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The Fleets
MacIver Line
The MacIver family were pioneers in steamships and operated
coastal steamship services from Glasgow as early as 1831. David and Charles
MacIver were closely associated with Samuel Cunard in the formation of
the Cunard Line.
David MacIver, a nephew of the original founder was
admitted into the Cunard partnership in 1863, but left the company in
1874 to found his own steamship line. His earliest ships were registered
under the name of Birkenhead Shipping Co., Ltd and these were followed
by a number of one ship companies,
all managed by David MacIver & Co. In 1894 a new company was registered in the
name of David MacIver, Sons & Co. and all subsequent ships were registered in
this ownership.
In its early days, the MacIver Line had no regular routes, but
in 1885 a regular trade was established between Liverpool, Montevideo, Buenos
Aires and Rosario.
Accidents were few, but in 1890 the Thessaly caught fire at
sea while carrying a cargo of cotton between New Orleans and Hamburg and was
lost. Losses were heavy during the Great War with the Araby being
wrecked near
Boulogne in 1916, Barbary was torpedoed and sunk near Port Said
in 1917, Gascony torpedoed and sunk off Portsmouth in 1917 and
the Brittany was sunk after collision
with HMS Eglantine the same year. The last loss was the Tartary which
was torpedoed
off Ireland in 1918.
The whole of the shares of David MacIver, Sons & Co. were purchased by Royal
Mail
Steam Packet Co. in 1919 and the name of the company changed to David
MacIver & Co., Ltd. Although owned by Royal Mail, the ships continued to sail
under their old colours and Liverpool management.
In 1932 the whole of the MacIver
ships were transferred to the Royal Mail Line and their grey hulls and red funnels
were changed to the black hull and buff funnel of Royal Mail. At this time, the
MacIver Line lost its identity
and went into liquidation.
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. If you would like
to know more about a vessel, visit the Ship
Descriptions (onsite) or Immigrant
Ship web site.
- Routes:
- Liverpool - Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Rosario.
Funnel:
Red with Black top.
Fleet:
|
 |
 |
| Vessel |
Built |
Years in Service |
Tons |
| Albany |
1883 |
1895 sold to J. T. Lunn & Co., Liverpool renamed WILLOWDENE,
1900 sold G. T. Monsen, Stavanger renamed VERDANDE, 1906 sold Japan
renamed KANTON MARU, 1934 scrapped. |
2,492 |
| Araby (1) |
1904 |
22nd Dec.1916 wrecked at Boulogne and broke in two,
both sections refloated and scrapped. |
3,303 |
| Araby (2) |
1923 |
1932 transferred to Royal
Mail Lines. |
4,936 |
| Barbary (1) |
1877 |
1882 sold to Booth
SS Co., Liverpool renamed CLEMENT. |
1,227 |
| Barbary (2) |
1901 |
12th Nov.1917 torpedoed and sunk by UC.34 near Port
Said. |
4,185 |
| Briton |
1883 |
1885 sold E & H. Packard, Ipswich renamed EXMOOR,
4th May 1888 sank in North Sea. |
381 |
| Brittany (1) |
1898 |
5th Feb. 1918 sunk in collision with HMS EGLANTINE
in position 55.50N 08.03W on voyage Liverpool - Montevideo. |
2,926 |
| Brittany (2) |
1928 |
1932 transferred to Royal
Mail Lines. |
4,772 |
| Burgundy |
1901 |
1931 scrapped. |
3,364 |
| Gascony (1) |
1908 |
6th Jan.1918 torpedoed and sunk by UC.75 in English
Channel on voyage Southampton - Calais. |
3,133 |
| Gascony (2) |
1925 |
1932 transferred to Royal
Mail Lines. |
4,716 |
| Lombardy (1) |
1895 |
1909 sold Spain renamed NICOLAS, 1918 renamed SENDEJA,
1928 scrapped after stranding damage. |
2,423 |
| Lombardy (2) |
1921 |
1932 transferred to Royal
Mail Lines. |
3,379 |
| Normandy |
1895 |
1908 sold Spain renamed MANUEL, 16th Jan.1917 captured
and sunk by German submarine UB.38 near Ushant. |
2,419 |
| Saxony |
1894 |
1906 sold Strong, Reid & Page, Liverpool renamed PRADO,
1912 sold Alexander & Mair, Glasgow renamed LARCHGROVE, 27th Oct.1918
sunk in collision with s/s HAWAIIAN off Tangier. |
2,430 |
| Sicily (1) |
1876 |
1899 sold to Cullum Steam Shipping Co., Liverpool,
1901 sold to E. Harder, Stettin renamed SICILIA, 20th Oct.1901 wrecked
near Vinga. |
1,675 |
| Sicily (2) |
1914 |
1932 transferred to Royal
Mail Lines. |
3,457 |
| Tartary |
1901 |
16th May 1918 torpedoed and sunk by U.86 off Skulmartin
lightship, Ireland. |
4,181 |
| Thessaly (1) |
1877 |
29th Dec.1890 burned and sank off Borkum on voyage
New Orleans - Hamburg. |
1,925 |
| Thessaly (2) |
1909 |
1932 transferred to Royal
Mail Lines, 1933 scrapped. |
3,128 |
| Tuscany (1) |
1876 |
1895 sold to Empreza Madeirense de Nav.a Vap., Funchal
renamed MADEIRENSE, 1896 sold to Nunes & Vences, Lisbon renamed MARGARIDA,
1899 sold Italy renamed MARGARITA, 1908 CAPO ZAFFARANO, 1923 scrapped. |
1,642 |
| Tuscany (2) |
1900 |
built as TABARISTAN for F. C. Strick & Co., Swansea,
1903 sold J. T. Rennie & Son,
Aberdeen renamed INKONKA, 1911 transferred to T & J.
Harrison, Liverpool, 1919 purchased by D. MacIver renamed TUSCANY,
1929 scrapped. |
3,430 |
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