| |
The Fleets
Cairn Line / Cairns,
Noble & Co.
Formed in 1883 by Cairns
and Noble, Newcastle, the company initially operated tramp ships, mainly
to the Black Sea, Mediterranean and Baltic. In 1908, after several years
of association with William Thomson and combining their services to Canada,
the two companies merged to form Cairn-Thomson Line. Thomson
Line operated
passenger services between the Mediterranean and New York and a service
from Southampton to Canada was later added. However, the three passenger
liners were sold to Cunard Line in
1911. Thereafter, Cairn-Thomson Line carried only a maximum of 12 passengers,
the limit for which a doctor
did not have to be carried on board. After the Great War, the company
virtually abandoned tramping and concentrated on trans Atlantic operations.
In 1928 the company's Newcastle and Leith trade to Canada was purchased
by
Furness, Withy & Co., but some cargo liners continued to operate independently,
although services were co-ordinated with Furness, Withy to avoid wasteful competition.
The opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 enabled the company's ships to
sail direct to Toronto, Detroit, Duluth, Milwaukee and Chicago. In 1969 the last
three cargo liners were transferred to other Furness, Withy companies and then
sold on to foreign buyers. The remaining 85% of shares were purchased by Furness,
Withy in 1967, but the name Cairn Line of Steamships was used to register ten
small Mediterranean
traders until 1983 when the Cairn Line finally disappeared.
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:
- 1883 cargo services to Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Sea.
- 1908 passenger services Mediterranean - New York.
- 1908-1911 Southampton - Canada.
Cargo / passenger services Newcastle - Leith - Canada.
Funnel:
Red funnel with black top, two narrow white bands on red with white triangle
between.
Fleet:
|
 |
| Vessel |
Built |
Years in Service |
Tons |
| Bellona |
1881 |
1908 transferred from Thomson
Line, 1912 stranded off Newfoundland, refloated, sold to Canadian
owners and 1914 renamed Desola, 1915 destroyed in Halifax explosion. |
2,932 |
| Cairnalt |
1882 |
ex- Sarah, 1897 purchased from Harrowing Ltd renamed
Cairnalt, 1915 sold to Finland renamed Hera. |
1,410 |
| Cairnavon (1) |
1892 |
1904 sunk in collision in Scheldt Estuary. |
1,562 |
| Cairnavon (2) |
1905 |
1917 sold to Christian Salvesen & Co. renamed Soutra. |
1,591 |
| Cairnavon (3) |
1920 |
ex- Baarn, 1922 purchased from Royal
Netherlands Steamship Co. renamed Cairnavon, 1925 wrecked near Buchan Ness Lightship. |
5,245 |
| Cairnavon (4) |
1941 |
ex- Empire Snow, 1946 purchased from Ministry of War
Transport renamed Cairnavon, 1961 sold to Lebanon renamed Vergolivada. |
6,339 |
| Cairnbahn |
1883 |
ex- Trevider, 1898 purchased from Hain SS Co. renamed
Cairnbahn, 1913 sold to Sweden renamed Igor. |
1,538 |
| Cairncrag |
1892 |
ex- Great Northern, 1897 purchased from Great Northern
SS Co., Newcastle renamed Cairncrag, 1909 wrecked on Dover Island,
Strait of Canso. |
3,022 |
| Cairndhu (1) |
1885 |
1911 sold to Sweden renamed Orsa. |
1,368 |
| Cairndhu (2) |
1911 |
1917 torpedoed and sunk off Beachy Head; loss of 12
lives |
4,019 |
| Cairndhu (3) |
1919 |
1935 sold to Greece renamed Strymon. |
5,250 |
| Cairndhu (4) |
1952 |
1965 chartered to Manchester
Liners renamed Manchester Exporter, 1969 sold to Greece renamed
Gemini Exporter. |
7,503 |
| Cairndon |
1893 |
ex- Phoenix, 1900 purchased from Phoenix SS Co. (Hoyland & Co.).
London renamed Cairndon, 1915 sold to Lowlands Steam Shipping Co,
Newcastle renamed Lowdale.
|
2,692 |
| Cairnesk (1) |
1888 |
ex- Knutsford, 1898 purchased renamed Cairnesk, 1899
stranded at Snippan in Baltic, refloated but sank. |
2,128 |
| Cairnesk (2) |
1889 |
ex- Leconfield, 1902 purchased renamed Cairnesk, 1911
sold to Sweden renamed Tuva.
|
2,296 |
| Cairnesk (3) |
1926 |
1956 sold to Italy after 208 round voyages to Canada
renamed Zermatt. |
5,007 |
| Cairnesk (4) |
1959 |
laid down as Cairnesk, completed for Manchester
Liners as Manchester Faith. |
4,411 |
| Cairnforth |
1958 |
1965 chartered to Manchester
Liners renamed Manchester Freighter, 1969 sold to Royal
Mail Line renamed Lombardy. |
8,105 |
| Cairnglen (1) |
1891 |
1912 sold to Sweden renamed R. F. Berg. |
1,565 |
| Cairnglen (2) |
1926 |
1940 wrecked at Marsden, off River Tyne. |
5,019 |
| Cairnglen (3) |
1959 |
laid down as Cairnglen, completed for Manchester
Liners as Manchester Fame. |
4,412 |
| Cairngowan (1) |
1883 |
1909 sold to Sweden renamed Odensvold. |
1,286 |
| Cairngowan (2) |
1911 |
1916 sunk by U-Boat gunfire NW of Fastnet. |
4,017 |
| Cairngowan (3) |
1919 |
laid down as War Oriole, completed as Cairngowan,
1935 sold to Bright Navigation Co., London renamed Brightcomet. |
5,295 |
| Cairngowan (4) |
1952 |
1965 chartered to Manchester
Liners renamed Manchester Engineer, 1966 reverted to Cairngowan,
1969 sold to Cyprus renamed Georgilis. |
7,503 |
| Cairnisla |
1896 |
1915 sold to Dixon & Son, Grimsby renamed West Marsh. |
1,597 |
| Cairnloch |
1895 |
1918 sold to Capel & Co., Newcastle renamed Capelbay. |
1,546 |
| Cairnlyon |
1882 |
ex- Trelyon, 1895 purchased from Hain SS Co. renamed
Cairnlyon, 1912 sold to Sweden renamed Elsie. |
1,428 |
| Cairnmona (1) |
1884 |
ex- Southwold, 1899 purchased from F. Woods, London
renamed Cairnmona, 1911 scrapped. |
1,766 |
| Cairnmona (2) |
1918 |
1939 torpedoed and sunk off Peterhead. |
4,666 |
| Cairnmore |
1892 |
1913 sold to Norway renamed Nord. |
1,627 |
| Cairnnevis |
1905 |
1917 sold to Christian Salvesen & Co. renamed Tolsta. |
1,587 |
| Cairnrona |
1900 |
ex- Consuelo, 1908 purchased from Wilson
Line renamed Cairnrona, 1911 sold to Cunard renamed
Albania. |
6,025 |
| Cairnross (1) |
1894 |
1910 wrecked Tangiers. |
1,509 |
| Cairnross (2) |
1913 |
1918 torpedoed and sunk off Azores. |
4,016 |
| Cairnross (3) |
1921 |
1940 mined and sunk off River Mersey. |
5,494 |
| Cairnstrath |
1888 |
ex- Fellbridge, 1901 purchased from Hoggarth & Woodruff,
Cardiff renamed Cairnstrath, 1917 sold to Capel & Co., Newcastle. |
2,128 |
| Cairntorr (1) |
1903 |
1915 torpedoed and sunk in English Channel. |
3,588 |
| Cairntorr (2) |
1922 |
1928 wrecked off Cape Whittle, Labrador. |
5,387 |
| Cairnvalona |
1918 |
1952 scrapped after 180 round voyages to Canada. |
4,929 |
| Cervona |
1896 |
1908 transferred from Thomson
Line, 1913 wrecked off Cape Race. |
3,779 |
| Devona |
1896 |
1908 transferred from Thomson
Line, 1919 sold to Convoy SS Co., Dundee renamed Willkeno. |
3,779 |
| Fremona |
1887 |
1908 transferred from Thomson
Line, 1917 torpedoed and sunk off Brittany; loss of 11 lives. |
2,922 |
| Gerona |
1911 |
launched for Cairn Line but completed for Cunard as
Ascania. |
9,111 |
| Hurona |
1892 |
1908 transferred from Thomson
Line, 1919 sold to Charles M. Barnett, Dundee. |
3,432 |
| Iona |
1892 |
1908 transferred from Thomson
Line, 1915 torpedoed and sunk off Fair Isle. |
3,344 |
| Jacona |
1889 |
1908 transferred from Thomson
Line, 1915 mined and sunk off Troup Head; loss of 29 lives. |
2,969 |
| Keroula |
1880 |
1895 purchased from Porteous & Senior, London, 1903
wrecked Oland Island. |
1,547 |
| Latona |
1893 |
ex- Warrigal, 1906 purchased from Blue
Anchor Line renamed Latona, 1908 transferred from Thomson
Line, 1908 sunk in collision off Wolf Rock. |
4,338 |
| Scatwell |
1911 |
1919 purchased from W. E. Hinde, Cardiff, 1928 sold
to Greece renamed Antonis G. Lemos. |
4,425 |
| Tortona |
1909 |
1911 sold to Cunard renamed
Ausonia. |
7,907 |
| Vespasian |
1887 |
1912 purchased from Parsons Turbine Company, 1913
scrapped. |
2,147 |
TheShipsList | Return
to The Fleets
TheShipsList®™ - (Swiggum) All Rights Reserved - Copyright © 1997-present
These pages may be freely linked to but not duplicated in any fashion
without written consent of
.
Last updated: June 10, 2006 and maintained by
and M. Kohli
|
