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The Fleets
Aberdeen Clipper
Line of Packets / Aberdeen to Natal Direct Line
/ John T. Rennie, Son & Co.
/ John T. Rennie & Sons 1845-1911 / Harrison-Rennie Line
1911-1921
John Thomson Rennie owned his first ship the SAMSON in
1845 with his brother George and became a shipping and insurance broker
in 1849. Rennies ships initially traded to India, Australia and the Cape
Colony and in 1853 also to Madagascar. John T. Rennie ordered his first
steamship in 1854 from the yard of Scott & Company at Greenock and the
MADAGASCAR was completed in 1855, followed in 1856 by the WALDENSIAN.
In 1856 the Natal Colony became self governing and the
mail contract from Natal to the Cape Colony went to John T. Rennie and
the MADAGASCAR
in command of his brother George sailed from Natal via Algoa Bay and
East London to the Cape. John T. Rennie set up the Aberdeen Clipper Line
of Packets and the first sailing from London to Natal was taken by the
Iron barque L’IMPERATRICE EUGENIE in November 1858. The MADAGASCAR was
wrecked in December 1858 south of East London and the WALDENSIAN in 1862
near Cape Agulhas.
In 1869 John T. Rennie started a joint service with
Bullard, King & Company under the banner of the Aberdeen Clipper Line
of Packets from London to Natal. The London Company was known as John
T. Rennie, Son and Company.
John T. Rennie died in 1878 and his three
younger sons John, Alexander and David joined their brother George to
continue the business. In 1882 a new steamship the DABULAMANZI was completed
by Hall, Russell & Company at Aberdeen and in 1885 the MATABELE was delivered.
By 1890 the Company owned six steamers mostly with Zulu or ‘In’ names.
In 1895 the last sailing vessel the QUATHLAMBA was sold.
In 1904 the
first above 4,000 tons gross INANDA (2) joined the fleet. The final and
largest ship built for John T. Rennie and Sons was the INTABA which was
completed at the end of 1910.
John T. Rennie, Son & Co.'s Aberdeen Direct Line was purchased in 1911 together
with their fleet of seven ships and passenger services to Natal by the Liverpool
based Thos. & Jas. Harrison. Their fleet continued to sail to South Africa as
the Harrison-Rennie Line, retaining vessel names beginning 'In' a tradition retained
for Harrison's passenger vessels. The first vessel built for the Harrison-Rennie
Line was a cargo ship named ITOMBI in 1912 and she was followed in 1913 by the
only passenger ship ordered for the Harrison-Rennie Line the 114 passenger ship
INGOMA.
In May 1921 the passenger service was abandoned. The Rennie
name was dropped and both ships were transferred to Harrison’s London to West Indies passenger
service. Two further passenger ships with Rennie names were built for the West
Indies service in 1925 and 1937, the INANDA (3) and INKOSI (2). World War 2 was
the end of the passenger ships for Harrison. Many thanks to Henk Jungerius and Ted Finch for their 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. If you would like to know more about a vessel, visit the Ship
Descriptions (onsite) or Immigrant
Ship web site.
- Routes:
- Natal-Capetown
- London- Natal
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|
Sailing Ships |
|
| Vessel |
Built |
Years in Service |
Tons |
| Assyrian |
1854 |
wooden ship, ex- Assyrian, 1872 purchased, 7 October
1877 in leaky condition at Port Elizabeth and condemned. |
605 |
| Cathcart |
1852 |
wooden ship, 1867 sold to A. Robinson, Aberdeen, 1867
sold foreign renamed Philipp Melanchton, 1869 sold to Australia renamed
China, 1872 sold to Norway, 1885 no longer registered. |
422 |
| Conqueror |
1850 |
wooden ship, 1855 sold to John & James Richardson,
Swansea, 13 February 1867 wrecked Bahamas. |
458 |
| Content |
1842 |
wooden ship, ex- Content, 1852 purchased, 1953 sold
to Alfred Hooker, Australia, sold several times and went missing
in 1877. |
147 |
| Earl of Southesk |
1858 |
wooden barque, ex- Earl of Southesk, 1860 purchased,
1874 sold to Anderson & Marshall, Melbourne, Australia, 28 May 1874
wrecked near Wellington. |
336 |
| Eliza Hall |
1843 |
wooden brig, 1854 sold to W. Nicol, Liverpool, 1855
sold to E. Turner, Whitby, 22 October 1864 wrecked outside Granton
breakwater. |
199 |
| Huguenot |
1858 |
wooden ship, 31 January 1862 stranded at Merlemont,
France and lost. |
472 |
| Ifafa (1) |
1875 |
wooden barque, 1888 sold to France renamed Union,
19 November 1893 abandoned in North Atlantic after losing her rudder. |
365 |
| Illovo (1) |
1867 |
wooden ship, 1875 re-rigged as a barque, 1887 sold
to C.A.R. Hoare, London renamed Mercury, 1901 converted into a static
training ship, December 1916 lost off Dungeness while under tow. |
398 |
| L’Imperatrice Eugenie |
1854 |
iron barque, 6 February 1867 wrecked on Thunderbolt
Reef off Cape Recife. |
251 |
| Lord Haddo |
1847 |
wooden barque, 27 January 1867 stranded, later refloated
and sold to T. Small, Lowestoft, 1869 sold to J.B. Adam, Aberdeen,
1871 sold to French owners, trace lost. |
291 |
| Maritzburg |
1876 |
iron barque, 1890 sold to J.H. Wollner, Arendal, Norway,
1893 abandoned, 1894 sold to Otto Banck, Sweden renamed Hildur, 1900
sold to J. Labayle et Compagnie, Bordeaux, France renamed Madeleine,
16 August 1901 caught fire and lost. |
456 |
| Natal |
1876 |
iron barque, 16 August 1888 left Calcutta and disappeared
at sea. |
459 |
| Natal Star |
1862 |
wooden ship, 1871 re-rigged as a barque, 19 July 1874
wrecked during a gale near East London, South Africa. |
366 |
| Prince Albert |
1862 |
wooden barque, 1878 sold to S. Wiborg, Norway renamed
Diana, 1885 lost at sea. |
258 |
| Quathlamba |
1879 |
iron barque, 1895 sold to Edward Shuckburg, Bristol
and Peter Lawry Francis, London, 1899 sold to Joseph James Craig,
Auckland, New Zealand renamed Hazel Craig, 1906 sold to Joseph Kennedy,
Gisborne, New Zealand, 1908 sold to The Ship Hazel Craig Co., Gismore,
1908 sold to George Turnbull Niccol, Auckland renamed Whitepine,
sold several times and scuttled in 1947 off Melbourne. |
495 |
| Sampson |
1836 |
wooden hermaphrodite brig, 1868 sold to George Smith,
Aberdeen and William Harty, Sunderland, 9 March 1884 stranded in
Keiss Bay during a gale and lost. |
120 |
| Transvaal |
1874 |
wooden barque, 8 December 1874 dragged anchor and
driven ashore south of the Umgeni River, Durban with the loss of
12 lives. |
384 |
| Tugela |
1864 |
wooden ship, 3 February 1868 drifted ashore on Back
Beach, Durban and declared total loss. |
475 |
| Umgeni |
1864 |
wooden ship, 1875 re-rigged as a barque, 1882 converted
into a coal hulk at Durban. |
365 |
| Umkomanzi |
1874 |
wooden barque, 1894 sold to C.M. Bache, Norway, 1897
capsized, later scrapped. |
334 |
| Umvoti |
1869 |
iron Ship, 1872 re-rigged as a barque, 1891 sold to
William B. Hay, Adelaide, Australia, 1912 sold to Ireland, Fraser & Co.,
Port Louis, Mauritius, 1928 scrapped. |
465 |
| |
|
Steamships |
|
| Vessel |
Built |
Years in Service |
Tons |
| Dabulamanzi |
1882 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1900 sold
to Compagnie Franco-Tunisienne de Nav., Marseilles, France renamed
Ville de Sfax, 1906 sold to Compagnie
Générale Transatlantique not renamed, 1913 sold to Unione Austriaca,
renamed Anna, 1914 laid up, 1917 seized by U.S. Government, 1926
renamed Maule, 1928 lost by grounding in South America. |
1,537 |
| Ifafa (2) |
1889 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1906 sold
to Khedivial Mail Steamship & Graving Dock, London renamed Tantah,
1923 sold to Italy renamed Jean, 1924 renamed Jean M, 1925 sold to
William John Hutchison, Pireaus, 1925 sold to Joseph Gasan, Malta
renamed Maltana, 1928 sold to Greece renamed Anna, 1934 sold same
name, 1937 sold renamed Ekaterini Peppa, 7 February 1938 sunk in
collision with Dutch s/s PLUTO near Adlergrund Light Vessel. |
1,788 |
| Illovo (2) |
1890 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1910 sold
to Societa di Navigazione a Vapore Puglia, Bari, Italy renamed Calabro,
4 January 1917 captured and sunk by German submarine U.82. |
1,930 |
| Inanda (1) |
1888 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1903 sold
to Khedive of Egypt renamed Abd el Monem, 1905 sold to Khedivial
Mail Steamship & Graving Dock, London renamed Menzaleh, 6 June 1918
torpedoed and sunk by German submarine UB.105 near Malta with the
loss of 10 lives. |
1,758 |
| Inanda (2) |
1904 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1911 sold
to the Charente Steamship Co. (T. & J.
Harrison), 1920 sold to Ellerman’s Wilson
Line, Hull renamed Orlando, 1932 scrapped. |
4,090 |
| Inchanga |
1895 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1911 sold
to Arab Steamers, Bombay renamed Bahrein, 1922 sold to the Bombay & Persia
Steam Nav. Co. ( The Mogul Line), Bombay, 1923 sold, 1926 laid up,
1927 sold to Egypt, 1933 scrapped at Alexandria. |
2,197 |
| Induna |
1891 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1904 sold
to Henry Edwin Campbell, London, 1904 sold to Burns,
Philp & Co.,
Sydney, Australia, 1920 sold to the Patrick Steamship Co., Sydney,
1925 sold to the Railway Commissioners for New South Wales, Sydney
and converted into a train-ferry, 1932 laid up and sold for use as
a wharf at Grafton, 1957 scrapped. |
699 |
| Ingeli |
1897 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1911 sold
to the Charente Steamship Co. (T. & J.
Harrison), 1913 sold to Vaccaro
Bros, Honduras renamed Tegucigalpa, 1941 sold to the Swiss War
Transport Office renamed Chasseral, 1951 sold to Italy renamed Mar
Corrusco, 1953 scrapped. |
2,928 |
| Ingoma |
1913 |
built by D. & W. Henderson & Co., Glasgow | Harrison-Rennie
Line, 1915-1917 troopship, 1921 to West Indies service, 1937 sold
to Compagnia Ligure di Nav., Genoa, Italy renamed Giovanni Batista,
1943 scuttled at Tripoli, later salved and scrapped. |
5,686 |
| Inkonka |
1900 |
built by Wm. Gray & Co., West Hartlepool | ex- Tabaristan,
1902 purchased from F.C. Strick & Co. renamed Inkonka, 1911 sold
to the Charente Steamship Co. (T. & J.
Harrison), 1916 sold to David MacIver renamed Tuscany, 1929 scrapped. |
3,430 |
| Inkosi (1) |
1902 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1911 sold
to the Charente Steamship Co. (T. & J.
Harrison), 1918 torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U.96 off
Galloway with the loss of 3 lives. |
3,575 |
| Insizwa |
1899 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1911 sold
to the Charente Steamship Co. (T. & J.
Harrison), 1913 sold to Italy renamed Tolemaide, 1929 laid up,
1931 scrapped. |
2,984 |
| Intaba |
1910 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1911 sold
to the Charente Steamship Co. (T. & J.
Harrison), 1916-1917 operated as Q-ship under the name Waitomo,
1927 sold to Hajee Nemazee, Hong Kong renamed Englestan, 1929 sold
to Bengal & Burma S.N. Co., Rangoon same name, 1950 sold to Scindia
S.N. Co., Bombay same name, 1953 scrapped. |
4,832 |
| Intombi |
1912 |
built by Wm Hamilton & Co., Port Glasgow | Harrison-Rennie
Line, launched as Actor but completed as Intombi, 1914-1917 Royal
Navy squadron supply ship, 1921 to West Indies service, 1931 sold
to M. A. Embiricos, Andros, Greece renamed Maliakos, 1949 sold to
Turkey renamed Saraykoy, 1954 sold renamed Sapanca, 1956 collided
with Dutch s/s BLOMMERSDYK and sank in the Scheldt. |
3,883 |
| Inyati |
1896 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1911 sold
to the Charente Steamship Co. (T. & J.
Harrison), 1912 sold to Spain renamed M. Benlliure, 1915 disappeared
at sea. |
2,516 |
| Inyoni |
1890 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1911 sold
to Administration de Navigation a Vapore Ottomane, Istanbul, Turkey
renamed Kizilirmak, 13 September 1915 shelled and sunk by Russian
warships. |
1,945 |
| Madagascar |
1855 |
built by Scott & Co., Greenock | 1855 chartered by
British Government as a Crimean War Transport, 3 December 1858 struck
Madagascar Reef and declared total loss. |
321 |
| Matabele |
1885 |
built by Hall, Russell & Co., Aberdeen | 1905 sold
to Khedivial Mail Steamship & Graving Dock, London renamed Keneh,
1930 scrapped at Savona. |
1,556 |
| Waldensian |
1856 |
built by Scott & Co., Greenock | 1856 chartered by
British Government as a Crimean War Transport, 13 October 1862 wrecked
on Bulldog Reef near Cape Agulhas. |
369 |
| |
|
Ships with Rennie names |
|
| Vessel |
Built |
Years in Service |
Tons |
| Inanda (3) |
1925 |
built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Newcastle
on Tyne | built for Harrison’s West Indies service, 1940 bombed
and sunk in London Docks, repaired and renamed Empire Explorer for
Ministry
of Supply, managed by T & J. Harrison, 1942 torpedoed, shelled and
sunk by German submarine U.575 off Trinidad with the loss of 3 lives. |
5,985 |
| Inkosi (2) |
1937 |
built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Newcastle
on Tyne | built for Harrison’s West Indies service, 1940 sunk by
air attack in London Docks, raised and renamed Empire Chivalry for
MOWT
with Harrison Line managers, 1946 returned to Harrison
Line renamed
Planter, 1958 scrapped. |
6,618 |
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