MEANDER was built in 1856 by George Kelson Stothert & Co
at Bristol with a tonnage of 974grt, a length of 239ft, a beam
of 27ft 8in.and a service speed of 8 knots. She was built for
James Moss & Co. of Liverpool and, together with her sisters
Scamander and Araxes, was chartered to the French Government
for trooping during the Crimean War as the Meandre. Acquired
by Bibby's in 1857 she was renamed Meander although the French
and Lloyds Register continued to refer to her as the Meandre.
In 1868she was sold to Cie Generale Maritime of Antwerp who
changed her name to Baron Lambermont, and acquired by E. Caillol
et H. Saint-Pierre of Marseilles in 1877 when she was renamed
Orient. She was deployed on a service to Corsica when she carried
10 passengers and 700 troops in the 'tween decks. In 1885 she
was equipped with a compound engine by Fraissenet & Cie
of Marseilles which increased her tonnage to 1023grt. By 1910
she was carrying only cargo to Algeria and was broken up in
that year.
BOETIA was built in 1855 by T. D. Marshall
& Co at South Shields with a tonnage of 950grt, a length
of 220ft 1in, a beam of 22ft 7in.and a service speed of 8 knots.
She was completed as the Boetia for J. Dudgeon of London for
trading to the Mediterranean and sold to Basilio Papayanni of
Liverpool in 1858 who retained her name. J. Bibby & Sons
acquired her in 1859 and she remained with the company until
1864 when she was sold to the West India & Pacific Steam
Navigation Co. of Liverpool. Renamed Barbadian she was lost
on the Blackwater Bank off Wexford in December 1865.
IONIA was built in 1856 by T. D. Marshall
& Co at South Shields with a tonnage of 1388grt, a length
of 244ft 5in, a beam of 32ft 1in.and a service speed of 8 knots.
A slightly larger version of the Boetia she was built for Papayanni
Bros. She was acquired by Bibby in 1861 to improve the service
to the Levant ports and called at Alexandria when inbound to
load cotton. In 1870 she was sold to the Anglo-Egyptian Navigation
Co. of Liverpool and in 1872 was lengthened to 303ft and equipped
with a compound engine and new boilers which increased her tonnage
to 1758grt. She was lost in estuary of the River Congo in December
1875.
CAIRO was built in 1857 by T. D. Marshall
& Co at South Shields with a tonnage of 1465grt, a length
of 256ft 2in, a beam of 35ft 5in.and a service speed of 8 knots.
She was built as the Fred Chapple for Fred Chapple & Co.
and acquired by Bibby for the Levant cotton trade in 1859. She
traded as the Cairo for the company until 1873 when she was
sold to Frederick Leyland & Co. Too old and surplus to requirements
she was sold in the following year to T. H. Johnson of Liverpool
who converted her into a three masted sailing ship. Still trading
as the Cairo she was posted as missing in 1876.
MELBOURNE was built in 1846 at Moncton, New
Brunswick with a tonnage of 1212grt, a length of 138ft 7in and
a beam of 22ft 11in. Built in wood and ship rigged she was acquired
by John Bibby, Sons & Co. in 1858 and was their final and
largest sailing ship. She ended her career in 1870 as a coaling
hulk at Gibraltar.
VENETIAN
was built in 1859 by E. J. Harland at Belfast with a tonnage
of 1507grt, a length of 175ft 5in, a beam of 34ft and a service
speed of 8 knots. The first ship to be built at the yard of
E. J. Harland, who was later to join forces with Gustav Wolff
as Harland & Wolff, she was launched on 30th July 1859 and
delivered to J. Bibby & Sons on 14th August. She was one
of three ships built for chartering to P&O who were experiencing
a boom following the completion of the railway from Alexandria
to Port Suez which eliminated the camel trek across the desert..
When the Suez Canal was opened in 1869 P&O able to sail
directly from the United Kingdom to Australia and, consequently,
the future of the three Bibby ships, which up until then had
serviced the UK to Alexandria route, was put into doubt. Too
small for anything other than Mediterranean services she was,
in 1872, lengthened to 270ft 4in and, at the same time, had
a compound engine installed by J. Jack Rollo & Co. of Liverpool.
In the following year she was sold to Frederick Leyland &
Co. and five years later, in 1878, was chartered to Elder, Dempster
for their African services. She was acquired in 1880 by the
African Steam Ship Co. who renamed her Landana for management
by Elder, Dempster and was re-engined and reboilered by G. Forrester
& Co. of Liverpool, a modernisation which increased her
tonnage to 1568grt. In December 1885, outbound for West Africa,
she collided with and sank a Mersey pilot cutter. She was acquired
by E. Gerard of Valparaiso in 1891 who changed her name to Tarapaca
and in 1894 she was re-registered to E. Gerard & B. Squella
of Valparaiso. In July 1894 she was wrecked on the coast of
Chile after sailing from Valparaiso. (Photo: From a painting
by William Clark)
SICILIAN
was built in 1860 by E. J. Harland at Belfast with a tonnage
of 1492grt, a length of 175ft 5in, a beam of 34ft and a service
speed of 8 knots. Sister of the Venetian she was launched on
12th November 1860 and delivered to J. Bibby & Sons on 24th
November. Chartered to P&O she operated the same route as
her sisters, was lengthened and equipped with a compound engine
in 1872 and sold to Frederick Leyland & Co. in 1873. In
1878 she was chartered to the African Steam Ship Co. and acquired
by the company and renamed Mayumba in 1880, commencing her first
sailing on 13th November of that year. She hit and sank R. Gayner's
barque Severn off Madeira in 1881. Acquired by C. R. Gillchrist
of Liverpool in 1882 she ended her career in the following year
when she caught fire when at Arzue in Algeria. The ships was
scuttled but declared a total loss. (Photo: Bibby Line Group)
SYRIAN was built in 1860 by E. J. Harland
at Belfast with a tonnage of 1492grt, a length of 175ft 5in,
a beam of 34ft and a service speed of 8 knots. Sister of the
Venetian she was launched on 26th March 1860 and delivered on
the 1st April. When her charter to P&O was terminated in
1868 she was transferred to the Portugal route to replace the
Calpe. In 1869, during a voyage from Corunna to Lisbon, she
was wrecked after being blown ashore in Corcubion Bay near Cape
Finisterre.
GRECIAN was built in 1861 by Harland &
Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 1854grt, a length of 310ft,
a beam of 34ft and a service speed of 8 knots. The first ship
built for Bibby after the formation of Harland & Wolff she
was launched on 12th January 1861 and delivered on 30th January.
Together with her sister, the Italian, she was built for the
New Orleans cotton trade but with the outbreak of the American
Civil War was transferred to the Mediterranean. Her engine was
compounded by J. Jack Rollo of Liverpool in 1870 and in 1873
she disappeared at sea.
ITALIAN was built in 1861 by Harland &
Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 1854grt, a length of 310ft,
a beam of 34ft and a service speed of 8 knots. Sister of the
Grecian she was launched on 27th March 1861 and delivered for
immediate service to the Levant on 13th April. In 1869 she was
wrecked after grounding in fog on Cape Finisterre.
EGYPTIAN was built in 1861 by Harland &
Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 2086grt, a length of 335ft,
a beam of 34ft 2in and a service speed of 10 knots. Launched
on 23rd July 1861 she was completed for J. Bibby, Sons &
Co. on 11th August. Twenty five feet longer than the 'Grecian'
pair but with the same breadth and depth she was the first of
the Harland & Wolff 'long ships'. Initially thought to be
unsafe, they were nicknamed 'Bibby's coffins' but, at the end
of the day, they turned out to be highly economical and good
seaboats. So much so that other shipowners were encouraged to
lengthen their ships in a similar manner. On 1st January 1873
she was acquired, with the rest of the Bibby fleet, by Frederick
Leyland & Co. In 1879 she was given a compound engine by
G. Forrester of Liverpool and, at the same time, her masts were
reduced from three to two. Ten years later she was reboilered
at Liverpool during her winter overhaul. On 25th April 1901
John Pierpoint Morgan purchased the fleet of Frederick Leyland
(1900) but he had no use for the Mediterranean traders nor the
vessels serving Canada from the Continent. Consequently, the
Mediterranean ships were sold to the London, Liverpool &
Ocean Shipping Co. which, being owned by John Ellerman, was
renamed Ellerman Lines Ltd on 31st December of the same year.
On 1st January 1902 the fleet was placed under the management
of Frank Swift but the Egyptian, being surplus to requirements,
was broken up early in 1903.
DALMATIAN was built in 1861 by Harland &
Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 1989grt, a length of 335ft,
a beam of 34ft 2in and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of
the Egyptian she was launched on 19th November 1861 and delivered
for the Mediterranean and Black Sea services in the following
December. After eleven years service she was, in 1872, wrecked
on Bardsey Island in North wales.
ARABIAN
was built in 1862 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage
of 2066grt, a length of 335ft, a beam of 34ft 2in and a service
speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Egyptian she was launched on
15th April and immediately after being delivered to John Bibby,
Sons & Co. on 2nd May went to Greenock where a low pressure
cylinder was added by McNab & Co. to compound her engine.
This addition gave her three cylinders and in 1871 a fourth
high pressure cylinder was added to 'double' compound her. On
1st January she was acquired by Frederick Leyland & Co.
with the rest of the fleet. JP Morgan purchased her on 25th
April 1901 and sold her in the same year to John Ellerman's,
London, Liverpool & Ocean Shipping Co. Too old to be of
use, when the Ellerman fleet was placed under the management
of Frank Swift, she was broken up in 1902. (Photo: Bibby Line
Group)
CASTILIAN was built in 1862 by Harland &
Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 635grt, a length of 240ft,
a beam of 24ft and a service speed of 10 knots. A smaller version
of the 'Egyptian' class she was launched on 10th May 1862 and
completed for John Bibby, Sons & Co's Iberian peninsular
services in the following July. On 1st January she was acquired
by Frederick Leyland & Co. with the rest of the fleet. JP
Morgan purchased her on 25th April 1901 and sold her in the
same year to John Ellerman's, London, Liverpool & Ocean
Shipping Co. When the Ellerman fleet was placed under the management
of Frank Swift in 1902 she was surplus to requirements and subsequently
broken up at Garston.
CATALONIAN was built in 1862 by Harland &
Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 635grt, a length of 240ft,
a beam of 24ft and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the
Castilian she was launched on 15th July 1862 and delivered for
John Bibby, Sons & Co's Iberian peninsular services on 2nd
August. In 1863 she became the company's steam ship loss when
she was wrecked.
PERSIAN was built in 1863 by Harland &
Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 2137grt, a length of 361ft
10in, a beam of 34ft and a service speed of 9 knots. Launched
on 21st January 1863 and delivered in the February she was an
extreme long version of the 34ft beam series which began with
the Venetian. Her narrowness was emphasised by her straight
stemmed bow, Bibby's first, but she was considered to be too
narrow and subsequent ships were given a broader beam. On 1st
January 1873 she was purchased by Frederick Leyland & Co.
with the rest of the fleet. In 1879 she was compounded by J.
Jack Rollo which increased her service speed to 10 knots. On
24th May 1880 she made the first sailing from Liverpool to Boston
and in the same year acted as a reserve steamer. JP Morgan purchased
her on 25th April 1901 with the rest of the Leyland fleet and
sold her in the same year to John Ellerman's, London, Liverpool
& Ocean Shipping Co. When the Ellerman fleet was placed
under the management of Frank Swift in 1902 she was surplus
to requirements and subsequently broken up at Genoa in July
of the same year.
DOURO (2) was built in 1864 by Harland &
Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 556grt, a length of 195ft
11in, a beam of 27ft 1in and a service speed of 9 knots. She
was launched in November 1864 and delivered to J. Bibby, Sons
& Co on 21st November for their Iberian peninsular services.
Compounded by G. Forrester & Co. in 1871 she was sold to
Frederick Leyland & Co. on 1st January 1873. In 1875 she
was renamed Alcira and later in that decade Camilla C and then
Camilla for her owner O. Conte of Genoa. She was sold to P.
Milesi of Genoa in 1892 who retained her name but when she was
acquired by A. A. Vagliano fils of Argostoli in 1894 her name
was changed to Cephalonia. Five years later she was sold to
A. I. Diakakis of Argostoli and in 1910 ownership was recorded
as being with La Navigation Hellenique with A. I. Diakakis as
manager. She was sold yet again in 1913 to Cie de Nav. a Vapeur
'Ermopolis' of Syra, with E. A. Foustanos as manager, and renamed
Nilos. In 1914 she was requisitioned by the Italian Government
for use by the State Railways as a collier. She returned to
the commercial ownership of N. J. Eustathiadis of Piraeus in
1920 as the Nilos and was broken up in Greece during 1927.
ISTRIAN
was built in 1867 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage
of 2930grt, a length of 390ft, a beam of 37ft 2in and a service
speed of 10 knots. The first of three sisters she was launched
on 9th March 1867 and delivered to Bibby's on 21st April. She
was fitted with a lifting screw to reduce drag when solely under
sail but this was not a success and few other ships were so
equipped. On 1st January 1873 she was purchased by Frederick
Leyland & Co. with the rest of the fleet and on 25th March
1876 made her first sailing from Liverpool to Boston. She was
compounded by G. Forrester & Co. of Liverpool in 1877 and
sold to J. Glynn & Son of Liverpool in 1889. In 1894 she
was sold to Furness, Withy & Co., one of twenty ships acquired
by that company for their charter operation. Together with some
of the acquisitions ,the Istrian was hardly used and subsequently
broken up at Garston in 1895. (From a painting by Samuel Walters)
IBERIAN was built in 1867 by Harland &
Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 2890grt, a length of 390ft,
a beam of 37ft 2in and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of
the Istrian, she was launched on 4th June 1867 and delivered
to Bibby's in the following July. Acquired by Frederick Leyland
& Co. on 1st January 1873 she made her first sailing from
Liverpool to Boston on 11th March 1876. In 1878 she had a new
compound engine installed by G. Forrester & Co. of Liverpool
and on 21st November 1885 was wrecked on the south coast of
Ireland without any loss of life.
ILLYRIAN was built in 1867 by Harland &
Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage of 2931grt, a length of 390ft,
a beam of 37ft 2in and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of
the Istrian she was launched on 31st August 1867 and delivered
to Bibby's for the Mediterranean trade on 25th September. She
was purchased by Frederick Leyland & Co. on 1st January
1873 and on 8th April 1876 joined the Liverpool to Boston service.
In 1878 she was compounded by G. Forrester & Co. and on
15th May 1884 she was wrecked on Cape Clear, Ireland in fog
with no loss of life.
CAMEL was built in 1868 at Dumbarton with
a tonnage of 33grt, a length of 50ft 8in, and a beam of 13ft
1in. Details of her initial ownership are unknown but she was
part of the Bibby fleet when it was sold to Frederick Leyland
& Co. on 1st January 1873. In 1885 she was sold to foreign
owners and, thereafter, all trace of her was lost.
(2).jpg)
VENETIAN
was built in 1859 by E. J. Harland at Belfast with a tonnage
of 1507grt, a length of 175ft 5in, a beam of 34ft and a service
speed of 8 knots. The first ship to be built at the yard of
E. J. Harland, who was later to join forces with Gustav Wolff
as Harland & Wolff, she was launched on 30th July 1859 and
delivered to J. Bibby & Sons on 14th August. She was one
of three ships built for chartering to P&O who were experiencing
a boom following the completion of the railway from Alexandria
to Port Suez which eliminated the camel trek across the desert..
When the Suez Canal was opened in 1869 P&O able to sail
directly from the United Kingdom to Australia and, consequently,
the future of the three Bibby ships, which up until then had
serviced the UK to Alexandria route, was put into doubt. Too
small for anything other than Mediterranean services she was,
in 1872, lengthened to 270ft 4in and, at the same time, had
a compound engine installed by J. Jack Rollo & Co. of Liverpool.
In the following year she was sold to Frederick Leyland &
Co. and five years later, in 1878, was chartered to Elder, Dempster
for their African services. She was acquired in 1880 by the
African Steam Ship Co. who renamed her Landana for management
by Elder, Dempster and was re-engined and reboilered by G. Forrester
& Co. of Liverpool, a modernisation which increased her
tonnage to 1568grt. In December 1885, outbound for West Africa,
she collided with and sank a Mersey pilot cutter. She was acquired
by E. Gerard of Valparaiso in 1891 who changed her name to Tarapaca
and in 1894 she was re-registered to E. Gerard & B. Squella
of Valparaiso. In July 1894 she was wrecked on the coast of
Chile after sailing from Valparaiso. (Photo: From a painting
by William Clark) 
SICILIAN
was built in 1860 by E. J. Harland at Belfast with a tonnage
of 1492grt, a length of 175ft 5in, a beam of 34ft and a service
speed of 8 knots. Sister of the Venetian she was launched on
12th November 1860 and delivered to J. Bibby & Sons on 24th
November. Chartered to P&O she operated the same route as
her sisters, was lengthened and equipped with a compound engine
in 1872 and sold to Frederick Leyland & Co. in 1873. In
1878 she was chartered to the African Steam Ship Co. and acquired
by the company and renamed Mayumba in 1880, commencing her first
sailing on 13th November of that year. She hit and sank R. Gayner's
barque Severn off Madeira in 1881. Acquired by C. R. Gillchrist
of Liverpool in 1882 she ended her career in the following year
when she caught fire when at Arzue in Algeria. The ships was
scuttled but declared a total loss. (Photo: Bibby Line Group)
ARABIAN
was built in 1862 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage
of 2066grt, a length of 335ft, a beam of 34ft 2in and a service
speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Egyptian she was launched on
15th April and immediately after being delivered to John Bibby,
Sons & Co. on 2nd May went to Greenock where a low pressure
cylinder was added by McNab & Co. to compound her engine.
This addition gave her three cylinders and in 1871 a fourth
high pressure cylinder was added to 'double' compound her. On
1st January she was acquired by Frederick Leyland & Co.
with the rest of the fleet. JP Morgan purchased her on 25th
April 1901 and sold her in the same year to John Ellerman's,
London, Liverpool & Ocean Shipping Co. Too old to be of
use, when the Ellerman fleet was placed under the management
of Frank Swift, she was broken up in 1902. (Photo: Bibby Line
Group) 
ISTRIAN
was built in 1867 by Harland & Wolff at Belfast with a tonnage
of 2930grt, a length of 390ft, a beam of 37ft 2in and a service
speed of 10 knots. The first of three sisters she was launched
on 9th March 1867 and delivered to Bibby's on 21st April. She
was fitted with a lifting screw to reduce drag when solely under
sail but this was not a success and few other ships were so
equipped. On 1st January 1873 she was purchased by Frederick
Leyland & Co. with the rest of the fleet and on 25th March
1876 made her first sailing from Liverpool to Boston. She was
compounded by G. Forrester & Co. of Liverpool in 1877 and
sold to J. Glynn & Son of Liverpool in 1889. In 1894 she
was sold to Furness, Withy & Co., one of twenty ships acquired
by that company for their charter operation. Together with some
of the acquisitions ,the Istrian was hardly used and subsequently
broken up at Garston in 1895. (From a painting by Samuel Walters)
