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The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

LINER TENDERS

The following tenders operated in and around Plymouth Sound ferrying passengers to and from liners that called on their way from the United States of America and other foreign countries.   The list is in date order.

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE (1) > HELPER

Delivered June 1873. Built 1873 by William Allsup of Preston. 173 tons gross. 59 tons nett. Iron paddler with simple diagonal 2-cylinder engine. Length 131.3ft. Breadth 20.1ft. Depth 10ft.  Passenger Certificates: No 2 Home Trade, 170; No 3 Excursion, 276; No 4 River, 251 winter or 352 summer; No 5 River, 653. Owned originally by the West Cornwall Railway and the Dock Company but in 1878 was transferred to the Great Western Railway. Renamed HELPER on arrival of the Sir Francis Drake (2). Sold in August 1910 to Joseph Costant, shipbroker, and then to Cosens of Weymouth for seasonal excursions to Lulworth Cove and Lyme Bay. During the Great War used for ferrying service personnel to Portland Naval Base. Resold in 1920 to the Alderney Steam Packet Co of Guernsey for inter-island excursion work.

SIR WALTER RALEIGH (1)

Built 1876 by William Allsup & Sons of Preston. 151 tons gross. 47 tons nett. Diagonal 2-cylinder engine. Length 110.1ft. Breadth 19.1ft. Depth 10ft. Passenger Certificates: No 2 Home Trade, 150; No 3 Excursion, 180; No 4 River, 177 winter or 250 summer; No 5 River 450. Originally owned by Frederick G Saunders, Secretary, and James Grierson, General Manager of Great Western Railway until transferred to the GWR in 1878. Sold 1895 to Joseph Lawson of South Shields and again c1897 to the Cantabrica towing company of Bilbao who renamed her "Nervion".

PALMERSTON

Delivered 1883. Built 1864 by Simpson & Co, Cubitt Town, for the Dover Harbour Board. 109 tons gross. 55 tons nett. Iron paddler used for more general purposes like tug and personnel carrier. Single lever 2-cylinder engine. Length 96.5ft. Breadth 18ft. Depth 9.4ft. Owned by Great Western Railway. Sold April 1913 through agents Kellocks to Matthew Kirton & Sons, Newcastle tug owners, who converted her to towage and resold her during First War to Broomhill Collieries Ltd.

SMEATON

Delivered 1883. Built 1883 by William Allsup & Sons of Preston. 369 tons gross. 200 tons nett. Iron twin-screw ship with inverted compound 2-cylinder engines. Length 125.2ft. Breadth 35.1ft. Depth 11.1ft.  First of the broad-beamed vessels. Owned by Great Western Railway. Sold September 1929 to McCalla of Belfast and transferred to his Ulster Steam Tender Co in 1937. Admiralty service in Second World War. Broken up 1947.

SIR RICHARD GRENVILLE (1) > PENLEE

Delivered 1891. Built 1891 by Laird Brothers of Birkenhead. 420 tons gross. 103 tons nett. Iron twin-screw craft. Compound 2-cylinder engine. Length 132ft. Breadth 30.1ft. Depth 12.6ft. Owned by Great Western Railway.

Used to transport King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra & party from the Royal Yacht to Millbay Pier on Monday March 10th 1902. Captain was Joseph Collins, who had joined the Great Western Railway in 1874 as mate on the Sir Francis Drake, been made master of the "Smeaton" in 1883, and master of the Sir Richard Grenville in 1891.

Renamed PENLEE in 1931 on arrival of Sir Richard Grenville (2). Sold October 1931 to Dover Harbour Board and renamed "Lady Savile"

VICTORIA

Built by Messrs J & C Thomson Ltd, of Clydebank, Scotland, in 1896.  709 tons gross.  220 feet long, 28 feet wide and 16 feet in depth.  Employed by the London and South Western Railway on its service from Jersey to St Malo.  Brought to Plymouth in March 1904 to become a liner tender working from the new Ocean Quay Station on the LSWR's Stonehouse Pool Branch at Devonport.  Inaugurated the service on April 9th 1904.  She was replaced in 1907 by the "Atalanta" and returned to service in Jersey.  [1]

CHESHIRE

Bought 1905. Built 1889 by the Canada Works, Birkenhead, for the Birkenhead Ferry. 387 tons gross. 59 tons nett. Steel paddler. Compound diagonal 4-cylinder engine. Length 137.2ft. Breadth 28ft. Depth 11.4ft. Became stranded in 1913 and a total loss.

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE (2)

Built (April) 1908 by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. 478 tons gross. 168 tons nett. Steel twin-screw vessel. Twin sets of triple expansion 3-cylinder engines. Length 145.8ft. Breadth 38.6ft. Depth 14.1ft.

Completed trials in March/April 1908 and exceeded contract speed by 1½ knot.

Steel. Built by Cammell Laird. 151ft 6ins long, 38ft 6ins beam, 14ft 6ins depth, draught 9ft. Twin screw. Capable of 14 knots. Smoking saloon with refreshment bar; general saloon; ladies saloon at rear. Licensed for 590 smooth water, 400 otherwise.

Became Naval examination vessel from August 25th 1939.

Withdrawn at the end of the 1953 season and broken up locally in 1954.

SIR WALTER RALEIGH (2)

Steel, built by Cammell Laird. 151ft 6ins long; 38ft 6ins beam; 14ft 6ins depth; draught 9ft. Twin screws. Smoking saloon with refreshment bar, general saloon & a ladies saloon at the rear. Licensed for 590 smooth water, 400 outside. Official trials at Liverpool on 19/5/1908 and reached 14 knots.

Off loading mails at Millbay Docks, Plymouth,
from the GWR tender "Sir Walter Raleigh, circa 1910.
©  Not known.

Was involved in a mail fire while in the Sound on December 20th 1920.

Became a Naval examination vessel from August 25th 1939. She was damaged during an air raid on Plymouth on December 15th 1940 and eight members of her crew were injured.  Became experimental minelayer towards end of Second War, based at Portsmouth.

Sold January 1947 to Leigh's Albert Yard & Motor Packet Services of Southampton; resold April 1947 to Overseas Towage & Salvage Co and then to French owners at Cherbourg who renamed her "Ingenieur Reibell".

ATALANTA

Purchased June 1910 from the London & South Western Railway. Built by Gourlay Brothers, Dundee, in 1907. 577 tons gross. 57 tons nett. Steel twin-screw vessel. Two triple-expansion 3-cylinder engines. Length 170.3ft Breadth 32.2ft. Depth 15.3ft.  Too large for economical working in Southampton Water. Spent a while at Fishguard first. Sold in 1923 to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. Resold 1933 to the French towage firm Les Abeilles and renamed "La Bretonneire" for work at Cherbourg.

SIR JOHN HAWKINS

The GWR tender "Sir John Hawkins"
following damage in an air raid on Plymouth, August 27th 1940.
© Imperial War Museum.

She remained in the Great Western Railway Company's service until she was damaged in an air raid on Plymouth on Tuesday August 27th 1940, following which she was repaired and taken over by the Royal Navy.

Withdrawn January 1962 and sold in May to Dutch ship breakers.

SIR RICHARD GRENVILLE (2)

 Built 1931 by Earle's Shipbuilding Co of Hull and their last vessel as it turned out. Launched or delivered in July. 901 tons gross, 338 tons nett, having a fraction less beam than the Sir John Hawkins. Steel twin-screw with oil fired boilers. Two triple-expansion 3-cylinder engines. Length 172.5ft. Breadth 42.7ft. Depth 14.7ft. Owned by Great Western Railway until 1947 when transferred to British Transport Commission.

 Became war examination vessel from August 25th 1939. Returned from war service January 19th 1946. First duty was to attend the "Copachabana" on 22/2/1946. British Transport Commission funnel colours were buff with black top. Licensed for 800 passengers between Looe and Newton Ferrers in fine weather.

 Due to falling liner trade and an annual loss in maintaining one tender of £20,000, she was to be withdrawn on October 31st 1963. Crew of 12. A farewell trip to the Eddystone Lighthouse was organised by the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce for Friday August 10th 1963, when 526 tickets were sold and about 150 people turned away. Captain F C Foxwell gave the order to sound the whistle and a Trinity House flag was slowly hoisted in reply. A second (and final) farewell trip was made on Wednesday September 4th 1963, organised by Messrs Ivor Dewdney, George Mills, Douglas Miller and L G Davis. Maximum permitted 400. Withdrawn midnight Friday October 18th 1963 after taking passengers to the "Diemerdyk" from Rotterdam.

 Sold to Devon Cruising Co Ltd of Galmpton and almost immediately resold to Jersey Lines Ltd. Renamed in March 1964 "La Duchesse de Normandie" and refitted by Willoughbys in Millbay Docks for sea-going and to carry 20 cars on her deck. Certified for 550 passengers. Started service Jersey, Guernsey and St Malo on May 10th 1964. Docked at Cardiff from February to April 1965 for further refitting.

Principal Source:

Farr, Grahame, West Country Passenger Steamers, Messrs T Stephenson & Sons Ltd, Prescot, Lancashire, 1967.  No ISBN.

Other References:

Kittridge, Alan, Plymouth Ocean Liner Port-of-Call, Twelveheads Press, Truro, Cornwall, 1993, ISBN 0 906294 30 4.

©  Brian Moseley, Plymouth, UK

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