DUMBARTON
YOUTH was the first vessel with which the Holt family had involvement.
She was built by William Denny & Bros at Dumbarton on the
River Clyde, with a tonnage of 239grt, a length of 126ft, and
a beam of 21ft 11in. She was built of iron with one deck and
equipped with a single screw 2 cylinder 45hp simple expansion
engine with condenser and could attain a service speed of 8
knots. Built as a collier for a Mr. Whyte in 1847 at a cost
of £6,820 she was purchased in 1852 for £4,250 and
owned jointly by T Ainsworth and George Holt with Alfred Holt
as acting agent and Superintendent Engineer. She ran between
Whitehaven and Cardiff for a while before being repositioned
to Liverpool to operate on the Liverpool to Bordeaux route.
The rest of her history is not really known except that sometime
in the 1800s she was sold to Horsfall & Co. (John I Bax
Collection)
CLEATOR
was built in 1854 by Cato & Miller at Brunswick
Dock in Liverpool with a tonnage of 391grt, a length
of 183ft 11in, a beam of 24ft 4in and a service speed
of 8 knots. The ship was financed by the Ainsworth family
of Cleator but the ownership was in the hands of Alfred
and Philip Holt. During construction the Crimean War
broke out and in 1855 she was chartered to the French
Government at a rate of 62s 6p per gross ton per month
for the duration. On completion she was deployed in
the Mediterranean carrying stores and mules to either
the Crimea or Istanbul. In 1864 Alfred Holt's compound
tandem engine was installed together with 2 locomotive
type boilers capable of working to the, then, high steam
pressure of 60lbs/square inch. Her steam pressure was
three times that of any other normal ship afloat. In
1869 she became the first Holt ship to transit the newly
opened Suez Canal. She was sold to John Dill Ross in
1872 and continued to trade until 1892 when she was
broken up.
SALADIN
was built in 1854 by Cato & Miller at Brunswick Dock in
Liverpool with a tonnage of 535grt, a length of 183ft 11in,
a beam of 24ft 4in and a service speed of 8 knots. Sister of
the Cleator it was the intention to charter her to the French
Government but the Crimean War ended before she was completed.
Consequently she was placed on the Liverpool to West Indies
service achieving a passage time of 18 days to Jamaica. Although
the competition was fierce profits were achieved and as similar
returns were made by the Cleator Alfred Holt began to concentrate
on the sea rather than railway engineering. In 1865 she was
sold to Lamport & Holt for their Brazil and River Plate
Steam Navigation Co. She was sold on in 1872 without a change
of name to J. Martin & Co. of Liverpool and finally broken
up in 1882.
PLANTAGENET
was built in 1857 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a tonnage
of 695grt, a length of 202ft and a service speed of 9 knots.
She was built for Alfred and Philip Holt and ' one or two friends'
and deployed on the West Indies service until 1864 when she
was sold to West India & Pacific Steam Ship Co. Nothing
is known of her subsequent career.
ASKALON was built in 1857 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with
a tonnage of 975grt, a length of 202ft and a service speed of
9 knots. Built for the West Indies service she served until
1864 when she was sold to West India & Pacific Steam Ship
Co. Nothing is known of her subsequent career.
TALISMAN
was built in 1857 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a tonnage
of 738grt, a length of 208ft and a service speed of 9 knots.
Built for the West Indies routes on a single ship company basis
like her sisters she was sold to the West India & Pacific
Steam Ship Co. in 1864. On 21st January 1873 she foundered in
the North Atlantic.
CRUSADER
was built in 1857 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a tonnage
of 901grt, a length of 221ft 4in, a beam of 30ft 5in and a service
speed of 8.5 knots. Built for the West Indies routes on a single
ship company basis like her sisters she was sold to the West
India & Pacific Steam Ship Co. in 1864. She was lost off
the West Indies in 1871.
AGAMEMNON
(1) was built in 1865 by Scott and Co. at Greenock with a tonnage
of 2280grt. a length of 309ft 6in, a beam of 38ft 10in and a
service speed of 10 knots. She had two sister ships the Ajax
and the Achilles, each being built at a cost of £52000,
and comprising the first order for the Ocean Steam Ship Company.
Under the command of Captain Isaac Middleton she sailed on her
maiden voyage from Liverpool on 19th April 1865 bound for Mauritius,
Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The passage time
was 77 days. In 1869 she loaded 2,516,000lbs of tea at Hankow,
the largest quantity ever loaded into a single ship and which
attracted a record freight income of £28,087. With bigger
ships being built and coming into service, Agamemnon was transferred
to Nederland Stoomvaart Maatschappij Oceaan (NMSO) in 1897 under
the Dutch flag and two years later was scrapped at Torre Annunziata
in Italy after a career of 35 years with the original 'experimental'
machinery.
(John I Bax Collection)
AJAX
(1) was built in 1865 by Scott and Co. at Greenock with a tonnage
of 2280grt. a length of 309ft 6in, a beam of 38ft 10in and a
service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Achilles and Agamemnon
she entered service in 1865 on the Far East run. In 1868 she
sank whilst in Shanghai. During an engine overhaul the propeller
shaft had been disconnected in order to undergo an engine running
test. As the tide went out the shaft 'unscrewed' out of the
ship which then flooded causing her to settle in the shallow
water with her superstructure above the high water level. Alfred
Holt accepted that there was a design fault and introduced a
watertight gland in the shaft tunnel which prevented the risk
of any similar occurrences. In 1897 she was transferred to N.S.M.
'Oceaan' without a change of name. She was scrapped at Genoa
in 1900 as it was not economical to re-boiler her for further
trading.
ACHILLES
(1) was built in 1866 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 2,280grt a length of 309ft 6in, a beam of 38ft 10in
and a service speed of 10 knots. In December 1866 the Captain
was informed by the appointed agent, Bruell & Co., that
there was no cargo for the return voyage. However, a newly established
company, Butterfied & Swire, stepped in and offered a part
cargo of a consignment of shirtings for Lancashire which enabled
the ship to make a profitable start to her voyage. Alfred Holt
was impressed with Butterfield and Swire's initiative and appointed
them as agents in Shanghai. He also recognised that their trade
was in textiles and silks in addition to tea. Consequently,
the appointment began a valuable and longlasting relationship
which had a considerable effect on the fortunes of the Blue
Funnel Line. The ships of Alfred Holt started using the Suez
Canal very soon after it was opened during November of 1869
and Achilles (1) was the first to use it on her homeward bound
voyage. Alfred Holt was determined to obtain the very highest
standard for everything even remotely connected to his ships
and when machinery in his first ships was installed or replaced
between 1876 and 1878, this was not a surprise to anyone as
it greatly improved the vessels performance. The great use of
the Suez Canal by vessels of the Holt’s fleet was very
much in contrast to the attitude of rival P & O whose managers
and directors spent many years without making a decision to
use it. P&O eventually made its decision, but not until
the vessels of Alfred Holt & Co. had established a very
firm advantage over their rivals as far as trade was concerned.
In 1891 she was transferred to N.S.M. 'Oceaan' without a change
of name. She was sold on to Swedish owners in 1896, but even
with her re-engining she was obsolete and in the summer of 1899
went for breaking up at Spezia. (John I Bax Collection)
DIOMED
(1) was built in 1868 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 1848grt a length of 291ft 6in, a beam of 34ft
6in and a service speed of 10 knots. The first of a class of
7 ships the order for her was originally placed with Scott &
Co at Greenock but was transferred to Leslie's yard when the
company went into temporary bankruptcy. The opportunity was
taken to effect a redesign and, as Alfred Holt recognised that
the initial trio of ships were overpowered for the route, the
hull was widened and the power of the compound engine reduced
by some 20%. She entered service in 1868 and remained until
1894 when she was sold to Yamamoto Tosuke of Osaka and renamed
Genzan Maru. On 8th October 1903 she was wrecked at Numouro
on the extreme western tip of Hokkaido.
NESTOR
(1) was built in 1868 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 1869grt a length of 316ft 7in, a beam of 32ft
10in and a service speed of 10 knots. Completed for the Far
East service in 1868 she was sold to Japanese owners in 1894
and renamed Daisan Mayoshima Maru. Later in the same year she
became the Mayayoshi Maru No.3 under the ownership of Fukunaga
Shoshiki Kobe. On 9th November 1894 she was lost at SI-yuen-chang
as a result of a fire while transporting troops during the Russo-Japanese
War. (Photo: National Maritime Museum)
PRIAM
(1) was built in 1870 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 2039grt a length of 313ft 7in, a beam of 32ft 10in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Diomed she remained
in service until 11th January 1889 when she was wrecked on Sisgaras
Island off Corruna in Spain during a voyage from Liverpool to
Hong Kong. (L Dunn Collection)
SARPEDON
(1) was built in 1871 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 1949grt a length of 310ft 6in, a beam of 33ft
6in and a service speed of 10 knots. She was completed for the
Far East service. 4th September 1876, inbound for London from
Shanghai ,she sank off Ushant after being in collision with
the Belgian Steamer Julia David, owned by David Verbest &
Co. of Antwerp. After a prolonged legal battle the court initially
found in favour of the Belgian vessel but this decision was
overturned when a steward named Meyer alleged that witnesses
had committed perjury.
HECTOR
(1) was built in 1868 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 1956grt a length of 312ft 1in, a beam of 34ft
6in and a service speed of 10 knots. Four years after entering
service, on 4th October 1875, she was lost when she ran aground
on a reef outside Amoy harbour close to Xiamen when inbound
from Shanghai. The ship and the cargo was valued at £36,000
and it was the company's first total loss.
ULYSSES
(1) was built in 1871 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 1949grt a length of 291ft 6in, a beam of 34ft
6in and a service speed of 10 knots. From the time of her completion
in 1871 she was considered to be an unlucky ship. During her
maiden voyage she heavily grounded in the Red Sea and the damage
was such that the ship had to abandon her voyage and return
to Liverpool for repairs incurring a substantial financial loss.
In 1872 she shed her propeller and drifted ashore as she entered
Shanghai roadstead, fortunately without any serious damage.
On 16th August 1887, on the outward leg from London with a general
cargo for Penang, she ran aground on Jubal Island in the Gulf
of Suez and was written off as a total loss in the following
October.
MENELAUS
(1) was built in 1871 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 1956grt a length of 312ft 2in, a beam of 34ft
6in and a service speed of 10 knots. The last of the 'Diomed'
Class she was transferred to N.S.M. 'Oceaan' in 1891 and broken
up at Briton Ferry in 1894.
PATROCLUS
(1) was built in 1872 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 2074grt a length of 328ft 7in, a beam of 32ft
7in and a service speed of 10 knots. The ‘Patroclus’
class was of four vessels Glaucus (1), Antenor (1)and Deucalion
(1) being the other three Sister Ships. Patroclus (1) was a
little larger than the Nestor Class which was without doubt
an improvement as by 1870 Holt’s ships were losing the
technological lead established by Agamemnon (1).By this time
Glen, Shire and the Castle lines were eroding the trade of the
Blue Funnel vessels with faster vessels. In 1891 Patroclus (1)
was transferred to N.M.S.’Oceaan’ for trading to
the Dutch East Indies under the Dutch Flag, registration being
in Amsterdam. In 1894 she was sold to A.P.Adams who were Holt’s
agent in Singapore. The name was not changed until in 1895 when
she was sold to the Japanese and renamed Shiganoura Maru. She
was eventually sold to Japanese breakers in 1924. (John I Bax
Collection)
GLAUCUS
(1) was built in 1871 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 2074grt a length of 328ft 7in, a beam of 32ft
7in and a service speed of 10 knots. Picture shows Glaucus (1)
tied up in the Suez Canal. Note the yard on the foremast. Sister
ships were Deucalion (1), but, there is no evidence that her
sister ships, together with Antenor (1) which were of the Patroclus
(1) Class were ever fitted with a yard on the foremast. In 1891
Glaucus (1), together with Deucalion (1), transferred to N.M.S.'Oceaan'
but was returned to the fleet under the British Flag again in
1895. Just one year later she was sold to Japan and renamed
Jintsu Maru, but was wrecked at Dsagami, Japan in June 1898.
(John I.Bax Collection)
DEUCALION
(1) was built in 1872 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 2074grt a length of 328ft 7in, a beam of 32ft
7in and a service speed of 10 knots. She was one of the 'Patroclus'
class and her sister ships were Patrolcus and Glaucus and Antenor.
It is thought that this vessel was originally fitted with a
yard on the foremast but nothing is known for sure. In 1891
together with Glaucus she was transferred to N.M.S.'Oceaan'
and sailed under the Dutch Flag. Five years later she was moved
to The East India Steam Ship Company a company formed in 1892
and mainly financed by Holt’s. In 1889, due to very strong
competition, she went to Norddeutscher Lloyd. Germany and was
renamed Sandakan. She was sold in 1903 to Shanghai owners and
renamed Tai Ping. After the Sino-Japanese war she was taken
over by the Russians and was sold again in 1907 to Vladivostok
owners, Kusnetsov Bros., and renamed Ermak. In March 1913 she
returned to Shanghai and was broken up. (John I Bax Collection)
DUMBARTON
YOUTH was the first vessel with which the Holt family had involvement.
She was built by William Denny & Bros at Dumbarton on the
River Clyde, with a tonnage of 239grt, a length of 126ft, and
a beam of 21ft 11in. She was built of iron with one deck and
equipped with a single screw 2 cylinder 45hp simple expansion
engine with condenser and could attain a service speed of 8
knots. Built as a collier for a Mr. Whyte in 1847 at a cost
of £6,820 she was purchased in 1852 for £4,250 and
owned jointly by T Ainsworth and George Holt with Alfred Holt
as acting agent and Superintendent Engineer. She ran between
Whitehaven and Cardiff for a while before being repositioned
to Liverpool to operate on the Liverpool to Bordeaux route.
The rest of her history is not really known except that sometime
in the 1800s she was sold to Horsfall & Co. (John I Bax
Collection) 
AGAMEMNON
(1) was built in 1865 by Scott and Co. at Greenock with a tonnage
of 2280grt. a length of 309ft 6in, a beam of 38ft 10in and a
service speed of 10 knots. She had two sister ships the Ajax
and the Achilles, each being built at a cost of £52000,
and comprising the first order for the Ocean Steam Ship Company.
Under the command of Captain Isaac Middleton she sailed on her
maiden voyage from Liverpool on 19th April 1865 bound for Mauritius,
Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The passage time
was 77 days. In 1869 she loaded 2,516,000lbs of tea at Hankow,
the largest quantity ever loaded into a single ship and which
attracted a record freight income of £28,087. With bigger
ships being built and coming into service, Agamemnon was transferred
to Nederland Stoomvaart Maatschappij Oceaan (NMSO) in 1897 under
the Dutch flag and two years later was scrapped at Torre Annunziata
in Italy after a career of 35 years with the original 'experimental'
machinery.
ACHILLES
(1) was built in 1866 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 2,280grt a length of 309ft 6in, a beam of 38ft 10in
and a service speed of 10 knots. In December 1866 the Captain
was informed by the appointed agent, Bruell & Co., that
there was no cargo for the return voyage. However, a newly established
company, Butterfied & Swire, stepped in and offered a part
cargo of a consignment of shirtings for Lancashire which enabled
the ship to make a profitable start to her voyage. Alfred Holt
was impressed with Butterfield and Swire's initiative and appointed
them as agents in Shanghai. He also recognised that their trade
was in textiles and silks in addition to tea. Consequently,
the appointment began a valuable and longlasting relationship
which had a considerable effect on the fortunes of the Blue
Funnel Line. The ships of Alfred Holt started using the Suez
Canal very soon after it was opened during November of 1869
and Achilles (1) was the first to use it on her homeward bound
voyage. Alfred Holt was determined to obtain the very highest
standard for everything even remotely connected to his ships
and when machinery in his first ships was installed or replaced
between 1876 and 1878, this was not a surprise to anyone as
it greatly improved the vessels performance. The great use of
the Suez Canal by vessels of the Holt’s fleet was very
much in contrast to the attitude of rival P & O whose managers
and directors spent many years without making a decision to
use it. P&O eventually made its decision, but not until
the vessels of Alfred Holt & Co. had established a very
firm advantage over their rivals as far as trade was concerned.
In 1891 she was transferred to N.S.M. 'Oceaan' without a change
of name. She was sold on to Swedish owners in 1896, but even
with her re-engining she was obsolete and in the summer of 1899
went for breaking up at Spezia. (John I Bax Collection) 
NESTOR
(1) was built in 1868 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 1869grt a length of 316ft 7in, a beam of 32ft
10in and a service speed of 10 knots. Completed for the Far
East service in 1868 she was sold to Japanese owners in 1894
and renamed Daisan Mayoshima Maru. Later in the same year she
became the Mayayoshi Maru No.3 under the ownership of Fukunaga
Shoshiki Kobe. On 9th November 1894 she was lost at SI-yuen-chang
as a result of a fire while transporting troops during the Russo-Japanese
War. (Photo: National Maritime Museum) .jpg)
PRIAM
(1) was built in 1870 by Scott & Co. at Greenock with a
tonnage of 2039grt a length of 313ft 7in, a beam of 32ft 10in
and a service speed of 10 knots. Sister of the Diomed she remained
in service until 11th January 1889 when she was wrecked on Sisgaras
Island off Corruna in Spain during a voyage from Liverpool to
Hong Kong. (L Dunn Collection) 
PATROCLUS
(1) was built in 1872 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 2074grt a length of 328ft 7in, a beam of 32ft
7in and a service speed of 10 knots. The ‘Patroclus’
class was of four vessels Glaucus (1), Antenor (1)and Deucalion
(1) being the other three Sister Ships. Patroclus (1) was a
little larger than the Nestor Class which was without doubt
an improvement as by 1870 Holt’s ships were losing the
technological lead established by Agamemnon (1).By this time
Glen, Shire and the Castle lines were eroding the trade of the
Blue Funnel vessels with faster vessels. In 1891 Patroclus (1)
was transferred to N.M.S.’Oceaan’ for trading to
the Dutch East Indies under the Dutch Flag, registration being
in Amsterdam. In 1894 she was sold to A.P.Adams who were Holt’s
agent in Singapore. The name was not changed until in 1895 when
she was sold to the Japanese and renamed Shiganoura Maru. She
was eventually sold to Japanese breakers in 1924. (John I Bax
Collection) 
GLAUCUS
(1) was built in 1871 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 2074grt a length of 328ft 7in, a beam of 32ft
7in and a service speed of 10 knots. Picture shows Glaucus (1)
tied up in the Suez Canal. Note the yard on the foremast. Sister
ships were Deucalion (1), but, there is no evidence that her
sister ships, together with Antenor (1) which were of the Patroclus
(1) Class were ever fitted with a yard on the foremast. In 1891
Glaucus (1), together with Deucalion (1), transferred to N.M.S.'Oceaan'
but was returned to the fleet under the British Flag again in
1895. Just one year later she was sold to Japan and renamed
Jintsu Maru, but was wrecked at Dsagami, Japan in June 1898.
(John I.Bax Collection) 
DEUCALION
(1) was built in 1872 by Andrew Leslie & Co. at Hebburn-on-Tyne
with a tonnage of 2074grt a length of 328ft 7in, a beam of 32ft
7in and a service speed of 10 knots. She was one of the 'Patroclus'
class and her sister ships were Patrolcus and Glaucus and Antenor.
It is thought that this vessel was originally fitted with a
yard on the foremast but nothing is known for sure. In 1891
together with Glaucus she was transferred to N.M.S.'Oceaan'
and sailed under the Dutch Flag. Five years later she was moved
to The East India Steam Ship Company a company formed in 1892
and mainly financed by Holt’s. In 1889, due to very strong
competition, she went to Norddeutscher Lloyd. Germany and was
renamed Sandakan. She was sold in 1903 to Shanghai owners and
renamed Tai Ping. After the Sino-Japanese war she was taken
over by the Russians and was sold again in 1907 to Vladivostok
owners, Kusnetsov Bros., and renamed Ermak. In March 1913 she
returned to Shanghai and was broken up. (John I Bax Collection)
