had commanded no less than thirteen trans-Atlantic steamers at various times , and the Royal Edward was easily the most comfortable and steady sailor of them all. Capt. Roberts was the more emphatic in his statement to this effect because it had been reported that the Royal Edward, having been built for the Mediterranean tourist trade, would not prove suitable for the heavier waters of the Atlantic-- a prophecy which both officers and passengers lost time in disproving.
Gazette 20 May 1910
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| Credit: Western Daily Press 25 May 1910 |
On 21 May 1910 the ship was inspected by invited guests and as the Gazette related: "afternoon tea was served on board to the ladies and the inner wants of the sterner portion of the guests were also amply provided for" while the general public was admitted aboard on Sunday, "expressions of admiration were heard on all sides, and the company is not likely to lack patronage when the time comes for the ships to sail on their homeward voyages."
Departing Montreal on 26 May 1910, in spite of having to sail at half speed until reaching Sorel, Royal Edward managed to break all records on the passage from Montreal to Quebec, doing the run in 7 hours 50 minutes.
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| Royal George comes into Avonmouth for the first time on her delivery voyage from Greennock. Credit: author's collection. |
Meanwhile, Royal George had completed her trials and delivery voyage. Commanded by Capt. Harrison, she sailed from Greenock at 3:00 pm on 17 May 1910 with only a few aboard, including Capt. Gregory, Royal's Marine Superintendent and F.B. Girdlestone, General Manager of Avonmouth Docks. For the delivery voyage, Fairfields provided the 52 trimmers and firemen who returned to the Clyde on a special train. Captain Gregory told the press that the trip from Greenock was "a delightful one and that splendid weather was experienced all the way."
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| Royal George's maiden arrival at Avonmouth on 18 May 1910. Credit: author's collection. |
The West Country press ensured that Royal George's introduction was not afforded the relative obscurity given "the second sister" when she arrived at Avonmouth from the Clyde on 18 May 1910:
Quite a large crowd of spectators journeyed down to Avonmouth yesterday afternoon to witness the arrival of the Royal George, the sister ship to the Royal Edward. It was a magnificent day for the purpose, and those who stood upon the pier heard and looked across the channel to the Welsh hills that formed the horizon, could not failed to be impressed with the fact, and the beauty of their surroundings. Scarce a ripple disturbed the smooth surface of the water that shimmered beneath the glare of a brilliant sun, and craft that clothed the sea in places added to the picturequeness of the scene. The Royal George was moving slowly in Kingroad. She left Greenock on Tuesday afternoon at three o'clock, and passed Lundy Island yesterday morning at about four. Her speed had been 20 knots, which was exactly what she made on trial over the measured miles. From Ilfracombe she jogged quietly along, stemming the tide, and drifting along with it. As she lay in Kingroad yesterday afternoon she presented a delightful picture, inspiring admiration in the minds of all who were lining the quay walls. Pilot Joseph Mitchell was aboard, the tugs King and Sea Prince were soon at their persuasive work of bringing the liner into the entrance channel.
Western Daily Press 19 May 1910
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| Royal George coming into Avonmouth for the first time. Credit: author's collection. |
Two expresses ran from Paddington, the first conveying third class passengers, the total number being between 300 and 400. The majority of those on the train were men of the best agricultural class, who have made arrangement to settle on the land in the far West. A large number took with them their family, and in the other cases there were parties of young farmers setting out to seek fortune in the Dominion, while there were also not a few young women who have secured situations as domestic servants. It is very rare that a steamer carries such a splendid complement of men and women as those who joined the Royal George. After an inspection of their cabins and public rooms, they expressed themselves delighted with the accommodation, the luxury of which it is impossible to exaggerate.
Warwick & Warwickshire Advertiser, 28 May 1910
"Soon after half-past seven all the passengers and luggage were aboard, and the Royal George was ready for her journey. She was tugged gently away from the lock wall into the middle of the lock, and at a minute or two to eight Captain Watkins-- who controlled the arrangements at the dock in the absence of Captain Harvey-- gave the signal to start.
Yielding to the gentle persuasion of the tugs, she glided neatly out into the broader water between the dock piers. The South Pier afforded many hundreds fine positions from which to view the liner. The last farewells were shouted from shore to boat, and most of those on the latter seemed in excellent spirits. Some had climbed a little way up the rope ladder of the second mast and sung cheerfully as the space between them an the Old Country widened. … After clearing the entrance way the liner was headed down the Channel by the tugs. In ten minutes the liner had been towed clear of the docks. Their work was done; the hawsers were slipped, and the Royal George was left to her own resources. The water in her wake showed signs of the disturbing influence of her propellers. For a moment or two the 12,000 tons hardly seemed to yield to the influence of the blades hardly seemed to the influence of her propellers. As she lay this listlessly there came the sound of cheering across the waters. Two of Messrs. P. and A. Campbell's steamers had run special trips to give people the chance of seeing the great liner under weigh. The decks of both seemed black with people, and right heartily they cheered. Their feelings were re-echoed by those on shore, and even those hardened old seamen who captain the 'small fry' of the channel, and whose sentiments are expected to withstand the stirring effects of even this majestic sight, so far forgot themselves as to mingle with the cheers the shrill shrieks of their steam whistles. The crowd on the pier head lessened as the vessel drew away, but a number remained to see the last of her, and the end was a darker blotch relieved by a few twinkling lights on the dark background of the fast gathering evening shadows away down Channel.
Western Daily Press, 27 May 1910
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| Royal George leaving Avonmouth showing to advantage of the "turtleback" added to her stern during the refit. Credit: author's collection. |
Fog made Royal George's maiden voyage as slow as her sister's had been swift and again it was fog in the Gulf of St. Lawrence that retarded her progress. She did not pass Fame Point until noon on 1 June 1910 and finally docked at Quebec the morning of the 3rd. "owing perhaps to the fact that she came up the river in the early morning light, showed her to even better advantage as she approached her moorings.." (Gazette).
"The Royal George sailed from port for the first time yesterday morning, and very fine she looked as she slowly warped away from her berth at the Canadian Northern pier and swung into stream. The majority of her first-class passengers elected to join at Quebec, amongst them being the Governor-General and his party.." (Gazette, 10 June 1910)
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| Royal Edward sails from Avonmouth, 9 June 1910. Credit: Getty Images. |
On her second westbound crossing, Royal Edward continued to show her speed. Departing Avonmouth at 7:00 pm on 9 June 1910, she arrived at Quebec at 3:15 p.m. on the 15th and proceeded to Montreal at 6:00 pm where she docked at 11:00 a.m. the following day. This was in spite of slowing down in the Gulf owing to a large ice floe in the fog. This beat Empress of Ireland's best time by 50 minutes. Her best day's run was 482 miles, the best recorded yet on the Canadian route. "This performance of the Canadian Northern steamers, said a C.N.R. official today, "quite justifies the post-master in his decision to give the Royal line a share of the mail carrying contract, and should be an important factor in securing to Canada a large portion of the ocean passenger traffic which is at present going via New York at higher rates without the advantages of the superb St. Lawrence route." (Ottawa Citizen, 15 June 1910).
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| Credit: The Province, 18 June 1910 |
Frustrated again by the elements, in this case, two days of rough weather upon departure from Avonmouth, Royal George still clocked an average of well over 400 miles a day and docked at Montreal the evening of 30 June 1910 on her second arrival at the port. It was remarked that, like her sister, a daily news sheet was published on board "which was kept as up to date as the exigencies of the wireless service would allow. Sports and concerts were made features of the trip, and were entered into with gusto by all on board." (Gazette, 1 July 1910). Among her passenger disembarking at Quebec was William Jennings Bryan and Mrs. Bryan returning from the Missionary Congress at Edinburgh. Declining to discuss politics, he instead lauded the beauty and the interest of the St. Lawrence route.
The next day was Dominion Day as reported by the Gazette: "The harbor presented a gay appearance yesterday, every ship lying at the wharves being dressed with bunting in honor of Canada's birthday. The Royal George made a particularly brave showing, and was the centre of attraction for many hundreds who had not hitherto had a chance of inspecting at close quarters the newest addition to the large fleet of vessels which make Montreal their terminal port. Lying as she does bow on to the waterfront, her yacht-like lines can be seen to the best advantage without going to the shed at all, and this point of vantage was crowded all day with interested spectators."
The advent of Royal Edward and Royal George on the Canadian route precipitated a new round of rivalry as reported by the Vancouver Daily World 5 July 1910:
A keen fight or the Canadian mail contract is evidently to be made by all the steamship companies in the North Atlantic trade. The advent of the Canadian Northern Railway company's steamships Royal Edward and Royal George-- the first of which has already broken two speed records-- has made the other companies take quick action to retain their supremacy, and several orders for new vessels capable of high speed have been announced.
Success seems to have come to the new company immediately from the despatch of the first of its vessels which are recognized as the fastest plying in the Canadian trade. The Royal Edward holds the blue ribbon for this route by making a run from Bristol (Avonmouth) to Quebec in five days seventeen and a half hours. Her previous best time, which she made on her maiden voyage, was a also a record for the southern route.
Her sister ship, the Royal George, has just inaugerated a fortnightly mail service, given to the company by the federal government. This put the Canadian Northern in a strong position and will probably have some bearing when the present contract expires.
The Allan Line, holder of the contract, has ordered a 22-knot vessel, and hopes thereby to retain the whole of the contract. At present, by an understanding between the two companies, it is shared with the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.
The latter company is also expected to enter the lists, as it has long been considering an extension to its fleets. Report also has it that the White Star-Dominion combination has ordered two express boats in this connection, but no confirmation is at present forthcoming.
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| British market advertisement for the First Class trade, the Royals being unquestionably the finest ships in this class then on the Canadian run. |
With the largest excursion yet organised in the Dominion for a European trip, Royal George sailed from Montreal on 7 July 1910 with 700 members of the Sons of England, 500 of whom were from Toronto. The group was waved off by the Mayor of Toronto and members of the City Council as well as President William Mackenzie and other officials of the Canadian Northern.
Royal George arrived at Montreal shortly after 6:00 pm on 28 July 1910 and, astonishingly, encountered yet more foggy conditions in the Gulf delaying her for half a day and ruining any chances for a record passage. "For the first two days out of Bristol, really bad weather was encountered, and even the oldest salts on board were ready to admit they were getting the benefit of a real gale. The ship is said to have behaved splendidly, however, for in spite of the high seas which were running, she hardly rolled at all, though, of course, she could not be expected to have been quite steady. She brought over a full list of passengers, many of whom were evidently loath to leave the ship, so comfortable had they been." (Gazette, 29 July 1910).
Meanwhile, her sister continued to break records it seemed with every crossing. Leaving Avonmouth on 4 August 1910 at 8:00 pm, Royal Edward docked at Quebec at 11:05 am on the 10th. This set a new record of 5 days 20 days and a land to land record of 3 days 14½ hours. She left Quebec at 1:30 pm for Montreal. Her best day's run was 496 miles or 21 knots and her lowest was 160 miles or just over 19 knots. She had bested Empress of Britain's previous record by 5 hours 30 minutes.
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| Credit: The Province, 24 August 1910 |
Royal Edward sailed from Montreal on 18 August 1910 among her passengers was the Hon. W.L. Mackenzie King, Minister of Labor, and future and long serving Prime Minister of Canada. Not aboard, despite rumours to the contrary, was the notorious Dr. Crippen, being returned to stand trial for the murder of his wife in one of the most sensational crimes of the era and one of the most ocean liner centric. He would eventually be returned to face justice aboard Megantic.
Among those sailing in Royal George from Avonmouth on 16 August 1910 was the Band of the Grenadier Guards. They would return aboard Royal Edward after their Canadian tour on 15 September. And, yet again, the ship was fogbound in the Gulf, encountering so much of it off Red Island on 24 August that she was forced to anchor and wait for it to lift before continuing to Quebec where she docked the following evening. Among those among was Sir Edward Morris, Premier of Newfoundland, and Lady Morris. Sir Edward praised the ship to the press: "Nothing could surpass the accommodation and the attention given to the to wants and comforts of the passengers."
It was announced in Halifax on 24 August that the Nova Scotian port would be Royal Line's winter terminal port. The first three sailings from Avonmouth would be 22 November (Royal Edward), 3 December (Royal George) and 17 December (Royal Edward) and from Halifax 7 December (Royal Edward), 14 December (Royal George) and 27 December (Royal Edward).
When Royal George next arrived in Canada (docking at Montreal on 25 August 1910) she had the largest number of passengers yet carried on the new service, a total of 1,014 (235 First Class, 225 Second Class and 555 Third Class), including 150 returning Sons of England tour members. This was exceeded by Royal Edward which sailed 1 September from Avonmouth with 1,024 passengers, 270 First, 203 Second and 551 Third.
The ship continued to be bedeviled by fog in the Gulf and once again what had actually been announced as a record passage by the line turned to disappointment when Royal George docked at Quebec a little before 5:00 pm on 21 September 1910 instead of 9:00 am as expected having had to slow down owing to fog.
It was not only Royal George that was impacted by autumn weather and at 2:00 pm on 6 October 1910 a rather storm battered Royal Edward finally reached Quebec, more than half a day late. She sailed for Montreal at 4:30 pm and did not dock at Montreal until the following morning. This occasioned a piece in the Gazette on the 8th praising the vessel's performance in the worst seas she had yet encountered:
The Royal Edward, which arrived here yesterday from Bristol, experienced nothing but a succession of gales of almost tropical fury all the way across the ocean. She is said to have behaved exceptionally well in the very heavy weather she met with, and through obliged to slow down for hours at a time, all her officers spoke very well of her as a heavy weather boat. Her passengers were loud in their praises when they landed here, declaring that while at times the seas which washed over her decks were mountainous, the ship hardly even staggered under the succession of blows showered on her. So severe was the weight of the water at times which landed on her decks, that many minor casualities were reported, but the most serious of these were the fracture of a leg and in another case of an arm. Both of these fractures occurred to members of the crew, and the extent of injuries suffered by passengers was a few bruises.
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| The issue of the ships' stability remained a touchy one as indicated by the dueling press pieces concerning Royal George's eastbound crossing in early October 1910. |
The Canadian Northern have led the way in the matter of flying the Canadian flag upon Atlantic steamboats, both the Royal George and the Royal Edward sailing under those colors today. They are the first two ocean going vessels to be registered in Canada, their port of registry being Toronto, but it is though that the lead thus given will result in a great increase in the number of ships owning a Canadian port as their home.
The Gazette, 29 October 1910
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| At the end of October 1910 Canadian Northern re-registered both Royal Edward and Royal George in Toronto, Ontario: the first trans-Atlantic liners and indeed ocean going merchant ships to be registered in the Dominion of Canada. |
For the last time that first season, Royal George sailed from Avonmouth for Montreal on 9 November 1910. This was the first occasion one of the Royals carried mail westbound and a contract with the Postmaster General would be inked early in the coming year. After her by now traditional "Detained by fog in the Lower St. Lawrence", Royal George, which was due to dock at Quebec the evening of 14 November 1910, did not arrive until the morning of the 17th with 17 First, 77 Second and 260 Third Class. The later were disembarked there and during examination, a Russian bound for Wisconsin, was found to be ill with cholera. All Third Class passengers were immediately re-embarked and after loitering off Quebec for the day, Royal George was ordered back to the Grosse Isle quarantine. Poor weather prevented landing the passenger at Grosse Isle for fumigation for a full day.
It was decided to land the Third Class passengers on Grosse Isle for quarantine for five days. This was done on 19 November 1910 by ships boats also carrying over bedding and provisions, 20 stewards, one stewardess, the Third Officer and an Asst. Purser. As it was, conditions on the island were dire with the facility dating from 1835 and the buildings in very poor shape, all making for most miserable experience. The infected passenger, it is happily noted, made a full recovery.
After being fumigated, Royal George and her First and Second Class passengers were permitted to proceed the evening of 19 November, docking at Montreal just after 5:00 a.m. on the 20th. Scheduled to sail for Avonmouth that day, she had her departure pushed forward to the 23rd and even that required round the clock work to get her unloaded and then coaled and provisioned. Royal George was able to get away by noon on the 23rd. As a result of the very bad publicity, the Canadian Parliament came up with an appropriation of $50,000 to build new quarantine facilities on Grosse Isle.
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| Before her first year was out, Royal Edward broke another record, this time to Halifax on her first crossing there. Canada finally had a record breaker all her own. |
When Royal Edward left Avonmouth for Halifax for the first time on 23 November 1910, she had 14 First, 77 Second and 170 Third Class passengers and 590 bags of mail. She set another maiden voyage record, crossing in 5 days 7 hours 30 minutes, breaking the previous mark by several hours, arriving on the 29th. The following day Canadian Northern Vice President Hanna hosted representatives of the Maritime Provinces to luncheon aboard to celebrate the first call at Halifax.
Vexed again by the weather gods, Royal George instead battled strong head winds and seas all the way across on her first winter passage to Halifax, arriving there on 12 December 1910 after clocking 6 days 45 minutes for the trip and landing 241 passengers, 541 bags of mail and 630 tons of cargo. She returned to Avonmouth on the 22nd; "Considering the time of the year, the voyage was a good one. The Royal George encountered some heavy seas, but she behaved admirably and made excellent time." (Bristol Times & Mirror, 24 December 1910).
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| A wonderful Garrett photo card of Royal George "Westward Bound" off Portishead. Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection. |
It had been an eventful and successful first year for Canadian Northern's Royal Line and these superb vessels were finally fulfilling their expectations. The Gazette of 10 December 1910 stating: "They have succeeded in the first year of not only capturing the blue ribbon of the Atlantic in shape of the record for the fastest passage between port and port, but in establishing a merchant marine for Canada. The ships which they operate as the first ocean going vessels to fly the Canadian flag." In addition, their advent accelerated both the delivery of mail and the move to broaden the contracts on both sides of the Atlantic to encourage faster ships. The first shipment of mail carried by Royal Line from Canada landed on 16 June totalled 150 bags, the last delivered in 1910 on 22 December comprised 400 bags. The new westbound arrangement began on 8 November with 280 bags and the last in December totalled 600 bags.
In 1910, Royal Edward completed 16 crossings carrying 7,644 passengers (5,238 westbound and 2,406 eastbound and Royal George completed 16 crossings carrying 7,294 passengers (4,626 westbound and 2,668 eastbound) for a total of 14,938 passengers on 32 crossings (16 round voyages).
1911
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| Credit: National Post, 7 January 1911 |
Looking spic and span after her thorough overhaul in dry dock, the Royal Edward yesterday sailed from Avonmouth for Halifax, N.S., after a stay of about a month in the docks. The weather was a contrast to that which has been enjoyed on these occasions, but yesterday was a miserable day, the rain coming down literally in sheets, and, driven by a strong south-westerly wind, very soon drenched those who had congregated on the lock side to wish their friends good-bye.
The Canadian Northern Company, on this trip, have sent out a specially conducted party of domestic servants-- the first party under a new scheme which they are developing to help the emigration of this class off workers, who are in great demand in Canada, and especially the Western Provinces.
Bristol Times & Mirror, 12 January 1911
If ships can summon up memories of past duties, then the former Cairo surely missed the Mediterranean on this first crossing in 1911. Arriving at Halifax on 18 January, "the captain reports he did not see sun, moon, nor stars from the time he left Bristol. He encountered head gales all the way over, the hardest passage he ever experienced. The coldest weather was 8 below zero." (Gazette, 19 January 1911). Halifax harbour was frozen for the first time in 35 years.
On 25 January 1911 it was reported in the Gazette that Canadian Northern had chartered the Cunarder Campania "to handle the increased immigration this winter… already the Royal George and Royal Edward sailings for March have been filled and there are very few vacant berths on either ship."
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| Advertisements for the Royal Line's first winter season from Halifax to Bristol on "The Atlantic Royals". |
In February 1911 The Post Office announced a new contract with Canadian Northern for Royal Edward and Royal George to carry mail westbound. Hitherto, the line only had a Canadian contract for eastbound post. The new westbound contract, replacing the previous route via Southampton and Queenstown, was reckoned to accelerate delivery by two days.
The steamer Royal Edward, which arrived today from Bristol, brought more than a hundred prospective bridge from England, Ireland and Scotland. All were bound for the Canadian Northwest. They were in charge of a matron appointed by the steamship company. She will accompany them as far as Toronto where special representatives will accompany them further West. Most of them will settle in the vicinity of Regina.
It had been reported that a young woman resembling Ethel Clare Leneve, the woman who figured so prominently in the Crippen case, had boarded the steamer at Bristol an was bound for the Canadian to meet her prospective husband. A search of the vessel, however, failed to reveal any trace of her.
The Province (Vancouver), 15 February 1911
When Royal George docked at Halifax late in the evening of 28 March 1911 it was claimed that she had maintained the fastest average run from Britain to the port, 18.3 knots. She landed 890 passengers, almost all settlers bound for Western Canada.
On her last trip to Halifax that season, Royal Edward docked the evening of 11 April. She clocked 5 days 18 hours 39 minutes. "Good weather was experienced to Cape Race, and after that heavy westerly gales were encountered and heavy seas were shipped, but the ship sustained no damage." (Gazette). She landed 950 passengers, almost all settlers bound for western Canada.
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| The big travel event of 1911 was, of course, the Coronation of King George V that June and what better way to get there than by Royal Line? This advertisement also highlights their Canadian registry. Credit: The Province, 5 April 1911. |
That St. Lawrence season started rather tentatively with persistent ice conditions in the Gulf. On 27 April 1911 the Allan liner Sicilian encountered an field ice off the Magdalens and turned about and made for Halifax. This time Royal George was lucky with the weather and coming on to the same point just hours later found the ice had been dispelled by strong winds and she was able to continue into the River, becoming the first liner of the 1911 season. Indeed, she was, rather uniquely, the first vessel of any description to win the distinction. She docked at Quebec that day. All her passengers were landed there as the was still enough ice up river so that she would not make it to Montreal until the 29th. "With flags flying the steamship Royal George arrived in port here [Montreal] at 7 o'clock this morning, and as a result Captain Harrison has won the distinction of being the first commander to open up navigation on the St. Lawrence." (The Victoria Daily Times). Capt. Harrison was presented with the customary silk hat awarded to the first captain of the season. His ship was also the first liner to depart Montreal, on 3 May, with 350 passengers aboard including a party of 12 Canadian officer cadets en route to London and the Coronation.
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| Among the passengers on Royal George's first Montreal sailing of the 1911 season was a party of 12 Canadian officer cadets travelling to represent the Dominion during the Coronation: "They are typical young Canucks, representing all parts of the Dominion, and are bound to a make a strong showing in the Mother Country." Credit: Star-Phoenix, 20 May 1911. |
This first arrival of the season also introduced a new and improved method of coaling the ships at Montreal, devised by Royal Line's newly appointed Marine Superintendent, Capt. F.J. Thompson, RNR, formerly master of Uranium Line's Campanello, as explained his wonderful series of articles in Sea Breezes, September-November 1960:
The "Royals" were perhaps the first liners to take bunker coal in Montreal through side ports and consequently no facilities for doing this. During the previous season they had used lighters on the off side and carts which dumped coal on the quay. This had to be shovelled in from the shore side resulting in slow and expensive work, apart from the coal dust permeating the cargo even when passengers were embarking. To overcome this I proposed booming the ships off from the wooden pier, and bringing lighters on the inside as practised by most of the liner companies in New York.
Not having seen the pier at Montreal, it was soon apparent on my first visit that conditions were entirely different. There were no steam winches or other power on the pier to boom the ships off and on making my number to the Port Warden I was told that the ships lay with 50 ft. of their sterns beyond the end of the pier.
This was discouraging but after consideration I felt that the responsibility must be accepted in order to improve the bunkering arrangements. After making representation to the Harbour Commissioners instructions were to issued to them that all ships were to reduced speed to a minimum on passing the C.N.R. Pier. In making the contract for bunker coal it was stipulated that the contractor should provide lighters with winches and with stump derrick posts to under the booms, between the ship and pier.
The usual method of booming off from the dockside is to place one end of the boom on a pad on the ship's side at right angles to the ship, one boom forward, an another aft. Tackles are then rigged from eye-bolts at the dockside to the heel of the booms, led to a winch or winches and the ship is hove off as the moorings are slackened. As we had power on the Montreal pier I had to adopt an alternative method. The booms were landed on the ship's rail (overhanging across the width of the ship), the dock ends were secured to the pier and tackles rigged from the ship end to the bulwark stanchions and led to winches. On heaving away and easing the moorings the ship hove herself off from the pier by her own power.
On arrival of the first ship (the Royal George) which was also the first to enter the St. Lawrence that year, in April, the captain was the recipient of the traditional gold-headed cane from the Harbour Commissioners. It was an anxious moment when we came to boom off, but all went well and though the ships ranged a little when other vessels passed, we had additional springs out and no casualty occurred through the season. Three days completed the bunkering of some 1,800 tons of coal instead of six days which meant coaling up to the last hour before sailing.
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| Royal Edward at the Royal Edward Dock, Avonmouth, "boomed off" the quayside to permit coaling barges to bunker through her side ports. Credit: @Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives |
When Royal Edward docked at Montreal on 11 May 1911 she number no fewer than 10 stowaways among her 56 First, 210 Second and 564 Third Class passengers. They were handed over to the police for deportation proceedings. Fog in the Gulf had held her up a full 24 hours.
On the whole, the Royal George had a very good voyage, averaging about 17 knots, but on the Canadian side she was somewhat delayed by fog. She left Montreal on evening of May 31st, and at Rimouski on the following morning she took on board 225 sacks of mail. The fog was encountered in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and then an easterly gale was met. While crossing the ice belt not much ice was seen, and a day or two out glorious weather set in. Concerts and sports were held on board, and on the next voyage a small magazine will be published. The commander (Captain Harrison) anticipates using the Belle Isle route on the next homeward voyage. This shortens the voyage somewhat , and Royal George will be out for records then. She holds the Avonmouth-Halifax record already, and no doubt the officers would like to wrest from the sister ship the Canadian service record.
Western Daily Press, 9 June 1911
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| Summer 1911 brought a spate of stowaways on the Royals, all of whom were immediately deported by Canadian authorities. Credit: Ottawa Citizen, 10 June 1911. |
The best ship this season' was the description given of the mail steamer Royal George, which sailed last night from Avonmouth under the most favourable climatic and other conditions. The means of the observation used is that the vessel carried the largest number of passengers that has journeyed by the Royal Line this year; that she had as much cargo as the space allotted to merchandise could hold; and in addition, there were 651 bags of mails.
As usual the marine travellers, who came from all parts of the British Isles and from European countries, were brought to the ship by special trains, chiefly from London. First-class passengers numbered about 125; second-class, 350; and third-class, 550, the total being thus over 1,000… most prominent and demonstrative of all were 70 Canadian Boy Scouts, who formed a part of the Coronation contingent. They were full of life, spirits, and happiness, for had spent a rollicking tome in the Old Country, said one of them… The joyous was hubbub was interrupted by the sound of the syren, and shortly after eight o'clock the steamer moved out of the dock, and was hailed with cheers just beyond the entrance channel by several thousands of people who crowded four pleasure boats from Bristol, and elsewhere, and steadily proceeded down channel in the gloaming on her voyage across the ocean.
Bristol Times & Mirror, 13 July 1911
After the fastest voyage so far that season, Royal George came into Quebec the morning of 20 July 1911. doing the run from Nash's Point to Father Point in 5 days 23 hours or just half an hour more than Royal Edward's record of the previous year. With the coal strike in England, she was heavily bunkered during her turnaround at Montreal, in case sufficient supplies were not available at Avonmouth.
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| Wonderful full page advertisement for Royal Line in the Winnipeg Tribune, 3 August 1911 |
Among the 42 First, 111 Second and 153 Third Class passengers sailing in Royal Edward from Montreal on 9 August 1911 were 12 officers and 40 men of the Canadian Army contingent to represent the Dominion in the artillery competition for the King's Prize on Salisbury Plain at the end of the month. They returned in Royal George sailing 6 September.
After an excellent outward and homeward passage, the Royal George docked at Avonmouth at about half past ten yesterday morning [2 August 1911]. There were quite a number of interested spectators to see the liner docked, which was done expeditiously.
Altogether, about 300 passengers were brought across to the homeland, and to show their appreciation of the enjoyable voyage, they ordered by wireless a silk Canadian ensign, to be presented to Captain Harrison as a memento. The homeward run from Father Point occupied 5 days 22 hours 30 minutes, with an average speed of 17.33 knots. Strangely enough, the outward passage occupied almost the same time, the exact time bein 5 days 23 hours 25 minutes. The difference is accounted for by the fact that on the outward journey some for was encountered on four days, whilst on the homeward voyage fine, bright weather was experienced, with fog at all-- rather an unusual thing.
The 'Royal George Mail,' the paper that is issued on board by the Purser, Mr. H.H. Stanley. And his staff, contains this time an interesting account of the last outward trip, described as 'Voyage 15 West'. The description states: 'The lovely summer weather and glass-like seas throughout, made the trip enjoyable without question, the only drawback from a weather point of view being the fog off the banks of Newfoundland. The passage from land to land was accomplished in record time, a daily average of 470 knots being performed.'
Bristol Times & Mirror, 3 August 1911
With the largest passenger list yet carried by a Royal liner, Royal George sailed from Avonmouth on 9 August 1911 with almost 1,000 aboard: 121 First, 222 Second and 563 Third Class. This included two parties of domestic servants, 45 destined for Regina and 23 for Winnipeg. She docked at Montreal on the 17th.
Captain Roberts, the Royal Edward, which arrived at Avonmouth yesterday morning [16 August 1911], relates curious incident with a shark. The vessel was steaming full speed Tuesday morning, when she ran into a shark, which was attempting to cross the bows. The impact was unfortunate one for the fish, as it became impaled the sharp cut water of the steamer. Efforts were made to get it aboard, but without avail, and after being carried a distance of some 300 miles, from eight o'clock in the morning until five in the afternoon, it slipped off. The shark’s length was estimated at 14 ft. or 15 ft.
Western Daily Press, 17 August 1911
A new record in Royal Line passenger carryings was set by Royal Edward from Avonmouth on 26 August 1911 and arriving at Montreal on 2 September with 1,066 aboard (272 First, 212 Second and 582 Third Class) after a hard and slow crossing: "Strong gales, with a heavy head sea, was her lot all the way across and as a consequence she was never able to make any attempt upon the record; in fact her best day's run for the five full steaming days only amounted to 451 miles." (Gazette, 4 September 1911)
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| Credit: Winnipeg Tribune, 4 August 1911 |
When Royal Edward docked at Montreal on 28 September 1911, it was claimed that she had been the first liner to have a professional theatrical performance at sea. This was rendered by the H. Armstrong Company that was en route from England for a tour of Canada and the United States and they presented the fourth act of "Leah Kelschna".
Apparently even the bedding was fit for a Royal as on 9 October 1911 it was reported that Royal George "lost over 300 blankets last year, probably by theft."
Coming into Montreal on 26 October 1911, Royal Edward had clocked another fast run, doing the land to land, Fastnet to Belle Isle, in 3 days 21 hours and Nash Point to Father Point in 5 days 21 hours. "Variable weather marked most of the passage, with a heavy northerly gale on Saturday last and fog in the Straits of Belle Isle, but with the exception of the latter part of her voyage, when she was enveloped in fog, the Royal Edward, under Captain Roberts, ploughed along without losing any time. Another vessel which left Liverpool at the same hour the Royal Edward left Bristol was still four hundred and thirty-nine miles down the river yesterday afternoon when the latter was tying up in Montreal." (Gazette 27 October 1911).
Royal George sailed from Avonmouth on 1 November 1911 with 41 First, 87 Second and 318 Third Class. Once again she was in on one of the worst gales experienced on the North Atlantic. Scheduled to arrive in Montreal on the 8th, such were conditions that she was still 900 miles distant and abeam of Belle Isle. In the event, she did not arrive until the 11th after a horrendous voyage. "The Royal George rode out well and her passengers did not have as uncomfortable a time as they might, through they were kept below for practically the whole voyage. Against the mountain walls of water the liner kept her nose ahead all the time, and the worst the Atlantic was able to do to her was to add three days to her normal schedule. (Gazette, 13 November 1911). She sailed eastbound on the 14th, her final departure from Montreal for the season.
The winter service of the Canadian Northern Steamships, Ltd., commenced on Wednesday [15 November 1911] with the sailing of R.M.S. Royal Edward from Avonmouth for Halifax, N.S., with a good number of passengers. In addition, she carried a large quantity of cargo, and the close proximity of the Christmas holiday season caused a heavy mail.
Bristol Times & Mirror, 18 November 1911
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| Winter season advertisement showing the departure times for the special trains direct from Montreal to the Halifax pier for Royal Edward's next sailing as well as announcing the Christmas departure of Royal George. Credit: The Gazette, 28 November 1911. |
The bad weather continued unabated and even Royal Edward got the brunt of it, arriving at Halifax on 20 December 1911 "after what Capt. Roberts and the other officers stated was one of the roughest voyages they ever experienced. From the first the Edward met with head gales and high head seas. The third day out she ran into a strong west northwesterly gales, with a high sea. On December 17 she met with a hurricane which was accompanied by dangerous seas. As a consequence of this the ship only made 141 miles that day." (Gazette, 21 December 1911).
When the Royal George arrives at Avonmouth on her next eastward passage, she will go into dry dock for her annual overhauling, and so the next two westward sailings will be carried out by the Royal Edward on December 13th and January 10th, the George this missing one sailing. On the George resuming the Royal Edward will be dry-docked, and so December and February will have each have one sailing only.
Bristol Times & Mirror 7 December 1911
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| The Gazette summed up a very successful 1911 for Royal Line and compared with 1910. It's interesting that the Royal liners were described as being "heavy draft" when they drew rather less than Empress of Britain or Empress of Ireland. Credit: Gazette, 2 December 1911. |
In 1911, Royal Edward completed 26 crossings carrying 14,112 passengers (9,630 westbound and 4,482 eastbound and Royal George completed 24 crossings carrying 13,678 passengers (8,795 westbound and 4,883 eastbound) for a total of 27,790 passengers on 50 crossings (25 round voyages).
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| Royal Line poster (illustration by Odin Rosenvinge). Credit:©Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives |
1912
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| Credit: National Post, 13 January 1912 |
Opening the New Year, Royal Edward docked at Halifax on the afternoon of 17 January 1912. She disembarked 336 passengers including CNR Vice President Hanna who left for Montreal in a private car attached to the Maritime Express. In addition, she brought in 550 bags of mail and a large cargo. It was a typically boisterous winter crossing with strong gales and squalls of hurricane force all the way across. On the 15th the barometer dropped to 27.72, the lowest the Captain had ever seen and "the seas were mountains high" with fierce squalls. The following day she encountered large fields of ice and there was thin ice 300 miles off Halifax. Owing to the Western trains being late owing to weather, her eastbound sailing scheduled for the evening of the 24th was delayed to 6:00 pm the next day.
After drydocking, Royal George re-entered service upon her 21 February 1912 Avonmouth departure with that Royal Line claimed was a "record number of passengers for any ship, or any line, or this season of the year." This included the first large number (172) of settlers and domestics bound for Western Canada.
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| Wonderful photo of Royal Edward in the Royal Edward (of course! Graving Dock, Bristol. She started 1912 with a visit there, but it's not certain this dates from that. Note two of her screws are off and the small diameter of the remaining one. You can also discern "Toronto" as her port of registry. Credit:©Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives |
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| Another view of Royal Edward undergoing her annual drydocking at Avonmouth. Credit: ©Bristol Museums, Galleries and Archives |
Following her drydocking, Royal Edward sailed from Avonmouth on 13 March 1912 and arrived at Halifax on the 20th.
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| Marking a first for Royal Line was this all inclusive tour to London and Paris in Royal Edward in July 1912. Credit: Gazette, 16 March 1912. |
The prolonged coal strike in Britain that started in mid March played havoc with steamship services. It was announced that "in order that the Royal Line's steamers can keep to their advertised dates from Montreal and not permit them to be varied as a result of the present coal crisis, the management have decided to shorten the stay in port of both the Royal Edward and Royal George. Royal Edward is due in Bristol today and will sail again on Wednesday. Royal George, due in Halifax today, will also sail again next Wednesday. The management report that all accommodation in the third class westward has been booked until the middle of June." (Gazette, 30 March 1912).
On 1 April 1912 Royal Line announced that Royal George, intended to sail from Montreal on 1 May would, instead, depart from Halifax. The Gazette reported "The alteration in date of sailing is ascribed to the present coal situation and to the possibility of a late opening of navigation in the St. Lawrence."
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| Credit: Calgary Herald, 17 April 1912 |
The stream of emigrants from England which is setting out east and west is increasing in volume every day; thousands of British men and women are going to seek their fortunes in the colonies, and every berth on the liners that emigrants is reported to be engaged up to the end of May.
An emigration agent for the Canadian Northern Railway has been touring England to distribute 25,000 free farms, and at the same time to persuade farmers who know their business and domestic servants to leave this country for the dominions over seas. He will leave England for Saskatchewan on the Royal George accompanied by an enormous party of farm hands, who will fill the vessel to capacity.
Vancouver Daily World, 12 April 1912
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| In the wake of the Titanic disaster, Royal Line announced that Royal Edward and Royal George "have always had sufficient equipment on their vessels not only for passengers, but for the entire crew, in the way of lifeboats and rafts to meet any emergency that may arise." Credit: Gazette, 25 April 1912. |
Royal Line announced on 7 May 1912 that Royal Edward and Royal George would henceforth carry two wireless operators each to maintain a 24-hour service, the first medium sized liners to offer this. On the 27th the Gazette additionally reported: "The Royal liners have always been famous for the precision of their boat drill, and it is only just to add to this was the case long before the Titanic wreck gave boat drill an impetus on all the Atlantic liners. Drill took place on the Royal George Saturday [25 May] last under the supervision of Capt. Thompson, marine superintendent of the line. The starboard boats were promptly and skillfully lowered at a given signal and rowed about the harbor for half a hour, Capt. Thompson expressing himself as well satisfied with the high pitch of training which the boats' crews have attained."
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| The first post-Titanic advertisement stressing "Finest equipped on the Atlantic, Searchlights, Submarine Telephones, Constant Marconi for entire 24 hours, Sufficient Lifeboat accommodation for entire passengers and crew." Credit: Gazette, 17 May 1912 |
Had it not been for fog and ice encountered, Royal Edward which arrived at Montreal on 9 May 1912, would have made a record trip for the route via Cape Race, but according to the Gazette, "the caution necessary by adverse conditions caused her to take a day longer than usual." She had 57 First, 450 Second and 640 Third Class and 1,000 tons of cargo.
Given how late she was in arriving, it was extraordinary perhaps that the Gazette would report that "a great race took place on Saturday [8 June 1912] between Grosse Isle to Quebec between Royal Edward and the CPR liner Empress of Ireland. The two vessels started virtually together, and though Royal Edward's gangway was done first at Quebec, the margin between her time and the CPR boat was not more than a couple of minutes." (Gazette, 10 June 1912). As it was, the Royal liner which sailed from Avonmouth back on 29 May did not arrive at Montreal until the 9th, about three days late. This was owing to some four days of bad weather and lingering ice and post-Titanic no chances were being taken. Indeed, Royal Edward's passengers penned a resolution "thanking Capt. W. Roberts, his officers and crew, for a safe passage from Bristol to Montreal, under the arduous responsibility of four days and night of adverse conditions, without mishap or accident of any kind". She landed 63 First, 296 Second and 619 Third Class. Quick work kept her stay in port to less than three days during which she landed her cargo and took on her eastbound cargo, stores and 1,800 tons of coal so that she sailed on the 12th.
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| Royal George postcard. Credit: author's collection. |
On 3 June 1912 it was announced in Ottawa that Premier Sir Robert Borden, Hon. J.D. Hazen, Minister of the Marine and Fisheries and Canadian Postmaster-General Pelletier, travelling to England to confer with the British Government on Imperial naval defence, would sail over in Royal George from Montreal on the 26th. After one of her fastest crossings, Royal George which left Avonmouth on the 12th June passed Cape Race at 10:30 am on the 17th, called at Quebec at 9:00 am on the 19th and arrived at Montreal at 7:00 pm. Among her 39 First, 253 Second and 697 Third Class passengers were 63 farmer settlers. "A lively farewell was given Right Hon. R.L. Borden and his colleagues of the federal cabinet last night when they boarded the Royal George to sail this morning for England on important state affairs. The Prime Minister, accompanied by Mrs. Borden, arrived at the dock about 10 o'clock, and were welcomed at the gangway by Sir William Mackenzie, president of the Canadian Northern, who escorted them to their apartments. Sir William is also sailing on the same vessel, which will carry a number of distinguished Canadians to England. " (Gazette, 26 June 1912). Royal George left at daybreak the next day with 150 First, 250 Second and 300 Third Class passengers and 1,100 tons of cargo including 14,000 boxes of Canadian cheese.
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| Left: Canadian Premier Sir Robert and Lady Borden. Right: the official party with Sir William Mackenzie (centre), the Bordens to the left and the Lord Mayor of Bristol (right) on deck of Royal George on arrival at Avonmouth 4 July 1912. Credit: Canadian National Archives |
Dominion Day celebrated aboard and marked by speeches by Premier Borden and others. This voyage was further notable for featuring a call at Queenstown to land a tour group of 120 ladies. Arriving at Avonmouth at 11:00 am on 4 July 1912, Royal George's distinguished passengers were met aboard by the Lord Mayor of Bristol. "Postmaster-General Pelletier informed the reporter that a big fog was experienced on the voyage, in fact there was a fog from the American to the Irish coast. However, all enjoyed themselves, and said the Royal George was one of the most comfortable ships he had ever been in." (Calgary Herald, 4 July 1912).
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| Prime Minister Borden disembarking from Royal George. Credit: Western Daily News, 5 July 1912 |
Carrying what was a record, to date, of westbound Third Class passengers, Royal Edward left Avonmouth on 26 June 1912 with 770 in that class. She came into Montreal on 4 July. Of her Third Class arrivals, 150 were destined for Manitoba and reached Winnipeg by special CNR train on the 6th. Among those sailing from Montreal on the 10th on her return crossing were those partaking in the special Royal Line England and France escorted tour and 122 members of a Sons of Old England group. After a very smart passage, she docked at Avonmouth at 10:00 pm on the 17th.
"Quite the most exciting boat race that has been seen in port this season took place yesterday evening between three of the lifeboats of the Royal Edward, manned by crews representatives of the sailors, stewards and firemen. The boats were towed from the ship to the basin at Windmill point, where the draw for places resulted in the stewards gaining the inside berth, the sailors the centre, and the firemen on the outside." So reported the Gazette describing the lifeboat race organised for Royal Edward's crew on 8 July 1912 during the turnaround in Montreal. The firemen's boat won by two feet over that of the stewards team.
Royal Edward sailed from Avonmouth 24 July 1912 with a full passenger list including the returning Canadian Olympic athletes (from the games held that summer in Stockholm), Sir William Mackenzie, Sir Frank W. Wills, the Lord Mayor of Bristol and Lady Wills who, upon arrival in Quebec on the 31st "spoke in enthusiastic terms of the scenery along the St. Lawrence." During the ship's Montreal layover, another lifeboat race among three teams of her crew was organised. The Lord Mayor returned to Avonmouth in Royal Edward on 29 August.
Charles R. Hodgson, Canada's 18-year-old sensation at the 1912 Olympic Games, winning two Gold Medals and breaking a world's record, was the toast of Royal George's passenger list of 155 First, 389 Second and 559 Third Class when she arrived at Quebec on 14 August 1912. When Hodgson disembarked at his hometown of Montreal on the 15th, "a number of young men had gathered in the shed to greet Swimmer Hodgson, was he came down the gangway, with deafening yells.." (Gazette, 16 August 1912). Also aboard was Commander G. Gregory, formerly master of the ship when she was Heliopolis, and now the superintendent of Royal Line at Bristol.
On 31 August 1912 White Star's Teutonic set a new mark for Liver Bar to Father Point of 6 days 1 hour 40 minutes and also Quebec to Montreal accomplished in exactly 9 hours or 15 minutes quicker than the record then held by Royal George.
Royal George sailed from Avonmouth on 4 September 1912 with 199 First, 330 Second and 558 Third Class an 750 tons. Before she reached Canada on the 12th, her list was swelled by one when a baby boy was delivered to Russian parents and named John Frank and, as a nod to her captain, Harrison.
Royal Edward's lifeboat crew, composed of firemen and stokers, won the first race held in Montreal on 3 September against a crew of another liner… Donaldson's Letitia… from Windmill Point to King Edward Pier.
Upon Royal Edward's next Montreal arrival on 26 September 1912, the Gazette reported: "Strong head winds and rough seas were reported by Captain Roberts, commander of the Royal Edward as having been encountered during the passage from Bristol, which terminated with the arrival of the liner at this port early yesterday afternoon. The weather, of course, not rough enough to try the capacity of such a boat as the Royal Edward, though some of the passengers doubtless thought it bad enough. The Royal Edward had almost a record list for this time of the year, her passengers numbering 1,105, of whom 158 were First, 398 Second, and 549 Third Class passengers.
"Rough and disagreeable weather for the time of year was experienced, but the liner proved herself a good sea boat, and passengers say the reports that the Royal liner are somewhat topheavy can no longer be credited," so wrote the Gazette on 11 October, the day after the late Royal George docked at Montreal after a stormy and slow passage with 49 First, 314 Second and 615 Third Class passengers. Among her 400 Third Class passengers sailing eastbound on the 16th were 25 Greeks bound for their homeland to join the army in the war against Turkey.
The war in the Balkans swelled the number of Greek, Balkan and Bulgarians leaving Canada and the United States to take up arms. Royal Edward's last sailing from Montreal numbered almost 400 Bulgarians among her record 850 Third Class.
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| An advertisement for what was to have been the last sailing from Montreal for 1912, 13 November, by Royal George and destined not to take place. Credit: The Winnipeg Tribune, 2 November 1912. |
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| In a spot of bother: Royal George well aground on Beaumont Shoal, 12 miles from Quebec. Credit: The Mariners Museum. |
A year that had already witnessed the world's greatest shipwreck would not leave Royal Line unscathed. Royal George, which left Avonmouth on 30 October 1912, ran aground on Beaumont Shoal, one mile east of Point St. Lawrence, Island of Orleans, 12 from miles from Quebec, at 5:10 pm on 7 November whilst afternoon tea was being served. As the Gazette described it: "The river was veiled with a thin fog at the time, nevertheless the old and reliable pilot in charge of the steamer, who is supposed to know every inch of the river, felt sure of his bearings, and allowed the big passenger liner to forge ahead at the limit of its speed capacity. The Royal George was feeling its way with a rush, and the passengers in anticipation of soon reaching the end of their voyage, were busy packing their voyage, were busy packing their belongings, when the big ship was heard to crush bottom on the rocks, and suddenly come to a stop on the north side of the south channel. All was confusion, not at all the thought of danger, but the suddenness of the mishap in a location where no man on board on the ship suspected lurked the least menace of danger."
Capt. Harrison ordered the boats swung out as precaution, but after soundings were taken, assured the passengers that there was no danger. At 6:30 pm the bugle for dinner was sounded while boats and tugs were dispatched from Quebec including the Government steamer Lady Grey, the wrecking steamer Lord Strathcona, the CPR tug Cruizer and the tug J.O. Gravel. At 12:30 am-1:00 am the paddle steamer North arrived and took off the 55 First and 149 Second Class passengers who were allowed only hand baggage. They arrived at Quebec at 3:30 am and put up at the Chateau Frontenac.
Worsening weather conditions which included 50 mph winds and driving rain resulted in a halt of further evacuation of the ship. That night, the force of the gale swung Royal George completely around which holed her no. 2 hold as the hull pivoted, impaled by the rocks, and as a crew member recounted to the Western Daily News (18 November 1912) caused considerable alarm among those still aboard: "When she slewed around we all thought we were going. We all rushed to the upper deck, but the gale was so bad that it would have been impossible to launch the boats with anything like safety. This was the only moment at which there was anything approaching a panic on board. Everyone came up from the holds, including all the firemen."
Later on 8 November 1912 when the gale subsided, the the Quebec and Levis Ferry Co. ferry boats Queen and Polaris were dispatched to take off the Third Class, most of the crew and the hold baggage.
The Gazette of 8 November 1912 reported more details on the ship's grounding and position: "The formation of the river bed where the Royal George is lying is a knife-shaped rock that gradually rises to a ledge. The steamer made for this rocky ledge at a speed rate of eighteen miles an hour, bow on, and the moment the bows struck it bounded upwards with a crash, no. 1 hold clearing the obstruction until no. 2 hold was reached, which had to bear the impact that followed and crunched over the ledge until the vessel came to a full stop and rested on the ledge between the two funnels, and there she became firmly embedded on the summit of the rock, which is shaped similar to a horse's back. The bow of the steamer lies in a depth of six feet of water at low tide, and the after portion from where she held is in twelve feet of water. She is so close to island of Orleans shore that the residents of the vicinity at low tide can walk out to within 20 feet of the ship and exchange words with the people on board."
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| Royal George aground on Beaumont Shoal. Credit: author's collection. |
Meanwhile, Royal George was in precarious position. Standing in only six feet of water, stuck amidships, but able to swing in a pivoting motion, her no. 2 hold was flooded with 27 ft. of water and the no. 1 hold and stokehold leaking. So dire was her condition and fearing the worse, Canadian Northern took the precaution of abandoning her to the underwriters on 13 November 1912, but still expressed confidence she could be salvaged. Messrs. R. Parry Jones and Herbert B. Saunders were sent to ship by the Salvage Association of London to oversee the efforts, initially entrusted to the Quebec Wrecking & Salvage Co. using 8-in. and 10-in. salvage pumps but to no effect.
Meanwhile her crew was paid off with 11 days extra pay and saloon passage home, 50 stewards and six stewardesses sailed in Laurentic for Liverpool on 9 November 1912, 25 others in Saturnia for Glasgow and on the 15th, 50 in Tunisian and another 50 in Empress of Britain.
But Royal George was not lost. By happy coincidence, an American engineer, Mr. W.W. Wotherspoon, was on soon on the scene with compressed air equipment having just refloated the Norwegian collier Gladstone which grounded the same day and two miles away from Royal George. He arrived on the scene on 14 November and began work four days later as described by Capt F. J. Thompson, Royal Line's Marine Superintendent:
The difficulty was that the Royal George had a wooden orlop deck and 'tweendecks which had to be shored up to the upper deck and orlop sheathed and made air-tight.
Rough carpenters were obtained from the island and did smart work. Ventilators and other openings wer sealed and the upper deck hatch of No. 2 hold (which covered the top of a steel trunkway) was fitted with a steel cover an air-lock. The cargo in this hold was chiefly tin plates and black plates and the process of discharging at low water only-- the tide rose and fell in the old regardless of the pumps-- was extremely slow. When all was ready to apply air pressure we made a test one evening and to the satisfaction of all concerned-- the London Salvage Association, Mr. Witherspoon (sic) and myself-- the water was forced out of the hold in 30 minutes. We were thus able to go down the hold through the air-lock and locate the damage in the port bilge where water and air were fighting for supremacy although the damage could be inspected because of the black plates which covered the hold. A number of small air leaks in the decks and various vents were made good and the ship floated off the next day at high water.
Sea Breezes, October 1960
At 4:00 pm on 20 November 1912 Royal George was refloated and Lord Strathcona pulled her into deep water. At 6:00 pm she left for Quebec under her own steam and making 8 knots and accompanied by Lord Strathcona and Lady Grey, entered the harbour an hour later. There, she received emergency repairs to make her seaworthy to sail to Britain for repairs. It was not found necessary to dry dock her and the hole in no. 2 hold was patched with cement but the entire bottom of the hull was damaged to various degrees and the ballast tanks flooded.
On 2 December 1912 CNR Vice President D.B. Hanna announced that a settlement had been made with the underwriters to recover the vessel which was insured for a total value of £265,000 but revealed no details as to the amount of the claim. The next day it was reported that repairs would be completed to enable Royal George to sail to Britain the following week with a cargo of lumber.
The inquiry by the Dominion Wreck Commissioner opened on 3 December 1912 and determined Royal George was proceeding at a speed of 17 knots, which they held to have been excessive under the circumstances, for the pilot did not know his exact position, as, though the weather was clear, he could not see the Beaumont Light and was taking his course from his observations of the shore lights. The master they held to have been in default for absence from the bridge, and the chief officer, Mr. Edwards, was also held in some sense to blame in that he had neglected to call the master when his presence was held to be desirable. The suspensions of licenses ranged from three months in the case of the chief officer, to twelve months in that of the master and to no less than three years in that of the pilot. These sanctions, especially against the Captain and the Chief Officer, were roundly criticised for their severity especially since the vessel was under the lawful command of a skilled pilot, and both were successfully appealed to the Board of Trade in Britain and substantially reduced.
Meanwhile, plans were finalised to get Royal George repaired. Vickers' new drydock at Montreal seemed ideal but would mean stranding the vessel there until spring. So it was decided to take her first to Halifax before the river froze and then to England. She had, of course, no Captain and rather than promote her Chief Officer for what would be a very difficult two-stage voyage, she was entrusted to Capt. F.G. Thompson, RNR, Royal Line's Assistant Marine Superintendent, Montreal, who had last commanded Uranium Line's Campanello. On 11 December 1912 Royal Line announced that Royal George would be drydocked at Halifax and then sail to Glasgow for full repairs by her builders at Govan.
After some of her officers and many of her crew were reluctant to attempt the passage in a damaged ship in winter, even with double pay and a £5 bonus, they were shamed into signing on when the wife of Salvage Manager Saunders said she no concern and was joining him for the voyage to Halifax!
Royal George left Quebec the morning of 12 December 1912 and it was not an easy passage with ice already in parts of the river, snow squalls giving way to a blizzard with gale force winds. With her forward boilers out of commission as they had been displaced by the grounding, she only had two-thirds boiler power, but still making good progress when the telemotor froze and she lost her steering. She had to be conned from the aft docking bridge for rest of the way.
Without further incident she arrived safely at Halifax on 13 December 1912, only to find the dry dock there occupied by Gladstone, CNR paid her owners $1,000 to move their vessel to make room for the liner. A large gash, measuring 14 ft. by 9 ft. was found in the port bilge and other lesser damage. In all, 40 per cent of the ship's bottom was damaged to vary degrees, an area of some 700 sq. ft.
Under the supervision of a Lloyd's Surveyor, the ship was given temporary repairs to make her seaworthy for the winter crossing. This caused some anxiety especially when she had come out of drydock and found to be making water in the double bottom tanks near the patched repairs. Capt. Thompson ordered the tanks to be fully filled and later recalled (Sea Breezes, October 1960):
The behaviour of the ship, running before fresh westerly gales and high following seas, was an eye-opener to all of us. She carried no ordinary cargo, for no. 2 lower hold was stowed with heavy logs and the after 'tweendecks with dressed timber, whereas it had always been considered essential to have 250 tons of deadweight in the bottom of no. 2 hold besides other cargo. On this passage the Royal George hardly rolled at all, something which was demonstrated by the fact that my wife's framed photograph stood upright on the mahogany topped deck in my cabin throughout the voyage. The purser was particularily impressed and said he had never known the ship behave so well.
Royal George sailed on 31 December 1912 for Glasgow and Fairfield's Govan facility, but off Inishtrahull, a wireless message instructed her to make, instead, for Cammell Laird's Birkenhead yards. She arrived in the Mersey on 10 January 1913 and entered no. 7 graving dock there on the 27th. Damage was found to tanks, keel plates and frames, but there was no straining of the hull, machinery or boilers. The extent of the work was extensive, eventually entailing replacing the whole of the keel, 200 keel plates and 220 floor plates.
So successful were these temporary repairs effected that, without making a drop of water, the vessel came across the Atlantic during the depth of winter at a speed of 13 knots with reduced boiler pressure. Bringing a ship home under these conditions necessitated a very anxious time for the captain, who delivered the vessel safely at Laird's dry dock, where she now lies docked. The recent tempestuous weather was encountered when some distance from the Irish Coast, but the vessel behaved remarkably well, thus proving the remarkable strength of such a modern liner as the Royal George. After the severe ordeal through which she passed, had it been an ordinary vessel it would have been impossibly to have made use of her again. It is hoped that the vessel, which is now in the hands of Messrs. Cammell, Laird & Co., will be ready to take her place again in the Royal Line service when the season commences.
Western Daily Press, 6 March 1913
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| With Royal George laid up for repairs, CNR's winter 1912-13 service to Halifax was a one-ship monthly one by Royal Edward. Credit: Gazette, 13 November 1912. |
Now single-handed, Royal Edward began Royal Line's winter service on an impressive note, coming into Halifax the evening of 19 November 1912, a day ahead of schedule and despite only two of the six days full passage offering fair weather. There, she landed 446 passengers, of whom 104 were naval ratings for H.M.S. Algerine and Sherwater on the Pacific coast relieving time-expired men.
"That the Canadian Northern Railway Company had decided to go out of the passenger steamship business, consequent on the wreck of the Royal George having left them with one steamship, the Royal Edward at their disposal, was a rumor current in shipping and railway circles yesterday afternoon" reported the Gazette on 20 November 1912. This followed substantial reduction of staff at the company's Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and British offices. CNR denied the rumours but admitted they had drastically reduced staff or transferred them to the railway division owing to the reduced sailings that winter.
In 1912, Royal Edward completed 22 crossings carrying 14,832 passengers (9,738 westbound and 5,093 eastbound and Royal George completed 19 crossings carrying 13,762 passengers (10,290 westbound and 3,472 eastbound) for a total of 28,593 passengers on 41 crossings (20½ round voyages).
1913
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| Credit: National Post, 28 June 1913 |
The R.M.S. Royal Edward commenced her voyage to Canada last evening, when she left Avonmouth Dock with between 500 and 600 passengers, bound for all parts of the Dominion. There were not too many on the quays to witness the departure of the liner, but those who were present when she passed from the entrance lock into Kingroad with her nose pointed down the channel were struck with the smartness of the ship's appearance, which was one of the results of her annual overhauling.
Western Daily Press, 9 January 1913
Royal Edward's first sailing of the New Year, from Avonmouth to Halifax on 9 January 1913 numbered more than 500 settlers, many of them Russian Jews, for Canada. For the ensuring six months, the ship would ably hold down the Canadian Northern service on her own whilst the Company strove to rebuild confidence in their future on the North Atlantic and restore Royal George to service as soon as possible. On the 15th a representative of the CNR announced rather hopefully, as it turned out, that Royal George "would again be placed in commission in March, as repairs would be completed by that time."
On 31 January 1913 the Western Daily Press said it was "credibly informed" that Royal George's new master upon her return to service would be Capt. F.G. Thompson, RNR, who had, of course, captained her across on her voyage for repairs. It was additionally noted on 19 February that "the work on repairing the Royal George is proceeding slowly but surely, and that the task of rendering her fit for ocean traffic again is proving no inconsiderable one… in the meantime it is hope that the Royal George will be able to resume her sailings by April."
After Captain Roberts of Royal Edward was appointed Harbour Master at Avonmouth in February 1913, command of her passed to Capt. Peter Wooton, RNR, her former Chief Officer, upon her 5 March sailing. This claimed the record for the most number of Second Class passengers to sail from Britain, Royal Edward embarking 460 in that class in addition to 34 First and 642 Third Class. She docked at Halifax on the 12th.
It was hopefully announced on 1 March 1913 that Royal George would resume service 14 May from Avonmouth and from Montreal 28th.
It was announced on 6 March 1913 that Royal Edward, whose 2 April sailing from Avonmouth for Halifax would be her last, would take up the St. Lawrence run on 30 April followed by Royal George on 14 May to resume the fortnightly service. It was additionally confirmed that Capt. Thompson would command Royal George. On a related note, on 21 April the Board of Trade, acting on the appeal filed by Captain Harrison, former master of Royal George, restored his certificate.
In fine spring weather, Royal Edward arrived early at Avonmouth from Halifax on 23 April 1913 and "brought a large number of passengers and a record number of mails-- about 700 bags." Among her passengers was Capt. F.J. Thompson, Royal George's new master, coming back from Montreal to assume command.
On 24 April 1913 new sailing list was published that reflected the much anticipated new Canadian mail contract. Opening the St. Lawrence season, Royal Edward would sail on Wednesday 30 April and again on 4 June and despite working around the clock, the repairs on Royal George continued to lag and she would now not resume service until 18 June. Three men were severely scalded at Cammell Laird's Birkenhead yard when a steam pipe burst on board on 7 May. One of them was in critical condition with burns and died a few hours after the accident and a second succumbed the next day.
The new Canadian mail contract came into force 1 May 1913. This paid $1 mn. per annum instead of $600,000 for a expedited a tri-weekly service from Quebec in summer and bi-weekly in winter from St. John or Halifax to be maintained by Allan Line's Alsatian, Calgarian, Victorian, Virginian, Tunisian, Corsican, Hesperian and Grampian, Canadian Pacific's Empress of Britain and Empress of Ireland, White Star-Dominion's Laurentic and Megantic and CNR's Royal George and Royal Edward. It was a shortlived heyday of the Canadian run.
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| Royal Edward at Avonmouth. Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection. |
Royal Edward sailed from Avonmouth on 1 May 1913 with a near record passenger list of 1,141 passengers: 81 First, 428 Second and 632 Third Class among whom were Sir William and Lady Mackenzie. She docked at Montreal on the 8th doing the run from Nash Point to Father Point in 6 days 2 hours 18 minutes including six hours detention in fog east of Cape Race.
Continuing the post-Titanic lifeboat races organised during the Montreal turnarounds, Royal Edward's engine room, already acknowledged the "best oarsmen on any ship visiting this port" raced the firemen of the White Star liner Laurentic on 12 May 1913 and beat them by seven boat lengths.
There seemed no end to the repercussions following Royal George's grounding. Not surprisingly, when renewing their contract with the insurance underwriters at the end of of May 1913, Canadian Northern found the rate 20 shillings per cent more than the previous rate or an increase of $15,000 in premiums. On the 23rd came the welcome news that Royal George would finally leave Birkenhead on 6 June for Avonmouth in preparation for her return to service.
Among those sailing in Royal Edward from Montreal on 17 June 1913 were five Toronto policemen en route to "a course of instruction from members of the metropolitan police force engaged in he city of London traffic department with regard to the handling of traffic." They would return on Royal George's 9 August crossing.
The C.N.R. liner Royal George sailed from Bristol for Montreal yesterday for the first time since stranded on the Isle of Orleans late last fall. After the accident, the company despaired of ever floating the ship again, but some excellent work was accomplished, with the result that the George was finally refloated and towed into Quebec, where she was patched up sufficiently to allow of her proceeding to Halifax, where repairs of a more durable, though still of only a temporary nature, were effected. When these were completed, Captain Thompson, the marine superindendent of the line, took the ship to the other side, where she was thoroughly overhauled and made stronger than ever, at the Tranmere yards at Birkenhead. Recently, the Royal George made a most satisfactory trip, through a roughish sea, from Birkenhead to Avonmouth, and yesterday was able to resume her regular sailings to the St. Lawrence, with Captain Thompson in command. The liner has a very satisfactory passenger list, by way of celebrating the occasion.
Gazette, 18 June 1913
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| Royal George at Avonmouth. Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection. |
After an absence of eight months, Royal George returned to Montreal on 25 June 1913, docking at 6:30 pm "after a passage marked by strong westerly winds and heavy head seas until the Gulf was reached. Captain Thompson told the Gazette that "owing to the extensive alterations and repairs made to the Royal George since her accident, she is now from a navigator's point of view, a new ship, and consequently not driven at all; yet in spite of this fact, and the adverse weather conditions, good time was made, the distance between Nash Point to Father Point being covered in 6 days, 21 hours and 29 minutes." She brought over a near record list of 43 First Class (including Lady Mann), 287 Second and 793 Third passengers. Her eastbound crossing, beginning on 1 July, called at Queenstown on the 8th to land a large touring party of Canadian ladies visiting Ireland and Britain.
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| Royal George at Avonmouth... summer 1913 finally saw the "Atlantic Royals" reunited as a pair and the George setting records. Credit: author's collection. |
The new sailing schedule in effect starting in July conspired to have Royal George and White Star's Teutonic depart from their respective homeports and from Quebec on the same day and thus two of the fastest liners on the Canadian Run invariably participated in unsanctioned "races" as reported by the Gazette on 26 July 1913: "Considerable emulation exists between the firemen on board the Royal George and those belonging to the Teutonic and if their officers did not exercise proper restraint, there would certainly be a race between these two fast ships, the fastest sailing from the port of Montreal. Last time the Teutonic and the Royal George cleared together they kept close together until their respective routes diverged, and when farewell blasts were blown on their sirens and they parted in the fog beyond Cape Race, it was impossible to say which boat was leading." It was added that especially in a head sea, Royal George with her well-flared bows fared better than Teutonic which was obliged to give way lest water break over her bows and damage a pair of boats stored forward." On 18 August 1913 the Gazette reported another "race" between the two ships, from Cape Ray to Quebec, a distance of 553 miles, on the 14th with 38 miles separating the two with Teutonic docking an hour earlier but Royal Edward's firemen claiming they had cut the distance to 15 miles. The captains of both vessels enjoyed their friend rivalry and exchanged daily wireless messages relating to each day's run:
On one occasion after the Teutonic had made better day's run than us the captain concluded his message with 'have given stokers a tot of rum.' Next day the Royal George made a better run and I concluded my message 'have been feeding firemen on cocktails.' We made many interesting competitive voyage for both ships were nominally at least of the same speed although the Royal George was of much later construction. Moreover, we often 'split tacks' (took alternate routes during the summer), the White Star ship having to follow the company's rule book as to the route she took (via Cape Race or Belle Isle) on a certain date. No such rule applied in our company, the captain exercising his own judgement in accordance with ice reports which varied each season.
Capt. F. J. Thompson, Sea Breezes, October 1960
Royal Edward's lifeboat crew, this time her seamen, added further to the ships' laurels by beating the new Cunard liner Ascania's crew in the latest lifeboat race in Montreal harbour on 6 August. But the Cunard stewards team beat that of the Royal liner in the second race.
The management of the Canadian Northern Liners claim that the Royal George has established a record, as regards speed, on the Canadian service. The Royal George arrived at Avonmouth on Saturday, August 2 from Montreal and Quebec after a run of 5 days, 17 hours, 4 minutes; the time from land to land being only 3 days 19½ hours. Her passengers reached London before lunch time, while those who were bound for Paris arrived at their destination before midnight, on the same date. This record lowers than established by the Royal Edward between August 4 and 10, 1910, with a run from Bristol to Quebec of 5 days 29 hours, which has thus stood the best trip made a Royal liner for three years. The management of the line further claim that their boats hold the record from Halifax, which is their port on this side during the winter months.
Gazette, 11 August 1913
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| After a record breaking eastbound crossing, Royal George's First Class passengers celebrated with this dinner the last night of the voyage. Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection. |
In a magnificent performance, accomplished against two days of gale conditions, Royal Edward arrived at Montreal at 7:00 pm on 27 September 1913, doing the total run from Avonmouth in seven days and four hours. From Belle Isle, she clocked seven hours and 15 minutes for the 180 miles. She had 131 First, 387 Second and 586 Third Class aboard.
On her last arrival for the season, Royal Edward came into Montreal on 26 October 1913, a bit battered and bruised after a rough passage and one particularly battering wave as described by the Gazette:
A tremendous sea shipped by the C.N.R. liner Royal Edward, during the passage from Bristol, bent the aprons in which the forward railings of the promenade deck are fixed, and smashed the ports of the cabin de luxe occupied by Colonel Sam Hughes, wrecking the fittings and furniture, which now lie broken and twisted around the dismantled apartment. The water then flooded the alleyways and poured down the grand staircase on to the lower decks. The mishap occurred very early last Tuesday morning, only a few minutes after midnight. A gale, accompanied by heavy seas, arose suddenly, and later on subsided as suddenly as it had arisen. The sea which did the damage was the one to come aboard, although rough weather was subsequently met with a times. No injury was done to the boats or to any of the passengers, most of whom had retired for the night, when the big wave was shipped, but another cabin had to be found for the Minister of Militia, and Defence, whose quarters had been rendered quite uninhabitable.
When Royal George sailed from Avonmouth on 4 October 1913 she carried an unusual cargo: a gas-buoy that had broken free from its moorings in the lower St. Lawrence River and drifted some 3,000 miles to be found in the Bristol Channel almost as if had followed the "Royal Route" to get there and now would be certainly repatriated that way.
In October 1913 it was made known by Canadian Pacific and Allan Line that they would made Halifax their winter terminus for Empress of Britain and Empress of Ireland and Allan's new Alsatian and Calgarian instead of St. John. This was protested against by representatives from the city who rejected the idea that Royal Edward and Royal George, instead, use the port, insisting on their Empresses.
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| Canadian Northern offered direct special sleeping car trains from Canada's Western provincial cities direct to Montreal to connect with Royal Edward and Royal George as well as other liners from the port. |
Royal George, Andania and Teutonic sailed through a hurricane and limped, storm damaged and days late, into Montreal the evening of 11 November 1913. For Royal George, it was end of a horrendous nine and a half crossing with such seas as to wash away the funnel to the galley and flooded her lower decks. Her days runs went from 445 miles to only 220. But her crew were proud of the fact that she still beat Teutonic by a full half a day, the White Star liner leaving Liverpool five hours before they sailed from Avonmouth. The weather was still so bad at Quebec and, being assigned a pier there that Capt. Thompson considered unsafe in its approach under the conditions, he anchored just to land the mails aboard the CPR tug Cruizer and continued on to Montreal with her 40 First, 90 Second and 250 Third passengers.
Canadian Northern announced on 6 November 1913 that Royal Edward's annual drydocking would carried out earlier than originally planned. She had sailed from Montreal on the 1st and upon arrival at Avonmouth, would proceed to Birkenhead for her refit at the Tranmere yard for overhaul as well as "certain alterations and repairs to the saloon cabins." However, the earlier work was mainly to repair the significant damage done to her forward superstructure and de luxe cabins from the storm she passed through the previous month. It was arranged that the White Star-Dominion liner Canada would take her 19 November westbound mails but from Liverpool not Bristol and the eastbound mails from Halifax on 3 December.
Further complicating winter season plans was the announced at St. John on 12 November 1913 by Hon. J.D. Hazen, Minister of Marine, that Royal Edward and Royal George would make the port their winter terminal.
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| Credit: National Post, 22 November 1913 |
In 1913, Royal Edward completed 22 crossings carrying 15,050 passengers (10,725 westbound and 4,325 eastbound and Royal George completed 14 crossings carrying 9,932 passengers (5,830 westbound and 4,102 eastbound) for a total of 24,982 passengers on 36 crossings (18 round voyages).
1914
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| Credit: National Post, 24 January 1914 |
Canadian Northern rang in the New Year 1914 with the well-timed dispatch of Royal George from Avonmouth to St. John, N.B. on New Years Eve with 18 First, 33 Second and 114 Third Class passengers and chalked up another record before the first week of 1914 was over. Arriving at St. John at 3:39 a.m.on 8 January, she was berthed by 8:00, after setting a new record from Avonmouth of 6 days 7 hours 24 minutes. And another record in handling the mails which were dispatched by special train 1 hour 52 minutes after docking. Her 165 passengers were dispatched with equal speed in two special trains for Montreal. Her eastbound sailing got underway on the 15th with 21 First, 37 Second and 265 Third Class.
THE ROYAL EDWARD. RETURNS BRISTOL AFTER OVERHAUL. The Canadian Northern R.M.5. Royal Edward returned to Avonmouth from Liverpool on Sunday. The liner has been at Birkenhead undergoing her annual overhaul, and is now lying at her usual berth in the Royal Edward dock preparing for her voyage to St. John New Brunswick, on the 14th inst. The Royal Edward will renew her sailings on the same day her sister ship, the Royal George, leaves the other side. All traces of the damage done to the Royal Edward on her last outward voyage, when great seas were encountered, have been removed, and the ship is now splendid condition, her engines having been thoroughly overhauled, and proved on the trip from Liverpool to Bristol to capable developing good speed. An important improvement to the ship s equipment has been introduced in the shape of powerful searchlight which affixed at a point from which it will be possible to throw rays for great distances in all directions. The Royal George will also, in future, carry a searchlight. The provision of searchlight is not necessitated by Board of Trade regulations, but added precaution taken many big liners. The bookings for the first voyage of the Royal Edward in the new year is proceeding rapidly, and there should a large number of passengers to leave the 14th.
Western Daily Press, 6 January 1914
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| Royal Edward sails from Avonmouth. Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection. |
Resuming service, Royal Edward sailed from Avonmouth for St. John, N.B. on 14 January 1914 under Capt. P.M. Wotton with 14 First, 81 Second and 177 Third Class passengers and arrived on the 22nd. Her return passage, beginning on the 28th, was beautifully described by the Western Daily Press upon her arrival at Avonmouth on 4 February:
ROYAL EDWARD. ROUGH, BUT EXCELLENT PASSAGE Quite a large number of people awaited yesterday morning on the South Pier at Avonmouth, the home coming of the Canadian Northern R.M.S. Royal Edward, and thanks to sunny, springlike weather the vigil was by no means unpleasant. The liner, too, was well up to her time. She made good progress during the last 24 hours of her voyage, and, indeed, her speed throughout the passage was good, despite unfavourable conditions. At ten o'clock Tuesday morning the steamer was 180 miles west of Fastnet.- and at 10.15 yesterday morning she passed Barry; rounding Portishead shortly after eleven. The steaming time was six days, 13 hours, and 24 minuter, for the whole distance of 2,747 miles from St. John, N. 8., to Avonmouth. The passengers numbered about 320. On leaving St. John conditions were very pleasant, the weather being clear and the sea smooth, but later winds arose, and midway across the Atlantic the weather was decidedly "seasonable," there being heavy seas and good deal of snow. However, Capt. P. M. Wotton, her commander, brought his ship skilfully and safely through all varieties of weather, and, as will be seen from the abstract of the log, lost no time. The log card, gives the following interesting particulars the distances,and weather: —January 29th, 349 miles. a t. N. 43.39, long. W. 01.22, moderate northerly winds, smooth sea, fine clear weather. January 30th 403 miles, lat. N. 45.25, long. W. 52.20,' moderate S.E. to S.W. winds and sea. tine to gloomy weather. January 31st, 398 miles, lat. N. 47.21, long. W. 43.22, strong following gale with dangerous sea. February 1st, 380 miles, lat. N. 49.30, long. W. 34.22. fierce N.W. gale, terrific snow squalls, very high rea. February 2nd, 410 miles, lat. N. 51.09 long. W. 24.00. moderate N.W. gale to moderate varied wind,'confused sea, clear. February 3rd, miles, lat. N. 51.40, long. W. 13.13. strong -.S.W. wind, hard squalls, rough beam sea. February 4th, miles to Avonmouth. fresh southerly wind, showery, clear, moderate sea. The Royal Edward was docked at noon, and passengers and mails (of which there were 1,400 bags and about 400 parcels) were quickly disembarked.
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| Newspaper advertisements (Windsor Star) for Royal Line's new St. John-Avonmouth service in winter 1914. |
Almost immediately after sailing from Avonmouth on 11 February 1914 Royal Edward (Capt. P.M. Vottem, RNR) was thrust into the harsh weather of "W.N.A." (Winter North Atlantic") and finally reach St. John (on her maiden arrival) after the slowest crossing of her career, a full days late, on the 20th. She had encountered nothing but a succession of head on gales an storms and was forced to steam much of the time at half speed. "Fortunately the Royal Edward breasted the storms without damage to the vessel or passengers, although her upper works were well coated with frozen spray and the passengers were weary from having to be kept below for days at a stretch to avoid the huge seas which broke over her bows." (Gazette, 21 February 1914). Her 19 First, 92 Second and 303 Third Class passengers were doubtless happy to return to terra firma. Royal Edward sailed from St. John on the 25th.
Her overhaul completed, Royal George arrived at Avonmouth from Birkenhead on 19 February 1914. She sailed for St. John on the 25th, "having been thoroughly redecorated. The many and commodious apartments have been entirely refitted, and their appearance was eulogised yesterday by passengers and visitors." (Western Daily Press). After one more sailing to St. John on 25 March, she would inaugurate the summer St. Lawrence season on 22 April from Avonmouth and 5 May from Montreal. Among her 19 First, 111 Second and 383 Third Class passengers was Commander Gregory, Royal Line's marine superintendent.
Ocean travel is becoming more akin to hotel life than ever before. The café, the library, the smoke room, the private suite, and so on, are now well-established on most liners, and further innovation is announced by the Canadian Northern. This is the introduction of a first-class orchestra on their Royal Mail steamers. The inauguration was made on the R.M.S. Royal George, which sailed from Bristol for Quebec and Montreal yesterday. An orchestra may be all right now. We should think it would have a very meagre audience at some seasons of the year.
Westminster Gazette, 23 April 1914
Winning the honour of the first ship of the 1914 St. Lawrence Season, Royal George came into Quebec late on 29 April 1914 with 19 First, 188 Second and 595 Third Class passengers. The following morning she figured in an important milestone in the epic undertaking of building Canada's second trans-continental railway when the first through CNR train left Quebec at 8:00 am with 400 of her immigrant passengers for Toronto, via Ottawa, and then west.
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| Royal George's arrival at Quebec the evening of 29 April 1914 marked the beginning of the St. Lawrence season, the commencement of the weekly mail service from Britain and the inauguration of the CNR's Quebec to Toronto mainline. |
Royal Edward, which left Montreal at daybreak on 19 May 1914 with 52 First, 109 Second and 527 Third Class passengers (another departure showing the line's increasing eastbound traffic in Third Class) passed the inbound Empress of Ireland on the 22nd which warned her of ice, having passed two icebergs. Sure enough, Royal Edward collided with a "huge" iceberg in dense fog 110 miles east of Cape Race at 11:48 am on the 24th. Exercising good prudence (the ship had been slowed down to 4-5 knots owing to the fog) and sticking to old seaman's adage of never exposing your vessel's side to danger, Capt. P.M. Wooton elected to collide head on with the berg which was barely two ship lengths away when it loomed out of the fog. Ascertaining the damage, which included a twisted stem, but not taking on water except some in the forepeak, Capt. Wooton elected to continue the crossing.
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| Immediately after she hit the ice berg head on, Royal Edward launched a lifeboat with a crew to ascertain the damage. Credit: The Daily Mirror, 1 June 1914. |
Bringing in Royal Edward safely alongside at Avonmouth on 30 May 1914, Capt. Wooton was besieged by reports and his tale breathlessly recorded by a world still reeling from the tragic loss of Empress of Ireland just a day after CNR liner hit the berg.
The tale of Captain Wooton, of the steamship Royal Edward sighted a big iceberg barely two lengths dead ahead of him in the dense fog in mid-Atlantic, he did not hesitate. Mindful of happened to the Titanic, the master of the Royal Edward rammed the berg head on, and escape with but minor damages.
The tale of Captain Wooton's remarkable daring was enthusiastically related here today when the Royal Edward arrived from Montreal. The 650 passengers on the vessel declared their owed their lives to him.
On May 23, while the Royal Edward was proceeding at very low speed, because of the fog, sounding her horn constantly, Captain Wooton, from the bridge saw the towering façade of a huge berg threatening his ship. Only some 1,200 feet intervened between the glowering monster and the Royal Edward. Knowing the icebergs shelve outward under water the captain feared to to try and turn his ship.
The floating ice monster was too close to allow time for reversal of the engines in an attempt to back away. Accordingly, the intrepid captain 'took the bull by the horns' and ordered his navigator to proceed dead ahead. As many of the passengers as could be reached in the brief moment before the iceberg would be struck, were warned to stand by for a shock.
Moving very slowly the Royal Edward hit the berg with a resounding crash. Passenger who had been below and could not be warned, scrambled screaming up the companion ways, believing the ship to be sinking. They were quickly reassured by the captain, officers and stewards and when the threatened panic was averted and the men and women understood what Captain Wooton had done they were almost hysterical in their gratitude, believing that the captain's quick action undoubtedly saved them from going to the bottom.
Examination showed the stem of the liner to be twisted and several plates buckled, but otherwise the ship was not damaged. Meantime the Royal Edward was backing away from the berg and clear of it proceeded on her way.
It was believed that the captain took the only chance open to him. Had the ship been turned around it might have struck a shelf off ice beneath the waterline and been so ripped that her bulkheads would have been rendered useless.
The Windsor Star, 30 May 1914.
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| Almost immediately upon arrival, Royal Edward was drydocked for inspection in the graving dock at Avonmouth. The photo shows the water in the forepeak running out. The vessel was actually more seriously damaged than at first though with frame damage and many plates needing replacement. Credit: Daily Citizen, 1 June 1914 |
On 3 June 1914 Royal Edward's next eastbound crossing on the 16th was cancelled and she was not due to leave Montreal until 14 July. Although it was first thought she would go to Birkenhead for repairs, Royal Edward was, instead, taken in hand by Messrs. J. Jeffries & Sons, of Avonmouth. More than 120 local men were tasked with repairing her, entailing practically rebuilt her entire forepart, and replacing between 60-70 plates. It was one of the biggest and most important ship repair projects yet carried out in Bristol.
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| Royal Edward undergoing repairs at Avonmouth showing the extent of the work. Credit: A. Hernandez collection. |
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| During the course of Royal Edward's repairs at Avonmouth, sister Royal George came and went on her regular sailings, affording a rare meeting of both sister ships. Credit: author's collection. |
Great interest was shown when Royal George arrived at Montreal on the evening of 25 June 1914 when she completed the first trial of a new Marconi radio direction finding apparatus devised by Ingo Emile Ichino of the Marconi Co. which was said to be capable of giving the bearing of any vessel fitted with wireless or of a shoreside wireless station within a 70-mile range. The apparatus was fitted on the Boat Deck between the two funnels. Royal George was the first liner fitted with the Marconi Bellini Tosi system. The ship and her 25 First, 185 Second and 536 Third Class passengers had a rough crossing over with some fog in the Gulf. She left Montreal on the 30th with a big list of 161 First, 196 Second and 583 Third Class.
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| Log abstract card for Royal George's eastbound crossing 30 June-7 July 1914. "ICE BERGS" in, of course, all caps! Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection. |
On 22 July 1914 Royal Edward left drydock in Avonmouth and shifted to her regular berth to load cargo and provision for her return to service.
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| Royal Edward in drydock at Avonmouth on 17 July 1914 nearing the end of her repairs after striking an iceberg. Credit: Bristol Archives, The Vaughan Collection. |
ROYAL EDWARD SAILS. FIRST DEPARTURE AFTER DRY DOCKING. More than usual interest attached to the sailing, last evening, from Bristol (Avonmouth), of the Canadian Northern R.M.S. Royal Edward to Quebec and Montreal, for this was the first voyage of the well-known and popular steamer since her ramming of an iceberg and subsequent laying up at Avonmouth for repairs. The liner emerged from her incarceration in the graving dock looking particularly smart in her new paint and general overhaul. There was an air of glad satisfaction aboard when the ship was moved from her berth in the Royal Edward Dock to the lock preparatory to sailing, and it may safely said that all connected with the vessel —from her commander, Captain P. M. Wotton, R.N.R., to the youngest steward and ths newest sailor and fireman—were genuinely gratified once more being under steam for the other side. Quite a large party of visitors, principally from London and Bristol, came down to the docks to wish the ship and her company 'God-speed' on the voyage; and there was a very gratifying passenger list, numbering over 500, including 50 first-class and about 200 second-class travellers. On board were many young women who are going out as domestic servants to situations already secured for them in various parts of Canada. Tlje call of the Dominion for this class of emigrant is still strong. A lady conductor is in charge of the party, and will personally apply herself to their needs the voyage. Special trains brought the passengers to Avonmouth direct from London and Bristol, and for those who desired, dinner was served the first-class saloon before sailing, a competent orchestra, comprising piano, clarionet, violin, and double bass, contributing to the enjoyment of embarkation. The ship sailed shortly after 9.30, with the good wishes of all left ashore floating after her in her wake.
Western Daily Press, 30 July 1914
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| American market advertisements for "the Royals", summer 1914. |
Royal Edward's return to service was brief and, of course, completely overtaken like everything else by the declaration of war by Great Britain and the British Empire against The Central Powers on 4 August 1914 when she was in mid-Atlantic.
Having sailed from Montreal on 29 July 1914 with 13 First, 81 Second and 444 Third Class passengers, Royal George arrived at Avonmouth just before 7:00 am on 6 August 1914. "On the way across, brief marconigrams relating to the commencement of the war were received, but it was not generally known that England was actually at war with Germany until port was reached. The Royal George will have one of the quickest 'turn-rounds' of her time, for her next week's sailing has been brought forward from Wednesday to Monday. This is on account of the fact that practically the whole of ship's accommodation has been taken by American tourists, who are anxious to return to their homes. The liner will sail on Monday evening from "P" shed, her berth during the present crisis, at eight o'clock." (Western Daily Press, 7 August 1914).
After a long absence, Royal Edward arrived at Quebec at 3:00 am on 7 August 1914 with 39 First, 204 Second and 258 Third Class. When she sailed eastbound on the 11th, Royal Edward, repainted in wartime blue grey, included nearly 200 French reservists returning to enlist as well as some British ones amid patriotic scenes as they marched down to the docks "with a martial air and continuous cheering". More French reservists embarked at Quebec and in all, the Edward sailed with 32 First, 40 Second and 311 Third Class.
Royal Edward's arrival at Avonmouth on 19 August 1914 was described by the Western Daily Press the next day:
FRENCH RESERVISTS ARRIVE ENTHUSIASTIC SCENES AT AVONMOUTH. CHEERED BRITISH SOLDIERS. Even those people who are most accustomed to witnessing the departure from and arrival at Avonmouth of the Canadian Northern liners had to look twice yesterday morning at the sombre looking ship which shortly before seven o'clock was making her way up the Kingroad, to the entrance lock. The usual bright and attractive lines of the steamer, and her striking paintwork had disappeared beneath a profuse coating of dark blue wash. The Royal Edward certainly had " the blues " from top" to bottom, and her transformation must have rendered her particularly invisible at sea from any considerable distance. However, if she was blue in appearance she certainly was not so far as her passenger; were concerned. There were upwards of 400 of these, and they included nearly couple of hundred of French reservists, who have been cailed from the other side to rejoin their regiments in Prance. The Frenchmen lined the upper-deck of the ship, and as the lock was negotiated there were unfurled and waved over the side several large Tricolours. A crowd British soldiers ashore gave the Frenchmen great reception. Those on board sang with real fervour the Marseillaise, which the British lads cheered to the echo its conclusion, and responded by singing the National Anthem.
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| Credit: Edmonton Journal, 18 August 1914. |
On 10 August 1914, Royal George sailed from Avonmouth packed with a record 443 First Class (including Sir William Mackenzie), mostly anxious Canadian and American tourists fleeing the war zone, 279 Second and 193 Third Class.
ROYAL GEORGE SAILS. The C.N.R. liner Royal George sailed from Avonmouth last evening, and those who desired to wish the steamer God speed discovered that she sailed from "P " shed instead of her old accustomed berth on the opposite side of the Royal Edward Dock. The Royal George is taking an abnormal number of first-class passengers to Quebec and Montreal, and these are mostly American tourists who are hurrying home" owing to the war. The bookings by the C.N.R. liner have been extraordinary in the last few days, and the first class have overflowed into the second and third class. Thus as much as £90 has been paid for third-class berths by first-class passengers, and as much as £400 has been offered for a first-class cabin. In connection with the Royal Line, Commander Gregory, R.N.R., marine superintendent of the line, has been deputed to take an official position in connection with transport work at Avonmouth; whilst Lieutenant Nicholls, R.N.R., chief officer of the Royal George, has been called by the Admiralty to rejoin the Navy- The commander of the Royal George, Captain P. J. Thompson, R.N.R., has been warned that his services may be needed. Lieutenant C. \V. Bridges, R.N.R., has taken the chief officership of the vessel in the stead of Mr Nicholls. The liner had great send-off last night from military and civilians. The passengers included Mr Hugh Sutherland, a member of the executive of the C.N.R. system; Sir William Mackenzie, President of the Company; the Hon. J. G. Armstrong, Mayor of Pittsburg; Sir Thomas Roddack, Countess Venturane, and Sir R. Bredon. There were on board representatives of the American Congress of Surgeons and the Clinical Congress. As the steamer left the dock there were enthusiastic cheers from the shore, the singing of the National Anthem and "Rule Britannia." Captain Thompson, the genial captain of "the George," went out in command of his ship with best of wishes from all his many friends Bristol.
Western Daily Press, 11 August 1914
She took the northern route, straight to Belle Isle and did not encounter a single vessel en route. The only alteration to peacetime routine was covered her portholes at night and extinguishing deck lights. When arrived on the 18th, it was stated she carried the largest ever First Class list to Montreal.
Canadian Northern announced on 12 August 1914 that "the Royal Edward had been commandeered by the Admiralty to serve as a hospital ship, whilst the Royal George, it was understood, was to be pressed into service for the purpose of transporting troops." But by the 18th, ongoing discussions regarding which ships would transport the first Canadian Forces to France were already including both CNR ships in a transport capacity.
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| Amid rumours as to their possible war use, Royal George and Royal Edward "carried on" on CNR's trans-Atlantic service. Credit: The Gazette, 21 August 1914. |
In the meantime, the Royal liners sailed on although they were playing out the final weeks of their commercial careers. Royal Edward sailed from Avonmouth at 9:00 pm on 26 August 1914 with 375 First, 274 Second and 228 Third Class aboard. "The C.N.R. liner Royal Edward will leave Bristol (Avonmouth) this evening for Quebec and Montreal, with a full passenger list. Since being in dock the Royal Edward has been cleansed of the precautionary coating of blue wash which disguised her on the voyage, home last week, and she looks again her attractive and graceful self. Capt. P. M. Wotton. R.N.R., the popular commander of the Royal Edward, will take her out as usual." (Western Daily Press, 26 August 1914). She arrived at Montreal on 4 September. Royal Edward sailed for Avonmouth on the 8th with 6 First, 24 Second and 173 Third. This proved to be the final eastbound crossing for "The Royals".
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| R.M.S. Royal George outbound in the St. Lawrence, 25 August 1914. Credit: Edgar Gariépy photograph, Archives de la Ville de Montreal. |
With 26 First, 68 Second and a record 881 Third Class aboard, Royal George took leave of Montreal and Quebec on 25 August 1914: "By the time the Royal George, which is leaving Montreal early this morning, leaves Quebec there will be over nine hundred passengers on board for the trip east to the British Isles. The greater part of this number consists of men bound for the scene of warfare to fight under the British and French flags. Five hundred British reservists are joining the ship at Quebec, and two hundred French reservists joined at Montreal last night, the rest off the passengers bringing the list up over the nine hundred mark." (Gazette, 25 August 1914)
ROYAL GEORGE ARRIVES. PASSENGERS AND MAILS FROM CANADA. The R.M.S. Royal George arrived safely at Avonmouth Docks early yesterday morning, with a very large number of passengers aboard, and mails, from Canada. During the week-end a rumour, which the Canadian Northern Steam, ship Company would be glad trace its source, went the rounds Bristol to the effect that the George had met with disaster. That there was no vestige of truth in such story was apparent at the time, but the local offices were as a consequence of the story visited by many anxious inquirers having relatives and friends aboard. It was shortly after 6.30 yesterday morning, a perfectly calm, summer morning, that the Royal George entered the locks, and preparations were hurried forward for the disembarkation of her passengers and mails. There was a very keen desire on the part of everyone aboard to learn the latest news from the front, and editions of morning papers were eagerly bought up. The voyage across from Montreal and Quebec was described as a very pleasant one, and without unusual incident. The next sailing date for the George would have been Wednesday next, September 9, but on this occasion the ship will make a very quick turn round, arrangements having been made for her to sail on Monday, the 7th instant. Passengers will embark at two o'clock on Monday afternoon, and special trains to facilitate this will run from Temple Meads at 1.20 p.m., and from Paddington at 12.50 p.m., with passengers and their baggage.
Western Daily News, 3 September 1914
Royal George came into Montreal on 15 September 1914. On what was her final CNR commercial voyage, she carried 358 First, 249 Second and 273 Third Class.
Departing Avonmouth a full four days earlier than originally planned, Royal Edward sailed on 19 September 1914 with 232 First, 180 Second and 182 Third Class. "The rush for steamship accommodation, saloon and second-class, is still so great that the Canadian Northern dispatched the Royal Edward four days ahead of the sailing time planned." (Gazette, 21 September 1914). She docked at Montreal on the 27th. And whilst scheduled to sail eastbound on 6 October 1914, she had, in fact, completed her final commercial voyage.
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| The final newspaper advertisements for the "Royals"-- left The National Post, 26 September 1914 and right Ottawa Journal 25 September 1914. |
Owing to the movement of Canadian troops and the consequent requisition of Atlantic liner by the government, both the Royal George and the Royal Edward of the Canadian Northern line are out of commission for passenger purposes.
The Winnipeg Tribune, 26 September 1914
In 1914, Royal Edward completed 14 crossings carrying 7,586 passengers (5,146 westbound and 2,440 eastbound and Royal George completed 17 crossings carrying 11,418 passengers (6,890 westbound and 4,790 eastbound) for a total of 19,065 passengers on 31 crossings.
ROYALS AT WAR
So like most of the Edwardian Liners, Royal Edward and Royal George went to war. They did so in the role of transports or accommodation ships not as so many of their compatriots as Armed Merchant Cruisers, their size and perhaps their light build making them less adoptable to such a role. And, uniquely, they went to war as Canadian ships, indeed the only Canadian flagged transports of either world wars. As with so many pairs or groups of sisters, the First World War was especially cruel and particularly to Canadian Route pairings: Alsatian/Calgarian (lost), Virginian/Victorian (lost) and, Andania(lost)/Alaunia(lost)/Aurania(lost). Royal Edward, too, would not survive the war but neither would Canadian Northern Railway, Canadian Northern Steamships or the Bristol-Avonmouth run. The victory they helped to achieve came at a very high price indeed.
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| "Canada's Answer" by Norman Wilkinson. H.M.S. Princess Royal (centre) with column "Z" far left and "Y" column lead by the all grey Royal Edward, Franconia (with the black hull) and Canada transporting the 1st Canadian Division from Quebec to Liverpool in October 1914. |
It was entirely fitting that the Dominion's own trans-Atlantic liners should proudly figure in Canadian history when she participated in the first troop convoy transporting the 1st Canadian Division to England. This epic first convoy of the war carried 1,547 officers, 29,070 men,7,679 horses, 70 guns, 110 motor vehicles, 705 horsed vehicles and 82 bicycles and the entire affair organised in less than two months. Royal Edward carried 1,197 officers and men of the 11th Btn and Royal George 1,175 officers and men of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry as well as a cargo of ammunition and 5,602 bags of flour. They completed loading at Levis by 30 September.
The convoy sailed on 3 October 1914 and consisted of three columns of transports "Z", "Y" and "X" with Royal Edward, Franconia and Canada in the centre Y column and Royal George last in X column with Andania and Saxonia escorted by three cruisers, two pre-dreadnaughts and H.M.S. Princess Royal, a Lion-class battlecruiser. The passage was favoured by fair weather, but the presence of German U-boats off the Isle of Wight cancelled plans to disembark the troops and equipment at Southampton and Royal Edward and Royal George proceeded first to Devonport to disembark their troops on the 14th and returned to Avonmouth arriving on the 18th which would remain their home port during most of their wartime careers.
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| H.M.T. Royal Edward at Devonport, 14 October 1914. Credit: Library & Archives Canada |
After this, the Royals went their separate ways, Royal George departing Avonmouth on 26 October 1914 for to Southampton where she embarked the 10th Middlesex Battalion, Territorials, for passage to Bombay. Upon arrival there, she was dispatched to Karachi where 500 women and 300 children, families of the British soldiers in India that had already been reassigned to the Western Front. As Captain Thompson recalled (Sea Breezes, November 1960): "The homeward voyage was extraordinary in view of the conditions. The ship was equipped as a troopship and carried only a nucleus of stewards in the catering department and no stewardesses. The women were mostly Irish and been in India sufficiently long to acquire the habits of Anglo-Indians, at first refusing to keep their cabins clean or even make their beds." She arrived, via Malta, at Gibraltar, narrowing avoiding a collision with the Cunarder Alaunia in a gale. Royal George returned to Avonmouth on 10 January 1915 and was laid up for several weeks.
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| Royal Edward, the luxury internment ship was a propaganda coup in British, Canadian and American newspapers. |
Meanwhile, beginning 18 November 1914 Royal Edward was used, with Cunard's Saxonia and Ivernia, by the British Government as accommodation vessels, for 5,000 interned German and Austrian nationals and military prisoners, anchored a mile off Southend Pier. Accommodating the civilians, Royal Edward was operated still as a three-class ship and her unwilling guests could "rent" cabins in either of the three grades of accommodation from one to three shillings a week or as low as 6d if sharing a multiple berth cabin. The ship was inspected by American journalists and embassy staff who reported glowingly on the conditions:
… the Royal Edward, the best of the three, caters for interned civilians, and has a notable company, among them fifteen German barons, divided among two saloon cabins known as 'Barons Court' and 'Whitechapel". The system of life on board all three ships is very similar, and the excellence of the arrangements no than the splendid order and moral maintained among a somewhat difficult company, is of the highest credit of the commandant, his adjutants, officers, and guards. The prisoners are well clothed and well fed in appearance and smiling faces are everywhere.
A motor-boat from the pier put me on board the Royal Edward, where the commandant and adjutant were courtesy and kindness itself, but quite officially uncommunicative. However, I learned elsewhere some details of life on board.
The Royal Edward was a boat in the passenger service, and there are a number of first class and saloon cabins which the wealthier men among the prisoners hire a fixed rates. There is also a dining club, the members of which pay so a week in order to be provided with delicacies beyond the ordinary prisoner's fare. The money from these sources is administered by the adjutant, and any surplus in 'the club fund' is used providing luxuries and comforts for all the prisoners on board. (Occasionally it runs to a ration of German sausage all round.). As there are many wealthy passengers on board the fund is considerable. These rich can also emply their compatriots to shave and valet them and wait at table.
Outside this charmed circle the 'second-class' prisoners also do very well. They are divided into messes, with an elected leader. He organizes the social life of his mess. Men who want to work on board give him their names, and he selects those who shall have it.
There is a great deal to be done in the ordinary daily routine of domestic duties, and every prisoner so employed receives one shilling a day.
The ration are on the same scale as for an English soldier, and include 1½ lb. of bread, 1 lb. of meat, and other items each day. But if the mess likes it can take less bread and some delicacy in substitute from stores. Cooking is done by the prisoners, and two German chefs from first-class London hotels superintend and do wonders with the daily allowance of meat.
There is a canteen on board where the prisoners buy extra food and luxuries, but of beverages they can get nothing stronger than cider. Bedsheets and bedding are provided for all, there are smoking lounges and dining and reading rooms, etc., which are those of a luxurious liner.
The Ottawa Citizen, 6 April 1915
However, the internees were confined below decks and for good reasons, for Royal Edward narrowly escaped being hit by a bomb during a raid on Southend by German zeppelin LZ-38 on 10 May 1915. After the German sinking of Lusitania, more Germans were interned and on the 14th, another 150 joined the more than 1,385 already quartered aboard the ship.
Both bound for grimer tasks, Royal Edward and Royal George were reunited in the Gallipoli Campaign, the first major amphibious landing of military forces which saw a veritable armada of former liners engaged first as transport ships both ferrying troops from England but also from Mudros, Lemnos, a Greek Aegean used as the base of operations, as well as hospital transports to/from Alexandria, Egypt. They operated independently from one another, however, but often just days apart in their comines and goings.
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| H.M.T. Royal George at Mudros, Lemnos, 24 March 1915. Note her superstructure facing bulkheads are still painted white. Credit: IWM Q61123 |
Royal George was "called up" for Dardenelles duty first and she left Avonmouth on 22 February 1915 for Southampton where she embarked 1,200 officers and men of the Howe Battalion of the Royal Naval Division on the 27th, sailing the next day for Mudros, via Malta (9 March). Together with five other transports, she led "a demonstration" convoy to the Gallipoli Peninsula, the very day (18 March) that the first in many disasters to befall the campaign occurred when a British battle cruiser, battleship and a French battleship were all sunk by mines or torpedoes. The transport convoy was quickly recalled and ordered to make for Alexandria on 23 March and then to Port Said to land their troops. For the former Egyptian Mail flagship Heliopolis, it was "going home".
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| Royal George at Port Said, 28 March 1915: the former Heliopolis "back home" in Egypt! |
Escorted by H.M.S. Dartmouth, Royal George and other transports sailed from the Aegean island of Skyros on 24 April for the landings at Cape Helles the following day. Her compliment of Royal Navy Division was landed by ship's boat early on the 26th and she remained off the beaches for two days during the worst of the fighting. On 11 May 1915 Royal George sailed for Alexandria with wounded, arriving on the 13th, sadly a number of them expiring before arrival. She then left for Avonmouth via Malta, and arrived on the 25th.
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| Royal George off the Gallipoli beaches. Credit: Australian War Memorial. |
Royal George was of again to Mudros, leaving Avonmouth on 15 June 1915 and joining a convoy including Ivernia transporting the 13th Div to Gallipoli. Sailing via Gibraltar, Malta and Alexandria, she arrived at Mudros on 2 July and returned almost immediately to Avonmouth.
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| Royal George and H.M.S. Agamemnon at Mudros. Credit: Australian War Memorial. |
The two sisters were but a day or apart for the next few weeks as Royal Edward joined her on the Gallipoli transport run. Royal George sailed from Avonmouth on 29 July 1915 called at Malta 5 August, arrived Alexandria on the 9 Aug, left for Mudros 11th and arrived there two days later. Royal Edward left Avonmouth the day before he sister and embarked her troops at Devonport on the 30th: 1,367 officers and men, most of them reinforcements for the British 29th Infantry Division as well as Royal Army Medical Corps. personnel. After calling at Alexandria on 11-12th, she sailed for Mudros.
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| Doubtless one of, if not the last, photograph taken of H.M.T. Royal Edward embarking troops for fateful voyage from Alexandria to Mudros. Credit: Kathryn Atkin collection. |
The following morning (13 August 1915) off the island of Kandeloussa, Royal Edward passed the British hospital ship Soudan, heading in the opposite direction. The transport had just exercised her troops at emergency boat stations and as they were returning to their quarters to store lifejackets, she was hit by two torpedoes fired by UB-14 (Oberleutnant zur See Heino von Heimburg) from about a mile away at around 9:00 am. Hit in the stern, Royal Edward was mortally wounded and sank in just an astonishing six minutes. She was able to get off one SOS message before power was lost and fortunately Soudan, which turned around immediately and two nearly French destroyers and some local trawlers, were on the scene in an hour. Incredibly, two of Royal Edward's boats managed to be launched while several broke free as she sank and still floating overturned were used as makeshift rafts by those in the water which was, at least warm and calm. Soudan managed to save 440 and the other vessels another 221.
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| Survivors on an overturned lifeboat awaiting rescue by H.M.H.S. Soudan. Credit: By Ndovu09 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73070218 |
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| Survivors coming aboard Soudan. Credit: By Ndovu09 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73070218 |
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| Royal Edward survivors aboard Soudan. Credit: By Ndovu09 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73070218 |
The timing of the attack could not have been worse as so many of her compliment were below deck storing their lifejackets and, of course, had it come just 45 minutes earlier, they would have been at their boat stations with them on. In all, the death toll was 935 from the first sinking of a British transport in the war and even amid the ceaseless carnage and reverses in the Gallipoli Campaign, Royal Edward's sinking struck deeply at British and Allied morale. Among those lost were Captain Peter Wooton, among 132 of her ship's company, most of them local Bristol and West Country men.
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| The loss of Royal Edward was, of course, headline news throughout Canada. Credit: Victoria Daily Times, 17 August 1915. |
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| Nowhere was Royal Edward mourned more than in Bristol, not only she the local pride and joy, but most of her crew were West Countrymen. Credit: Bristol Archives |
Now another First World War ocean liner "sole surviving sister", Royal George returned to Avonmouth on 29 August 1915. The rest of the year was and well into 1916, she continued trooping in the Mediterranean, mostly from Marseilles (another familiar haunt from her former Heliopolis route) to Salonika and further afield to Basrah where she arrived on 1 January 1916 having left Marseilles on 4 December, with periodic returns to Avonmouth.
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| Home again: the former Heliopolis at Marseilles, her homeport on her regular trooping runs to Salonika throughout most of 1916. Credit: Great War Forum. |
The Gallipoli Campaign continued to take its toll on British liners and on 21 November 1916 H.M.H.S. Britannic was sunk after striking a mine on a voyage, fortunately with no wounded aboard, from Naples to Mudros. Her 1,134 survivors were picked up by a variety of Royal Navy vessels and a French tug. The officers and ship's company were taken to Salonika they embarked towards the end of the month in Royal George for passage to Marseilles, then by train to Le Havre and finally ferry to England.
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| Another c. 1916 postcard published in Marseilles with the Bleriot monoplane dubbed in in all of this series off cards. Royal George still looks smart and well-maintained. She carries her normal compliment of lifeboats but with collapsibles under each. Credit: Great War Forum |
If Royal Edward did not survive the war, neither did Canadian Northern Railway or Canadian Northern Steamships. The construction of the trans-continental railway was simply beyond the finances of one company, let alone its principal financial backer, the Bank of Commerce. Yet on 23 January 1915 Mackenzie and Mann realised their dream with the last spike was driven home at Basque, B.C. on the last transcontinental railway in North America and in June 1915 through Montreal-Vancouver rail service commenced.
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| The last of Canadian Northern's traditional first week of the New Year advertisements in the National Post, 2 January 1915. That year saw its greatest triumph, the completion of the "Second Transcontinental" overshadowed by the war, its precarious financial condition and the loss of Royal Edward. |
By then, the Company's finances were in dire straits, threatening to take down the Bank of Commerce at the same time and the government had to step in and become a majority shareholder. This led eventually to the nationalisation of the Great Northern and its combination with Canadian Government Railways to form Canadian National Railway in December 1918.
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| Another popular Marseilles postcard series set Allied transports in "stormy weather". By the end of 1915,the owners of Royal George, now the sold surviving sister, faced stormier financial conditions than the transport did seas. |
Canadian Northern Steamships had already ceased to exist. When Royal Edward and Royal George had been requisitioned, Uranium's Principello and Campanello were transferred to the Avonmouth-St. Lawrence run in their place. But given CNR's financial condition and the diminished returns on the wartime service, it was an easy decision to accept Cunard's offer to purchase the entire operation. It was announced on 1 May 1916 that Cunard had acquired "the steamers and trade of the Canadian Northern Steamships, Limited." Campanello, Uranium and Principello were renamed Flavia, Feltria and Folia and continued as before. None would survive the war except Royal George which kept her name and be added to those exceptions of Cunarders without an "-ia" ending name. For her part, Royal George continued her war service, but with Cunard officers and crew and re-registered in London. So Canada lost, too, her only remaining trans-ocean passenger liner.
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| Credit: Calgary Herald, 2 May 1916 |
So ended the great aspirations of Mackenzie and Mann for an all Canadian globe-girding transportation system to rival Canadian Pacific. In the end, the Royal Line instead of being a complimentary element to the transcontinental railway had proven successful before it could be completed and more immediately profitable as well.
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| Royal George did not figure in too much Cunard literature during her two years service with them. This above detail is from a general fleet brochure c. 1920. Credit: Timetable Images |
A ROYAL CUNARDER
Before the Queens, before Berengaria and even predating Kaiserin Auguste Victoria, Royal George was the first Cunard "Royal" on the North Atlantic. In commercial service for Cunard for barely a year and a half, she did yeoman duty restoring some semblance of regular crossings after the First World War, but is surely one of the most overlooked and obscure of all Cunarders.
The next phase of Royal George's career would be repatriating Canadian forces back from Britain and France whilst transitioning back into regular trans-Atlantic service for a badly war depleted Cunard Line on the Liverpool-Halifax-New York route.
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| Hard war service has not diminished Royal George's lovely profile nor has her new Cunard livery. A Stuart photograph taken in Southampton Water. credit: author's collection. |
1919
Royal George arrived at Liverpool on 3 January 1919 and given what must have been as cursory a conversion back into a passenger liner, let alone, a Cunarder, as it was quick. Although transports back then largely retained their saloon accommodation pretty much intact. As it was, although repainted in full Cunard livery (and looking no less handsome so attired), she initially retained her wartime troop capacity of some 1,200 in her former Third Class and 'tween decks. For like many other liners, her role was two-fold; repatriating soldiers to Canada and an eclectic hodge-podge of other war workers and even Chinese coolies westbound while carrying commercial passengers especially eastbound. She was initially detailed to the Liverpool-Halifax-New York run in company with Carmania, Caronia, Saxonia and a hodge-podge of other chartered tonnage including PSNCo.'s Orduna.
Her initial accommodation of some 300 First, 200 Second and 1,200 steerage/troops meant that her boatage had to be augmented with a rather awkward arrangement of carrying one set of boats swung out on their davits and lowered to embarkation level on the Boat Deck and another set of boats carried on the Boat Deck directly behind and above at the last three pairs of davits aft.
Royal George's captain during most of her Cunard career was William Prothero who later became so well associated with Scythia which commanded on her maiden voyage and through most of the 1920s.
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| First post-war advertisement for Royal George's Cunard sailings from New York. Credit: Gazette, 18 February 1919. |
Beginning her short Cunard career, Royal George she sailed from Liverpool on 10 February 1919 for Halifax with 59 officers, 47 cadets and 1,210 other ranks. The eastbound crossings would be offered commercially by Cunard. She docked at Halifax on the 20th and in addition to her troops, disembarked 18 commercial passengers before proceeding to New York when she docked on the 23rd to land 108 First and 23 Third Class passengers. Her first sailing from the port was on the 27th with 116 First and 219 Third Class. Only partially restored to commercial service, Royal George did not initially accommodate Second Class.
Her next voyage embarked a record 57 officers, 43 cadets and 1,529 other ranks as well as 62 First Class passenger at Liverpool on 17 March 1919 for Halifax where she docked on the 25th in company with Cretic and Olympic. Between them, the three liners had some 8,000 Canadian soldiers aboard. Commanding the soldiers aboard, Major G.R. Rodgers, "paid a high tribute to the officers aboard Royal George who, he said, had done everything in their power to make the voyage a pleasant one for ranks. In this they had been aided by fair weather throughout the voyage, and as a result, the trip had been an especially pleasant one." (Gazette). Royal George continued to New York where she landed 195 First Class passengers on the 27th and sailed for Liverpool with 16 First, 43 Second (her first such carryings after the war) and 46 Third Class.
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| A Kingsway photo card of Royal George from a painting, artist unknown. credit: author's collection |
Undergoing perhaps more renovation first, Royal George's next sailing from Liverpool was not until 4 May 1919 when she left with 71 officers, four nurses and 1,491 other ranks as well as 46 First Class passengers for Halifax, reached on the 14th. Among those aboard was the famous Canadian impressionist painter Capt. Maurice Cullen returning from France painting for the Canadian War Records. At New York on the 16th she landed 232 First Class passengers. Sailing for Liverpool on the 20th, Royal George had 92 First, 152 Second and 160 Third Class aboard.
With 54 officers and 1,392 men aboard as well as 42 First Class passengers for Halifax and 232 for New York, Royal George left Liverpool on 7 June 1919. Among her military passengers were 12 officers and five other ranks of the Canadian War Narrative's Section who were bringing back 12 tons of wartime documents to record the technical history of the Dominion's part in the war. Halifax was reached at noon on the 16th and New York two days later where 232 First Class (the same as her last call there!) disembarked. Eastbound, she left on the 24th with 128 First, 140 Second and 218 Third Class fares.
Royal George departed Liverpool on 12 July 1919 with 98 officers, 51 nurses and 485 other ranks, and after "an uneventful trip" docked at Halifax on the 20th. The signing of the Versailles Peace Treaty "was celebrated on board on Saturday night by a concert and a ball." Only 22 First Class passengers landed there and another 241 at New York on the 22nd. This ended her service on the Liverpool run and on the 26th she sailed for Plymouth, Havre and Southampton with 177 First, 140 Second and 650 Third Class. She sailed the same day as Aquitania and the two sailed with a record number of civilian passengers carried by any line on a single day since the war. She arrived at Plymouth at 11.30 pm on 4 August and landed 98 First and 138 Second Class passengers the following morning. This was her first commercial call there since her delivery voyage as Heliopolis.
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| Early July sailing advertisements in U.S. and British papers first showing Royal George joining Cunard's premier express service to New York from Southampton. |
Cunard had announced in February 1919 their express service would be based on Southampton instead of Liverpool, additionally calling at Cherbourg in both directions, and eastbound at Plymouth. It was not until June that this effected, first by Aquitania, followed by Mauretania and, "filling in" initially before Imperator was acquired from the Shipping Controller and refitted, Royal George. The erstwhile Egyptian Mail Greyhound and Canadian route recordbreaker, was now "doing her bit" to restore Cunard's fabled Ocean Express. Indeed, except for the "Big Three", she was the fastest ship in the fleet at least on paper. Even so, she continued to carry large numbers of non commercial passengers in her troop spaces and like her much bigger and nominally faster running mates, bedeviled by bad weather, worse coal and poor passages.
Royal George first sailed from Southampton on 14 August 1919 with 283 First and 308 Third Class for Halifax (arriving 24th) and 190 First and 491 Third Class at New York on 26th. In addition, she landed 1,000 Chinese collies who had been wartime labourers in France and being repatriated via Halifax and Vancouver. This gave her a total list of 2,272 and must have made for appalling conditions below decks. Once again, her eastbound crossing starting on the 30th was to Plymouth, Havre and Southampton with 144 First, 144 Second and 311 Third Class (for Havre).
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| One of the few really good photographs of Royal George as a Cunarder, shown in Southampton Water and one of the famous Stuart photos used as postcards. Credit: Merseyside Maritime Museum. |
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| Detail of the above photo (LEFT click for full size scan) showing her with her boats swung out and partially lowered, as in wartime and an extra set of boats at her last three sets of davits. This must be when she was still carrying as many as 1,300 steerage/troops on her post-war repatriation voyages to Canada. |
Her next voyage got underway from Southampton at 5:00 pm on 20 September 1919 for Halifax and New York. Mauretania sailed the same day at 4:00 pm marking the first time two Cunarders had done so from the Hampshire port and their combined total of more than 900 saloon passengers, too, was a record to date.
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| Royal George's second Southampton departure figured in two records for the port. Credit: Hampshire Advertiser, 20 September 1919. |
Royal George landed 76 First, 10 Second and 520 Third Class (troops and dependents) at Halifax on 29 September 1919 before continuing to New York where she disembarked 202 First, 120 Second and 213 Third Class on the 30th. Among her passengers were 216 Jewish Legionnaires who had fought with General Allenby in Palestine. Upon arrival in New York they were sent to the 71st Reg. Armory, paid off and discharged by the British Consul-General. Royal George sailed for Havre and Southampton on the 4th. She also brought the officers, engineers and 350 crew who were to take Imperator to Southampton.
Royal George's next crossing from Southampton to Halifax and New York commenced on 22 October at 6:00 pm and she arrived at the Nova Scotian port on 1 November with 37 officers and 536 and other ranks in addition to 69 First and 29 Second Class commercial passengers. Arriving at New York on the 9th, she landed 178 First, 126 Second and 134 Third Class. Among her passenger were 148 Americans who had served with the British forces during the war, including 133 who had fought against the Turks in Palestine and Macedonia. Her return crossing commenced the next day and en route to Havre and Southampton, she called at Plymouth on 20 November, in company with Saxonia and Caronia, a record for the port and the only time three Cunarders were in Cawsend Bay on the same day.
On her final voyage of a busy 1919, Royal George sailed from Southampton on 27 November and from Havre the next day for Halifax. Packed in her Third Class were 1,200 Chinese who had embarked at Havre and were returning home, via Canada, after serving as war labourers in France. The ship was hit a ferocious storm the first full day out with 40 ft. waves washing over the deck and rough weather ensued for the rest of the crossing, eliciting sheer panic among them. A passenger in First Class who had been missionary in China for 15 years had a phonograph with him with scores of Chinese records which he played for them as a means of comforting them. It worked well enough so when they disembarked at Halifax on 9 December they took the phonograph and records with them for the rest of their long journey by train to Vancouver and Canadian Pacific steamer for the final leg. She also disembarked 267 First and 179 Second Class there. So battered was the ship and short of coal after battling the storm that she stayed at Halifax for a full week before proceeding to New York after one of the longest trans-Atlantic crossings which finally ended on the 19th. Astonishingly, 172 First and 167 Second Class stayed with her the whole way and disembarked there. Royal George left for Southampton on the 21st.
In 1919, Royal George carried 6,431 commercial passengers (4,372 westbound and 5,994 eastbound).
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| One of the highlights of her brief post-war Cunard career was being afforded the distinction of being depicted by Kenneth Shoesmith in one of his earliest postcards showing Royal George sailing from Plymouth. Credit: author's collection. |
1920
The winter of 1919/20 on the North Atlantic was not a mild one and Royal George's first crossing of 1920 was as storm-tossed and tardy as the previous ones. Departing Southampton on 8 January, she did not dock at Halifax until the 20th, "coated with ice." She landed only 75 passengers there and the balance of 303 continued to New York, reached four days later. Among the passengers disembarking was Mme. Anna Ott, leading soprano of a company of Russian grand opera singers coming over to appear in the Metropolitan Opera House. She sailed eastbound on the 27th.
Leaving Southampton on 22 February 1920, Royal George called at Havre late the same day where she embarked another capacity list of 1,214 Chinese coolies being repatriated via Halifax and Vancouver, the last such contingent. After another tedious 12-day crossing, she came in mid morning on 3 March and proceeded to New York, reached on the 6th right in the middle of a hurricane force gale. Conditions were so bad that the White Star liner Cedric, backing out into the North River, was struck by a New York Central car float and broke her rudder. Whilst docking at Pier 54, Royal George bumped into the stern of Imperator lying at her berth there. Royal George lost 10 ft. of her bridge railing and damage to her superstructure whilst Imperator had several feet of the ornate gilt scroll decorating her stern torn off.
The Royal George of the Cunard Line, bound in from Southampton, which been anchored outside the harbor all night during the hurricane, which reached a hundred miles velocity, came along with the Cedric was blocking the river and had to anchor for three hours until the course was clear.
When the Royal George finally reached Pier 54, foot of West Thirteenth Street, the wind and the tide swung her starboard bow against the big counter of the Imperator, lying on the north side of the pier, which carried away ten feet of the rail on the bridge deck forward of the Royal George and smashed in the superstructure, but the damage will not prevent the liner sailing on Tuesday for Southampton. The only damage received by the Imperator was the loss of several feet of her gilt scroll around the stern and rubbing off of a part of the coast of arms of the City of Hamburg…
Captain William Prothero of the Royal George, who was wearing a sou'wester, sea boots, pilot jacket, blue-knitted guernsey and fearnought trousers, said he would have got into the pier all right if he could have come up at 2 o'clock instead of having to anchor and wait three hours. The tide with the wind carried the bow of his vessel over to the stern of the Imperator, but the damage was not serious.
A little paint and putty and a jury rail with wooden stanchions would her safely until she reached home, the Captain added. The damage is confined to the starboard quarter off the promenade deck under the bridge and the break of the foc'sle deck on the same side.
New York Times, 7 March 1920
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| Royal George seldom featured in newspapers in her post-war dotage, but bumping into the giant Imperator whilst docking at New York on 6 March 1920 got her in the Daily News. Credit: Daily News, 8 March 1920. |
Royal George's homeward voyage from New York on 9 March called unusually at Halifax on the 11th before proceeding to Plymouth, Havre and Southampton.
Of Cunard's pre-war services, all had been restored to some degree by spring 1920 with the notable exception of that to the St. Lawrence. On 23 March 1920 the Montreal Gazette reported hopefully: "There is every likelihood of the Cunard Line steamer Royal George being placed in the Canadian service for the ensuring Montreal season, according to an announcement made by the Robert Reford Company, Limited, local agents for that line. If the proposed plan is carried out, the sailings of the Royal George will be between Montreal and Plymouth, Cherbourg and Southampton."
Royal George, which departed Southampton on 31 March 1920, docked at Halifax at dawn on 6 April after a short (finally!) crossing which was marred by the death of her surgeon, 66-year-old Dr. James Pointon. He collapsed from an attack of angina on the 4th and was buried at sea before the full ship's company. Cunard's oldest surgeon, he had been with the company over 30 years.
Captain William Prothero, the commander, said that James Pointon, the ships surgeon, died of heart disease on Easter Sunday morning as he was walking from his cabin to the dining saloon to attend the church service. Late on Saturday Dr. Pointon sent for the dispenser and said:
'I know I am going to die on this trip and I wish to be buried like sailor in the sea on which nearly forty years of my life have been passed. Have my body sewn up in canvas,with firebars to sink it well down and no coffin.'
The captain said that the ship was stopped at 5 o'clock Sunday afternoon and the body borne by six of the officers as pallbearers and placed on a grating which had been rigged at the gangway on the starboard quarter. The service was read by Rev. Stuart Wright, and after the body had slid off the grating into the sea the buglers sounded the last post and the Royal George went full speed ahead on her course.
New York Times, 11 April 1920
After landing 65 passengers at Halifax, Royal George continued to New York to arrive on the 10th with the remaining 573. And, in her strongroom, $800,000 in gold.
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| A later photo postcard of Royal George showing her with her revised compliment of lifeboats when she ceased carrying extra steerage/troop passengers. Credit: eBay auction photo. |
On what would have been a return to glamour and excitement (and press coverage) for the ship was tantalisingly reported in the New York Daily News on 1 April 1920 that America's Favourite Couple, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, would sail in Royal George from New York on 19 May on their honeymoon. But instead they eventually went in Lapland the following month. There was, too, no triumphant reopening of Cunard's St. Lawrence route by the ship as predicted by the Montreal Gazette, either. Indeed, it would not be until 1922 that a Cunarder called at Montreal.
Instead, Royal George continued to ply the Southampton-Cherbourg-Halifax-New York run that spring, essentially a place holder for Aquitania as she underwent her major post-war refit and conversion to oil. With Imperator and Mauretania already on the route and with Royal George worn out and requiring a substantial refitting of her own, her small size and seakeeping qualities precluded her from any further investment especially with Cunard's epic new intermediate fleet in the offing.
Royal George left Southampton on 4 May 1920 for Halifax and New York, landing 370 at the later on the 14th and 348 at the former on the 16th. She left New York with a heavy list of 1,261 passengers on the 19th and no Mary Pickford or Douglas Fairbanks among the 272 First Class. Nearly 200 disembarked at Plymouth on the 29th and she reached Southampton at 4:00 pm the next day.
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| Final Cunard advertisement for Royal George from Southampton on her last voyage to New York. Credit: Exeter & Plymouth Gazette, 10 June 1920. |
On 10 June 1920, Royal George left Southampton at 12:10 pm with 80 First, 279 Second and 200 Third Class, the later being 200 crew coming to Canada to sail back to Inverness a new fleet of 40 Castle-type trawlers built there on Admiralty orders during the War. Continuing to New York, she arrived there at 6:00 am on the 21st where she landed her remaining 50 First, 169 Second and 58 Third Class.
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| Miss Ethel May Davis was the toast of Royal George on what would prove the liner's final westbound voyage. Credit: Daily News, 22 June 1920. |
At noon 25 June 1920, Royal George cast off from Pier 54 New York with 253 First, 198 Second and 420 Third Class passengers for Southampton via Plymouth and Cherbourg. She arrived at Plymouth on 5 July and the follow day at Southampton.This ended the New York to Plymouth call until it was resumed by Caronia on 26 September. It was also Royal George's final voyage.
On 17 July 1920 the Hampshire Advertiser reported "No reference is made in the latest Cunard sailing list to the Royal George, so it looks very much as if the rumours to the effect that she is to be taken off the Atlantic run will prove true. The rumour now in circulation that she is to be sold, but at present there is no official confirmation of this."
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| The New York newspapers were quite certain that Royal George had already found new owners upon her final departure for Cunard Line on 25 June 1920. |
"There was a rumor abroad in shipping circles yesterday, on which there was no confirmation, that the Royal George of the Cunard Line has been acquired by the Furness Withy Company. Neither company concerned had anything to say on the matter, but on reliable information it appeared that the vessel is likely to go on the Boston-Liverpool passenger route of the Furness-Warren Line." so reported the Gazette on 19 August 1920. Taking the story a step forward, on 27 October the Victoria Daily Times reported the ship had indeed been sold "to Furness, Withy & Co., for operation between Liverpool and Boston."
That was the last that of heard of the "sale" and, instead, Royal George steamed to Plymouth where she arrived on 19 December 1920. Cunard had sought to lay her up at Devonport but when this was refused, she anchored in the Cattewater on the 21st, becoming the largest ship ever to enter the waterway under her own steam. In January 1921 a Plymouth harbour offical told the Western Morning News "There was never room in the Cattewater for big liners like the Royal George for instance. In fact, we should like to see the Royal George out of the way, as she is hampering our running trade, and expect soon to have a big volume coming into the port."
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| Credit: Western Morning News, 21 December 1920 |
In 1920, Royal George carried 6,032 commercial passengers (2,511 westbound and 3,521 eastbound).
1921
On 26 March 1921 the Western Morning News reported "The Cunard s.s. Royal George, which has been such a conspicuous object in the Cattewater for weeks past, is about to leave Plymouth for Cherbourg. There, we understand, she will be permanently moored, and employed for accommodation of passengers either waiting to embark or arriving by the Company's Transatlantic vessels which call at that port." She was costing Cunard £70 a week in maintenance and port fees.
Royal George left her moorings for Plymouth Sound on 31 March 1921, sailing the following day for Cherbourg. She arrived there on 2 April and was reported to be "immediately prepared for the reception of Continental passengers who have to undergo a period of quarantine before embarking for New York. This is in connection with precautions against typhus." (Western Morning News). This was in response to an outbreak of typhus on Presidente Wilson and American immigration authorities required pre-clearance of intending immigrants that summer. With a shortage of accommodation, Royal George was pressed into service.
The typhus outbreak passed with the summer trans-Atlantic season and Royal George was no longer required at Cherbourg. She sailed for Dartmouth in December 1921 and then arrived at Falmouth on the 11th were she was laid up. With a worldwide shipping slump and the worse for wear after her stint as an immigrant hostel, Royal George's prospects were grim. And she was all of 14 years old.
1922
It is noteworthy that her guests stripped her of everything moveable while they had the opportunity. It is probable that the Royal George's turbines will be taken out and put into some new German ship.
Western Daily Press, 28 July 1922
So was it was reported when Cunard finally found a buyer in late July 1922 for Royal George: shipbreakers at Wilhelmshaven Navy Yard although it is not known if indeed those resourceful Germans recycled her turbines. She fetched all of £15,000 or 30 shillings a ton and arrived there on 7 August. It was a dismal end for Royal George, a ship that as Heliopolis numbered Puccini and Churchill among her passengers and been flagship of the nascent Canadian Merchant Navy.
Canadian Northern Steamships "The Royal Line" 1910-1914
No. of Crossings (one-way) Passengers Carried
R.M.S. Royal Edward 100 59,223
R.M.S. Royal George 90 56,084
R.M.S. Royal Edward 100 59,223
R.M.S. Royal George 90 56,084
190 115,307
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| R.M.S. Royal Edward, Westward Bound. Credit: author's collection |
R.M.S. ROYAL EDWARD
R.M.S. ROYAL GEORGE
Built by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co., Govan Yard nos. 449 (Heliopolis) & 450 (Cairo)
Gross tonnage 11,117 (Royal Edward)
11,146 (Royal George)
Length: (o.a.) 545 ft.
(b.p.) 525 ft.
Beam: 60.2 ft.
Machinery: triple screw direct drive Parsons turbines, four double end and four single ended boilers, 195 psi. 16,800 shp
Speed: 18 knots service
20.75 knots trials
Passengers 344 First Class 210 Second Class 550 Third Class
Officers & Crew 275
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Warshipbuilding on the Clyde, 1889-1939: A Financial Study, Hugh Bowie Peebles, 1986 (Thesis)
Marine Engineer & Naval Architect
Nautical Gazette
Scientific American
Sea Breezes
Syren & Shipping
Bristol Times & Mirror
Calgary Herald
Daily Mirror
Daily News
Edmonton Journal
Exeter & Plymouth Gazette
Gazette (Montreal)
Hampshire Advertiser
Lloyd's List
National Post
New York Times
Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa Journal
Star-Phoenix
The Province
Victoria Daily Times
Warwick & Warwickshire Advertiser
Western Daily Press
Western Morning News
Westminster Gazette
Windsor Star
Winnipeg Tribune
Vancouver Daily World
https://archive.org/details/atlanticroyalsro00cana/mode/2up
https://www.awm.gov.au/
https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/collections/
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/
https://archives.bristol.gov.uk/
https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Pages/home.aspx
https://www.gettyimages.com/
https://www.greatwarforum.org/
http://www.gwpda.org/naval/1cdncvy.htm
https://www.hathitrust.org/
https://www.iwm.org.uk/
https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/merseyside-maritime-museum
https://marinersmuseum.org/
https://www.newspapers.com/
https://news.google.com/newspapers
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https://www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum
https://www.royaledward.net/
http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime/
A special note of appreciation to Kathyn Atkin (owner of the https://www.royaledward.net/the-last-voyage/ website) for her helpful assistance.
Additions/Corrections/Contributions welcomed
contact the author at posted_at_sea@hotmail.com
© Peter C. Kohler
