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The Fleets Union Steamship Company Formed in 1853 as a steam collier company named the Southampton Steam Shipping Co to bring coal from South Wales to Southampton for the large liner companies. In the same year it became the Union Steam Collier Co, but in 1854 all their five ships were taken over as transports for the Crimean War. Returned to their owners in 1856, they remained idle due to the large stocks of coal accumulated at Southampton. The company made unsuccessful ventures into the UK - South America and Birkenhead - Hamburg routes, but in 1857 they were awarded the mail contract between the UK and South Africa. In 1876 a joint mail contract with the Castle Line was awarded by the Colonial Government with the proviso that the two companies did not amalgamate. This contract expired in 1899, and after much political manoeuvering, the two companies merged to become the Union-Castle Mail SS Co and received the new mail contract. 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 (on-site) ot the Immigrant Ship web site. Routes:
- 1853 South Wales ports to Southampton.
- 1856-7 Southampton - Rio de Janeiro - Buenos Aires.
- 1857 Birkenhead - South Coast of England ports - Hamburg.
- 1857 Southampton - Plymouth - Cape Town / Simonstown - St.Helena - Ascension - Southampton.
- 1863 Intercolonial: Cape Town - Algoa Bay (Port Elizabeth) - Buffalo River (East London) - Port Natal.
- 1863-1900 Mail Service: Southampton - Cape Town.
- 1863-1900 Intermediate Service: Southampton - Plymouth - Cape Town - Port Elizabeth.
- 1864-1868 Eastern Mail: Cape Town - Algoa Bay - Port Natal - Mauritius (thence via P&O Line Suez - UK)
- 1866-1868 Cape Town - Algoa Bay - Port Natal - Mauritius - Galle, Ceylon (thence via P&O Line to Far East or UK)
- 1868-1900 Cape Town - Algoa Bay - Port Natal - Mauritius.
- 1873-1900 Southampton - Port Elizabeth.
- 1873-1881 Cape Town - Zanzibar.
- 1873-1878 Cape Town - Port Nolloth.
- 1881-1900 Southampton - Antwerp(later) - Rotterdam - Hamburg.
- 1883-1884 Liverpool - Newport News - Baltimore.
- 1892-1900 Union-America Line (joint cargo service with Castle Line) South Africa - USA.
Funnel:
1858 - 1863 Black
1863 - 1870 Buff, black top
1870 - 1891 Black
1891 - 1900 Buff Fleet: Ships which transferred to Union Castle fleet after the merger in 1900 are not shown again under that fleet |
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1858-1863
1870-1891
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1863-1870
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1891-1900
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Vessel |
Built |
Years in Service |
Tons |
African (1) |
1873 |
1885 sold to F. Stumore & Co., London. (picture) |
2,019 |
African (2) |
1886 |
S.A coastal service, 1893 sold to F.H.Powell, Liverpool, renamed Graceful. |
1,372 |
American |
1873 |
1880 sank off Las Palmas after propeller shaft fractured; no loss of life. |
2,126 |
Anglian (1) |
1864 |
1869 sold to Palgrave, Murphy & Co, Dublin. |
661 |
Anglian (2) |
1873 |
1894 sold to Huddart Parker & Co, Melbourne. |
2,206 |
Arab |
1879 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, scrapped same year. |
3,170 |
Asiatic |
1872 |
1881 sold to H.Martini, Southampton. |
2,087 |
Athenian |
1881 |
1897 sold to Canadian Pacific |
3,877 |
Athens |
1856 |
1858 purchased from Schilizzi & Co, Liverpool, 1865 wrecked Table Bay; loss of 29 lives. |
739 |
Basuto |
1873 |
S.A.coastal service, 1876 sold to France. |
1,034 |
Briton (1) |
1854 |
1857 lost at sea. |
491 |
Briton (2) |
1861 |
1873 sold to Admiralty became troopship HMS Dromedary. |
1,164 |
Briton (3) |
1897 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1926 scrapped. |
10,248 |
Cambrian |
1860 |
1872 sold to France. |
1,055 |
Carnarvon |
1883 |
tug at Durban, 1890 transferred to Lourenco Marques, 1896 sold to Vianna & Co, Lourenco Marques. |
104 |
Celt (1) |
1855 |
1862 sold to Charles Langley in part exchange for new ship. |
531 |
Celt (2) |
1866 |
1874 rebuilt to 2112 tons, 1875 wrecked South Africa; no loss of lives. |
1,439 |
Dane (1) |
1854 |
1865 wrecked near Port Elizabeth. |
530 |
Dane (2) |
1866 |
1870 sold to Azores, renamed Atlantico. |
788 |
Dane (3) |
1870 |
ex- Australia, 1889 purchased from P&O Line, renamed Dane, 1893 scrapped. |
3,664 |
Danube |
1866 |
1871 purchased from Royal Mail SP Co, 1888 scrapped. |
2,039 |
Durban |
1877 |
1891 cargo only, 1893 wrecked Tenerife. |
2,875 |
European |
1869 |
ex- Europe, 1872 purchased from Ryde & Co, Liverpool, renamed European. 1877 sank off Ushant after striking rock; no loss of life. |
2,242 |
Falcon |
1896 |
Southampton passenger tender, 1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1942 out of service. |
41 |
Gaika |
1896 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1928 scrapped. |
6,287 |
Galeka |
1899 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1916 mined off LeHavre while hospital ship, beached but total loss; loss of 19 lives. |
6,772 |
Galician |
1900 |
transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co while fitting out, 1914 renamed Glenart Castle, 1918 torpedoed and sunk in Bristol Channel while hospital ship; loss of 168 lives. |
6,575 |
Gascon |
1897 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1928 scrapped. |
6,287 |
Gaul |
1893 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1906 sold to Royal Mail SP Co, renamed Sabor. |
4,745 |
German (1) |
1877 |
1896 sold to Navigazione Generale Italiana, renamed Sempione. |
3,028 |
German (2) |
1898 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1914 renamed Glengorm Castle, 1930 scrapped. |
6,763 |
Goorkha |
1897 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1926 scrapped. |
6,287 |
Goth |
1893 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1913 sold to Royal Mail SP Co, renamed Cobequid |
4,738 |
Greek |
1893 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1906 sold to Royal Mail SP Co, renamed Segura |
4,757 |
Guelph |
1894 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1913 sold to Royal Mail SP Co, renamed Caraquet |
4,917 |
Kafir |
1873 |
S.A coastal service, 1878 wrecked Simonstown. |
982 |
Mauritius |
1865 |
1869 sold to Palgrave, Murphy & Co, Dublin. |
587 |
Mexican |
1883 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1900 sank after collision with WINKFIELD near Cape Town; no loss of life. |
4,668 |
Midge |
1889 |
tender at East London, 1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co. 1906 sold to African Fisheries Ltd. |
64 |
Moor |
1881 |
1900 in 1894 rebuilt to 4644 tons, 1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1901 sold to Royal mail SP Co renamed La Plata. |
3,688 |
Namaqua |
1873 |
S.A coastal service, 1876 wrecked off Port Nolloth. |
352 |
Natal (1) |
1865 |
1883 sold to Trinder, Anderson & Co, London. |
618 |
Natal (2) |
1892 |
passenger tender at Durban, 1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1913 sold to Cape Town City Steamers, renamed Sir Fred. |
158 |
Norman (1) |
1854 |
1865 sold to Charles Langley in part exchange for new ship. |
530 |
Norman (2) |
1894 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1926 scrapped. |
7,537 |
Norseman (1) |
1866 |
1873 sold to J. Heugh converted to a cable ship. |
1,386 |
Norseman (2) |
1890 |
S.A.coastal service, 1893 sold to W.Bailey, Hull. |
938 |
Northam |
1858 |
(ex-P&O Line), 1869 purchased from Day Summers & Co, 1876 sold to Sir John Malcolm, Liverpool, became sailing barque Stars and Stripes. |
1,330 |
Nubian |
1876 |
1892 ran ashore at Lisbon - total loss; no loss of life. |
3,091 |
Nyanza |
1864 |
1873 purchased from P&O Line, 1880 sold to Sultan of Zanzibar as private yacht. (picture) |
2,128 |
Phoebe |
1851 |
1857 purchased from Preston & Co, Glasgow, 1861 sold to Union SS Co of New Zealand. |
613 |
Pretoria |
1878 |
1897 sold to Quebec SS Co (Furness Withy) |
3,199 |
Roman (1) |
1863 |
1889 sold to Turkey, renamed Adana. |
1,282 |
Roman (2) |
1870 |
ex- Nile, 1890 purchased from Royal Mail SP Co, renamed Roman, 1891 scrapped. |
2,994 |
Sabine |
1895 |
ex- Marino, 1898 purchased from Elder Dempster, renamed Sabine, 1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1921 transferred to Bullard, King & Co, London, renamed Umzinto. |
3,809 |
Sandusky |
1891 |
ex- Montezuma, 1898 purchased from Elder Dempster & Co, renamed Sandusky, 1899 sold to Mississippi & Dominion SS Co (Dominion Line) renamed Englishman. |
6,315 |
Saxon (1) |
1854 |
1858 sold to Bremner, Bennett & Bremner, London. |
490 |
Saxon (2) |
1863 |
1876 sold to Bailey & Leetham, Hull. |
1,142 |
Saxon (3) |
1887 |
S.A coastal service, 1895 sold to Portugal. |
469 |
Saxon (4) |
1900 |
transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co while fitting out, 1935 scrapped. |
12,385 |
Scot |
1891 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1905 sold to Hamburg America Line, renamed Oceana |
6,844 |
Seagull |
1883 |
tender at Southampton, 1898 sold, became harbour ferry. |
24 |
Spartan |
1881 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1900 sold to Italy, renamed Fiume. |
3.487 |
Susquehanna |
1896 |
ex- Mount Sephar, 1898 purchased from Smith & Service, Glasgow, renamed Susquehanna, 1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1921 sold to Denaby Shipping Co, Southampton, renamed London City. |
3,711 |
Syria |
1863 |
(ex-P&O Line ), 1870 purchased from Caird & Co, 1878 sold to J. Laing, shipbuilder in part exchange for new ship. |
1,932 |
Tartar |
1883 |
1897 sold to Canadian Pacific |
4,425 |
Teuton |
1869 |
ex- Glenartney, 1873 purchased from Jardine, Matheson & Co., Hong Kong, renamed Teuton, 1881 sank after striking rock off Cape Colony; loss of 236 lives. |
1,741 |
Titan |
1898 |
passenger tender at Durban, 1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1902 sold to African Boating Co. |
151 |
Trojan |
1880 |
1900 transferred to Union-Castle Mail SS Co, 1900 sold to Elder Dempster & Co, renamed Wassau. |
3,555 |
Tyrian |
1890 |
S.A.coastal service, 1894 sold to Howard Smith & Co., Melbourne. |
1,455 |
Union (1) |
1854 |
1858 sold to P&O Line. |
336 |
Union (2) |
1878 |
tug at Durban, 1894 lost on port of Chinde bar. |
113 |
Zulu |
1872 |
S.A. coastal service, 1877 sold to S.Ezekial |
94 |
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