The Royal Mail Story

26 September
Royal Mail Steam Packet Co incorporated by Royal Charter

December
First ship departures as vessels leave the UK in December for positioning voyages to the Caribbean.

9 January
Teviot (I) left Southampton to inaugurate the first major new service, to Brazil. A feeder ship provided a link to the River Plate.

Eight RMSP ships hired as troop transports in the Crimean War.

7 November
Seizure at gunpoint of two Confederate Commissioners on board Trent (I) in the American Civil War brought Britain and America to the brink of war.

In a repetition of events from the previous decade, RMSP became involved in a mail service to Australia but the operation collapsed. This time it acquired from the disaster three ships which became Ebro (I), Tiber and Liffey (II).

August
Ebro (I) pioneered a second monthly service to South America, doubling the service which had existed for over 20 years.

Start of a series of four ships (Atrato (II), Magdalena (II), Thames (II) and Clyde (II) ) which were progressions from Orinoco (II). They were the first RMSP ships to exceed 5,000 tons and the first to have superstructures. As such they pioneered in a modest way the great changes in passenger accommodation which would develop early in the 20th century.

20 March
Original mail contract signed with the Admiralty.

3 January
Official start of the services as Thames (I) and Tay depart Falmouth.

May
First loss of an RMSP ship (Medina lost off Turk's Island, Bahamas).

The first significant newbuilding programme saw three ships of 2,900 tons enter service. Five had been built but one, Demerara (I), became a Constructive Total Loss before completion and another, Amazon (I) - the first to enter service - was destroyed by fire, with heavy loss of life, early in her maiden voyage.

RMSP's involvement with European & Australian RM Co in the Australian mail contract caused heavy financial losses and led to the acquisition of Oneida and Tasmanian.

RMSP's finest mail ships to date, and the first screw ships built for the Company, entered service - they were Rhone and Douro (I).

October
A devastating hurricane hit the Caribbean island of St Thomas. RMSP lost three ships, including the almost-new Rhone, and others were damaged. There was heavy loss of life.

Elbe was built, the first RMSP ship with compound engines.
October
Douro (I) inaugurated a through service from Southampton to the River Plate. In time this became Royal Mail's most important mail service and lasted for exactly a century.

Construction of Orinoco (II) became a milestone for the company. She was the first with steel hull, the first with triple expansion engines and the last built with square rig.

First contract with a South America meat company. Insulated chambers were built into South American service mail ships, which commenced the carriage of meat from the River Plate.

7 January
A General Meeting saw the election of two new directors. One was Owen Philipps (later Lord Kylsant). In March he was elected chairman, on his 40th birthday. This commenced the most momentous period in the Company's history.

14 July
Maiden voyage of Aragon (I) began. She was the Company's first true 'ocean liner', and at 9,588 tons was some 60% larger than anything RMSP had ever owned. Over the following decade eight more 'A' ships were built, each a little larger than the one before. By now, South America had overtaken the West Indies as the Company's major sphere of operation.

The first significant purchase of an interest in another company saw a portion of the Shire Line and its Far East services acquired. The company was later purchased outright - the first of many.

Caribbean cruising was enhanced with the building of Berbice (I), a particularly fine intercolonial steamer which was effectively a miniature version of the 'A' class mail liners.

A decade which saw great expansion, especially through the purchase of other companies or major interests in them. They included:
Pacific Steam Navigation Co
Union-Castle
Elder Dempster & Co
H & W Nelson
Moss Line
Lamport and Holt
MacAndrews
and several coastal lines.
In 1912 Royal Mail's first full-time cruise liner entered service - the first Arcadian (I).
The final ship in the original 'A' ship series, Almanzora, was completed in 1915. She was about 15,500 gross tons.
The group was now massive, and during World War I RMSP's combined losses exceeded 100 group ships.
In 1916 one of the great actions of the war took place between the armed merchant cruiser Alcantara (I) and the German raider Greif. Both vessels were sunk during the encounter.

Two large new mail liners were ordered - Asturias (II) and Alcantara (II). At about 22,000 tons they were the largest in the fleet so far, and for a time were the largest diesel-powered ships in the world. Their first class public rooms were among the finest ever seen aboard ship.

As part of Kylsant's desire to reflect the growing stature of the company, he had approved the construction of a new, large head office in Leadenhall Street, London. It was occupied during 1928.

The culmination of economic problems in the 1890s saw a takeover bid this year. It didn't proceed, but the chairman, deputy chairman and another director resigned.

An early Owen Philipps initiative saw a new Royal Charter gained, among its most important changes the ability to enlarge the share capital, purchase other companies and an insistance that the Company remain under British control.
The first custom-built refrigerated cargo ships were built for the River Plate meat trade.
While cruising had already become a seasonal part of the service for RMSP ships in the Caribbean, in 1904 Solent (II) became the first ship officially to be detailed as a cruise ship.

Owen Philipps concluded negotiations to purchase The Pacific Steam Navigation Co's interest in the Orient-Pacific Line mail service to Australia.

Though RMSP's interest in the Orient-Pacific Line (which now became Orient-Royal Mail Line) was shortlived, the 12,000 ton Asturias (I) was built for the service and early in 1908, on her maiden voyage, became the largest British ship ever seen in Australia.

Another company puchase occurred this year, with the acquisition of Forwood Line and its services to Morocco.
This summer Amazon (II) was taken off the South America service to undertake RMSP's first 'one-ship' cruises.

RMSP and P&O purchased a large percentage of the standard type cargo ships under construction when the war ended. Many entered the RMSP fleet as replacements for tonnage lost during the war.

Lochkatrine, built this year, represented two milestones. She was RMSP's first diesel-powered ship and she inaugurated a joint service with Holland-America Line to the Pacific coast of North Amercia.

January
Lord Kylsant's (Owen Philipps) greatest coup - he acquired the Oceanic SN Co (White Star Line) from its American owners for £7 million. This made the RMSP group the largest shipping group in the world.

January
RMSP's chairman, Lord Kylsant, was arrested on charges under the Larceny Act. There was no suggestion of falsifying figures, but he was accused of misleading shareholders. He was found guilty on one count and was jailed for 12 months.

Because of the enormity of the Royal Mail Group at the time of Lord Kylsant's arrest, and because the Great Depression had already greatly weakened Britain's economic position, the Government used every means it could to ensure that the Group did not totally collapse. Its major concern was the continuation of ship operations, which it achieved in August 1932 through a Scheme of Arrangement. One aspect of this was the creation of Royal Mail Lines, Ltd, which took over the operation of RMSP's ships as well as those of Nelson Line and David MacIver & Co.

The Company's largest liner, Andes (II), was completed at Belfast. The 26,000-ton mail ship was requisitioned for trooping service before completion. Alcantara (II) and Asturias (II) were requisitioned as armed merchant cruisers.

Asturias (II) torpedoed - declared a constructive total loss. She was repaired after the war, in Government ownership, and was subsequently managed by RML.

A decade when about 10 new cargo liners were built to augment newbuildings and post-war purchased from the late 1940s. This re-established Royal Mail as a major liner operator to:
east coast South America
Caribbean
Spanish Main
Central America
southern United States
and west coast of North America

Furness, Withy & Co, already owning almost a third of Royal Mail, this year puchased the remaining shares. From now on, Royal Mail was no longer an independent company and operated progressively more deeply within the Furness Withy Group.

Aragon (II) and Arlanza (II) followed Amazon (III) into the Shaw Savill fleet. This closed the Company's mail service.

May
Andes (II) went to Belgian shipbreakers. That closed almost 130 years of passenger operations.

Asturias (II) and Alcantara (II), though exceptionally fine ships in many ways, had proved unsatisfactory as far as their diesel machinery was concerned. Their speeds were some 2 knots lower than expected. In 1934 an agreement was made with Harland and Wolff to re-engine the ships with steam turbines, and make other improvements.

After extensive work by accountants, RMSP was formally liquidated, with debts exceeding £20 million.

Highland Patriot torpedoed - the only RML passenger liner sunk during the war.

Magdalena (III), a 17,000-ton passenger-cargo liner built to replace Highland Patriot, lost on maiden voyage after running aground near Rio de Janeiro.

Two years of major significance. The Highland class passenger-cargo liners were sold. Alcantara (II) was sold for scrap. Andes (II) was converted for full-time cruising. Three new 20,000-ton passenger, cargo and mail liners - Amazon (III), Aragon (II) and Arlanza (II) - entered service to Brazil and the River Plate.

Amazon (III) was withdrawn from the South America mail service and was transferred within the Group to Shaw Savill Line.

November
The Furness Withy Group announced that 23 of its ships would be sold.

In subsequent years, Royal Mail Lines was among portions of the Furness Withy Group to be sold to C Y Tung in Hong Kong, and then to Hamburg-Süd. By the early 1990s the name Royal Mail Lines was used simply to brand a refrigerated cargo service from South America to Europe by Hamburg-Süd.

Genesis

Early years

Unhappy years

Kylsant years

RML

Final years

Milestones

RM Home

26 September Royal Mail Steam Packet Co incorporated by Royal Charter December First ship departures as vessels leave the UK in December for positioning voyages to the Caribbean. 9 January Teviot (I) left Southampton to inaugurate the first major new service, to Brazil. A feeder ship provided a link to the River Plate. Eight RMSP ships hired as troop transports in the Crimean War. 7 November Seizure at gunpoint of two Confederate Commissioners on board Trent (I) in the American Civil War brought Britain and America to the brink of war. In a repetition of events from the previous decade, RMSP became involved in a mail service to Australia but the operation collapsed. This time it acquired from the disaster three ships which became Ebro (I), Tiber and Liffey (II). August Ebro (I) pioneered a second monthly service to South America, doubling the service which had existed for over 20 years. Start of a series of four ships (Atrato (II), Magdalena (II), Thames (II) and Clyde (II) ) which were progressions from Orinoco (II). They were the first RMSP ships to exceed 5,000 tons and the first to have superstructures. As such they pioneered in a modest way the great changes in passenger accommodation which would develop early in the 20th century.			20 March Original mail contract signed with the Admiralty. 3 January Official start of the services as Thames (I) and Tay depart Falmouth. May First loss of an RMSP ship (Medina lost off Turk's Island, Bahamas). The first significant newbuilding programme saw three ships of 2,900 tons enter service. Five had been built but one, Demerara (I), became a Constructive Total Loss before completion and another, Amazon (I) - the first to enter service - was destroyed by fire, with heavy loss of life, early in her maiden voyage. RMSP's involvement with European & Australian RM Co in the Australian mail contract caused heavy financial losses and led to the acquisition of Oneida and Tasmanian. RMSP's finest mail ships to date, and the first screw ships built for the Company, entered service - they were Rhone and Douro (I). October A devastating hurricane hit the Caribbean island of St Thomas. RMSP lost three ships, including the almost-new Rhone, and others were damaged. There was heavy loss of life. Elbe was built, the first RMSP ship with compound engines. October Douro (I) inaugurated a through service from Southampton to the River Plate. In time this became Royal Mail's most important mail service and lasted for exactly a century. *Construction of Orinoco* (II) became a milestone for the company. She was the first with steel hull, the first with triple expansion engines and the last built with square rig**.

First contract with a South America meat company. Insulated chambers were built into South American service mail ships, which commenced the carriage of meat from the River Plate. 7 January A General Meeting saw the election of two new directors. One was Owen Philipps (later Lord Kylsant). In March he was elected chairman, on his 40th birthday. This commenced the most momentous period in the Company's history. 14 July *Maiden voyage of Aragon* (I) began*. She was the Company's first true 'ocean liner', and at 9,588 tons was some 60% larger than anything RMSP had ever owned. Over the following decade eight more 'A'* ships were built, each a little larger than the one before. By now, South America had overtaken the West Indies as the Company's major sphere of operation. The first significant purchase of an interest in another company saw a portion of the Shire Line and its Far East services acquired. The company was later purchased outright - the first of many. Caribbean cruising was enhanced with the *building of Berbice* (I)*, a particularly fine intercolonial steamer which was effectively a miniature version of the 'A'* class mail liners. A decade which saw great expansion, especially through the purchase of other companies or major interests in them. They included: Pacific Steam Navigation Co Union-Castle Elder Dempster & Co H & W Nelson Moss Line Lamport and Holt MacAndrews and several coastal lines. In 1912 Royal Mail's first full-time cruise liner entered service - the first Arcadian (I). The final ship in the original 'A' ship series, Almanzora, was completed in 1915. She was about 15,500 gross tons. The group was now massive, and during World War I RMSP's combined losses exceeded 100 group ships. In 1916 one of the great actions of the war took place between the armed merchant cruiser Alcantara (I) and the German raider Greif. Both vessels were sunk during the encounter. *Two large new mail liners were ordered - Asturias* (II) and Alcantara (II). At about 22,000 tons they were the largest in the fleet so far, and for a time were the largest diesel-powered ships in the world. Their first class public rooms were among the finest ever seen aboard ship. As part of Kylsant's desire to reflect the growing stature of the company, he had approved the construction of a new, large head office in Leadenhall Street, London**. It was occupied during 1928.			The culmination of economic problems in the 1890s saw a takeover bid this year. It didn't proceed, but the chairman, deputy chairman and another director resigned. An early Owen Philipps initiative saw a new Royal Charter gained, among its most important changes the ability to enlarge the share capital, purchase other companies and an insistance that the Company remain under British control. The first custom-built refrigerated cargo ships were built for the River Plate meat trade. While cruising had already become a seasonal part of the service for RMSP ships in the Caribbean, in 1904 Solent (II) became the first ship officially to be detailed as a cruise ship. Owen Philipps concluded negotiations to purchase The Pacific Steam Navigation Co's interest in the Orient-Pacific Line mail service to Australia. Though RMSP's interest in the Orient-Pacific Line (which now became Orient-Royal Mail Line) was shortlived, the 12,000 ton Asturias (I) was built for the service and early in 1908, on her maiden voyage, became the largest British ship ever seen in Australia. Another company puchase occurred this year, with the acquisition of Forwood Line and its services to Morocco. This summer Amazon (II) was taken off the South America service to undertake RMSP's first 'one-ship' cruises. RMSP and P&O purchased a large percentage of the standard type cargo ships under construction when the war ended. Many entered the RMSP fleet as replacements for tonnage lost during the war. *Lochkatrine, built this year, represented two milestones. She was RMSP's first diesel-powered ship* and she inaugurated a joint service with Holland-America Line to the Pacific coast of North Amercia. January Lord Kylsant's (Owen Philipps) greatest coup - he acquired the Oceanic SN Co (White Star Line) from its American owners for £7 million. This made the RMSP group the largest shipping group in the world. January RMSP's chairman, Lord Kylsant, was arrested on charges under the Larceny Act. There was no suggestion of falsifying figures, but he was accused of misleading shareholders. He was found guilty on one count and was jailed for 12 months.

Because of the enormity of the Royal Mail Group at the time of Lord Kylsant's arrest, and because the Great Depression had already greatly weakened Britain's economic position, the Government used every means it could to ensure that the Group did not totally collapse. Its major concern was the continuation of ship operations, which it achieved in August 1932 through a Scheme of Arrangement. One aspect of this was the creation of Royal Mail Lines, Ltd, which took over the operation of RMSP's ships as well as those of Nelson Line and David MacIver & Co. The Company's largest liner, Andes (II), was completed at Belfast. The 26,000-ton mail ship was requisitioned for trooping service before completion. Alcantara (II) and Asturias (II) were requisitioned as armed merchant cruisers. Asturias (II) torpedoed - declared a constructive total loss. She was repaired after the war, in Government ownership, and was subsequently managed by RML. A decade when about 10 new cargo liners were built to augment newbuildings and post-war purchased from the late 1940s. This re-established Royal Mail as a major liner operator to: east coast South America Caribbean Spanish Main Central America southern United States and west coast of North America Furness, Withy & Co, already owning almost a third of Royal Mail, this year puchased the remaining shares. From now on, Royal Mail was no longer an independent company and operated progressively more deeply within the Furness Withy Group. Aragon (II) and Arlanza (II) followed Amazon (III) into the Shaw Savill fleet. This closed the Company's mail service. May Andes (II) went to Belgian shipbreakers. That closed almost 130 years of passenger operations.			Asturias (II) and Alcantara (II), though exceptionally fine ships in many ways, had proved unsatisfactory as far as their diesel machinery was concerned. Their speeds were some 2 knots lower than expected. In 1934 an agreement was made with Harland and Wolff to re-engine the ships with steam turbines, and make other improvements. After extensive work by accountants, RMSP was formally liquidated, with debts exceeding £20 million. Highland Patriot torpedoed - the only RML passenger liner sunk during the war. Magdalena (III), a 17,000-ton passenger-cargo liner built to replace Highland Patriot, lost on maiden voyage after running aground near Rio de Janeiro. Two years of major significance. The Highland class passenger-cargo liners were sold. Alcantara (II) was sold for scrap. Andes (II) was converted for full-time cruising. Three new 20,000-ton passenger, cargo and mail liners - Amazon (III), Aragon (II) and Arlanza (II) - entered service to Brazil and the River Plate. Amazon (III) was withdrawn from the South America mail service and was transferred within the Group to Shaw Savill Line. November The Furness Withy Group announced that 23 of its ships would be sold. In subsequent years, Royal Mail Lines was among portions of the Furness Withy Group to be sold to C Y Tung in Hong Kong, and then to Hamburg-Süd. By the early 1990s the name Royal Mail Lines was used simply to brand a refrigerated cargo service from South America to Europe by Hamburg-Süd.