The Fleets
Formed in 1864 by the amalgamation of W. D. Stephens, Tyne and Continental Steam Navigation Co and the Newcastle, Antwerp and Dunkirk Steam Shipping Co. Regular cargo and passenger services were made between Newcastle and London, Dunkirk, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Hamburg. A service to Hull was added soon afterwards. Temporary routes were added as required - Newcastle to Copenhagen 1874-1877 for instance and the Dunkirk route was closed in 1868. In 1875 they took over the Yarmouth Line with their two ships, but the trade to Yarmouth ceased in 1880. By the 1890s, the number of passengers carried annually had risen to over 20,000. In 1904 the company combined with the Tees Union Shipping Co, Furness Withy Coastal and the Free Trade Wharf Co. to form the Tyne-Tees Steamship Co.
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
- 1864-1903 Newcastle - London / Antwerp / Rotterdam / Hamburg.
- 1864-1868 Newcastle - Dunkirk.
- 1874-1877 Newcastle - Copenhagen.
- 1875-1880 Newcastle - Yarmouth.
Ships
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admiral | 1864 | 1904 to Tyne-Tees SS Co. | 625 |
| Brigadier | 1855 | acquired 1864 from founding companies, 1877 lost in Kattegat. | 444 |
| Busy Bee | 1865 | 1883 purchased, 1896 lost. | 961 |
| C. M. Palmer | 1870 | 1878 lost. | 817 |
| Chevy Chase | 1848 | acquired 1864 from founding companies, 1881 sold. | 345 |
| Dragoon | 1864 | 1888 lost in River Scheldt. | 744 |
| Earl Percy (1) | 1849 | acquired 1864 from founding companies, 1865 lost at Tynemouth. | 376 |
| Earl Percy (2) | 1865 | 1888 lost off Whitby. | 715 |
| Faraday | 1873 | 1896 purchased, 1904 to Tyne-Tees SS Co. | 892 |
| Fusilier | 1864 | 1868 sold. | 323 |
| Grenadier (1) | 1865 | 1894 lost. | 711 |
| Grenadier (2) | 1895 | 1904 to Tyne-Tees SS Co. | 1,004 |
| John Ormston | 1873 | 1904 to Tyne-Tees SS Co. | 970 |
| Juno | 1882 | 1888 purchased, 1904 to Tyne-Tees SS Co. | 1,311 |
| Londoner | 1891 | 1893 sunk in collision with s/s SHEFFIELD off Haisboro' Light. | 1,513 |
| Lord Raglan | 1855 | acquired 1864 from founding companies, 1886 sold. | 516 |
| Miaca | 1866 | 1875 taken over with Yarmouth Line, 1886 sold. | 412 |
| New Londoner | 1894 | 1904 to Tyne-Tees SS Co. | 1,456 |
| Ocean Queen | 1854 | acquired 1864 from founding companies, 1865 wrecked Whitby. | 195 |
| Otter | 1855 | acquired 1864 from founding companies, 1873 lost off Yarmouth. | 475 |
| Royal Dane | 1875 | 1904 to Tyne-Tees SS Co. | 1,282 |
| Sentinal | 1860 | acquired 1864 from founding companies, 1881 lost. | 551 |
| Tynesider | 1888 | 1904 to Tyne-Tees SS Co. | 1,290 |
| Warkworth | 1880 | 1882 purchased, 1904 to Tyne-Tees SS Co. | 697 |
| Zingari | 1854 | 1875 taken over with Yarmouth Line, 1883 sold. | 406 |