The Fleets
This page covers Quebec SS Co., Bermuda & West Indies S.S. Co. and Trinidad Shipping & Trading Co.
In 1867 the Quebec & Gulf Ports S.S. Co was formed with Canadian Government backing and in 1874 cargo services between Canada and Bermuda commenced. The company was renamed Quebec SS Co in 1880 . Canada Steamship Lines took over the Quebec SS Co in 1913 which continued operation as Quebec Steamship Division, Canada Steamship Lines. In 1919 Quebec SS Co was acquired from Canada SS Lines by Furness, Withy & Co and operated as Furness-Bermuda Line.
The Trinidad Shipping & Trading Co was taken over in 1920, and in 1921 the two companies amalgamated to form the Bermuda & West Indies SS Co. In 1929 the Red Cross Line (C. T. Bowring & Co) was purchased. The Bermuda & West Indies SS Co ceased operation in 1959 but the passenger service to Bermuda continued under the management of Furness Withy until 1966.
Many thanks to Ted Finch for his assistance in collecting this data. The following list was extracted from various sources. This is not an all inclusive list but should only be used as a guide.
Routes
- New York - Bermuda / Canada / West Indies.
Ships
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alhambra | 1865 | ex- Ada Wilson , 1877 purchased renamed Alhambra, 1889 scrapped. | 1,063 |
| Bahama | 1862 | ex- General Meade , 1869 purchased renamed Bahama, 1882 sank 550 miles from New York. | 1,238 |
| Bermuda (1) | 1874 | 1899 owned by R. S. Gamble. | 1,160 |
| Bermuda (2) | 1927 | 1931 burnt out at Belfast while being repaired from previous fire. | 19,086 |
| Bermudian (1) | 1904 | 1920 renamed Fort Hamilton. 1926 sold to Cosulich, Trieste renamed Stella D'Italia. | 5,530 |
| Bermudian (2) | 1915 | tender at Bermuda, ex- H.M.S. Arctic Whale , 1923 purchased from Admiralty renamed Bermudian, 1947 transferred to Bermuda Transportation Co, Hamilton. | 237 |
| Campana | 1873 | 1897 purchased from A. M. Smith, London, 1914 wrecked. | 1,288 |
| Canadia | 1889 | 1908 purchased from HAPAG, 1909 sold to Anglo-Hellenic Shipping Co. renamed Myrtoon. | 2,413 |
| Canima | 1863 | ex- Princess Royal , 1880 purchased renamed Canima, 1884 scrapped. | 712 |
| Caribee | 1878 | ex- Merionethshire , 1890 purchased from Jenkins Shire Line renamed Caribee, 1907 sold to W. Walker, London. | 1,817 |
| Cascapedia | 1895 | ex- Fastnet , 1910 purchased from Clyde Shipping Co., Glasgow renamed Cascapedia. 1918 sold to Federal Lines, Halifax, abandoned on fire off US east coast | 1,158 |
| Castle Harbour | see Mid-Ocean. | ||
| City of Quebec | 1864 | ex- Dumbarton , 1865 purchased from T. A. Gibb & Co. renamed City of Quebec, 1870 sank in St. Lawrence after collision. | 1,462 |
| Dominica | 1913 | ex- Digby , 1925 transferred from Furness, Withy renamed Dominica, 1935 sold to United Baltic Corp., renamed Baltrover. | 3,966 |
| Flamborough | 1867 | 1874 purchased from J. Livesay, Sunderland, 1896 owned by R. Williams. | 670 |
| Fontabelle | 1882 | ex- Pembrokeshire , 1893 purchased from Jenkins Shire Line renamed Fontabelle, 1906 sold to Brazil renamed Canoe. | 2,632 |
| Fort Avalon | 1949 | chartered from Furness Withy, 1960 sold to Lebanon renamed Azur Med. | 3,484 |
| Fort Hamilton (1) | see Bermudian (1) | ||
| Fort Hamilton (2) | 1940 | ex- Stuart Prince , 1951 chartered from Prince Line renamed Fort Hamilton, 1958 reverted to Stuart Prince. | 1,948 |
| Fort St. George | 1912 | ex- Wandilla , 1921 purchased from Adelaide SS Co., renamed Fort St. George, 1935 sold to Lloyd Triestino renamed Cesarea. | 7,785 |
| Fort Townshend | 1936 | 1952 sold to Saudi Arabia renamed Al Amir Said. | 3,489 |
| Fort Victoria | 1913 | ex- Willochra , 1921 purchased from Adelaide SS Co., renamed Fort Victoria, 1929 sank in Ambrose Channel, New York after collision with s/s ALGONQUIN (Clyde-Mallory Line) | 7,784 |
| Gaspe | 1862 | ex- Emma , 1864 purchased renamed Gaspe, 1872 wrecked St. Pierre Island, St. Lawrence. | 355 |
| Guiana | 1907 | 1925 scrapped. | 3,657 |
| Hadji | 1872 | 1882 wrecked in St. Lawrence. | 1,033 |
| Korona | 1886 | ex- Monmouthshire , 1902 purchased from Jenkins Shire Line renamed Korona, 1920 sold to Korona SS Corp., Callao. | 2,874 |
| Longbird | 1919 | ex- Newton Bay , 1929 purchased from Acadia Shipping Co, Quebec. renamed Longbird, 1935 sold to Viking SS Co, Nassau. | 363 |
| Madiana | 1876 | ex- San Augustin , 1892 purchased from Cia Trasatlantica, Barcelona renamed Madiana, 1903 wrecked Bermuda. | 2,948 |
| Manoa | 1889 | ex- Allandale , 1907 purchased from Tynedale Steam Shipping Co., Newcastle renamed Manoa, 1912 sold to Greece renamed Antonia. | 3,057 |
| Maraval | 1903 | ex- Irrawaddy , 1914 purchased from British & Burmese S.N. Co, renamed Maraval, 1934 scrapped. | 5,144 |
| Matura | 1901 | ex- Amarapoora , 1914 purchased from Prentice, Service & Henderson, Glasgow, renamed Matura, 1929 scrapped. | 4,546 |
| Mayaro | 1900 | ex- Pegu , 1914 purchased from British & Burmese S.N. Co, renamed Mayaro, 1921 taken over in amalgamation, 1929 scrapped. | 3,896 |
| Mid-Ocean | 1929 | passenger tender at Hamilton Bermuda, 1930 renamed Castle Harbour, 1942 sunk by U.160, U-Boat off Trinidad. | 730 |
| Miramichi | 1864 | ex- Teazer , 1867 purchased renamed Miramichi, 1902 scrapped. | 727 |
| Monarch of Bermuda | 1931 | 1939-1947 troopship, 1947 after serious fire, sold to Ministry of Transport and rebuilt as emigrant ship New Australia. | 22,424 |
| Muriel | 1872 | 1879 purchased from Blythe Bros, London, 1891 trace lost. | 1,232 |
| Nerissa | 1926 | 1929 purchased from Bowring's Red Cross Line, 1941 sunk by U.552; loss of 207 lives. | 5,583 |
| Orinoco | 1880 | 1906 scrapped. | 1,864 |
| Parima | 1889 | ex- Bungaree , 1903 purchased from Lund's Blue Anchor Line, renamed Parima, 1925 scrapped. | 2,893 |
| Pictou | 1862 | 1862 purchased from American owners, 1876 sank; loss of 29 lives. | 601 |
| Pretoria | 1878 | 1897 purchased from Union SS Co, London, 1907 sold to Khedivial Mail SS Co. renamed Saidieh. | 3,199 |
| Queen of Bermuda | 1932 | 1939 converted to Armed Merchant Cruiser, 1943-1947 troopship, 1949 returned to commercial service, 1966 scrapped. | 22,575 |
| Roraima | 1883 | ex- Ghazee , 1900 purchased from Mogul Line renamed Roraima, 1902 berthed at Martinique when Mount Pelee exploded. Ship burnt out with the loss of all hands. | 2,712 |
| Rosalind | 1911 | 1929 purchased from Bowring's Red Cross Line, 1936 sold to Yugoslavia renamed Lovcen. | 2,390 |
| Secret | 1864 | 1882 sold to E. W. Hatheway, Quebec. | 467 |
| Silvia | 1909 | 1929 purchased from Bowring's Red Cross Line, 1934 sold Williamson & Co, Hong Kong. | 3,589 |
| Trinidad | 1884 | 1918 torpedoed and sunk in St. Georges Channel. | 2,162 |