Clyde River Steamers 1872-1922 / Echoes of old Clyde Paddle Wheels: The first sixty years from the Comet of 1812

Journal of Transport History, The, Sep 2002 by Armstrong, John

Andrew McQueen, Clyde River Steamers 1872-1922, Strong Oak Press, Stevenage (2001), 147 pp. L10.95 paperback. Andrew McQueen, Echoes of old Clyde

Paddle Wheels: the first sixty years from the Comet of 1812, Strong Oak Press, Stevenage (2001), 208 pp., L11.95 paperback.

The first of these two volumes can be dealt with quite quickly, since it is a reprint of the 1991 edition, which was reviewed in the pages of this journal in Vol. 13, No. 2 (1992). Nothing has been altered in this edition and the comments made in 1992 still apply.

The second volume, by the same author, is almost a 'prequel' to the first in that it covers the period up to 1872, thus drawing less on McQueen's own experience and memories. The sources he uses are a combination of oral history - that is, he talked to many old-timers -- and an assiduous search of local newspapers in the Clyde area. To the historian's delight many of the latter are attributed, so that in theory they could be checked and followed up. The former are now beyond testimony.

There is no attempt to develop a comprehensive narrative but rather a series of vignettes are given of the main themes, in roughly chronological order. One thing that comes over clearly is the disasters befalling the steamboats, perhaps emphasised because of the drama inherent in such tales. Drunk captains, engine breakdowns, collisions, strandings, boiler explosions and fires all took their toll. Another aspect which stands out is the early emergence of mass tourism on the Clyde. As early as the 1820s there were steamboat excursions, especially at holiday weekends, with much advertising, including `knocking copy', and in 1850 one firm ran a trip from Glasgow to Belfast and back in one day. The number of ships and passengers involved was large and this gave rise to two other aspects: speed and sabbatarian disapproval. Racing and fast journeys were seen as an advertising point, and one boat, the Mutineer, was measured at fifteen knots in 1852 over a sixteen-mile course.

Racing and high boiler pressures brought danger. The desire to maximise the use of the expensive steamboats caused companies to try running excursions on Sundays in 1853. This brought forth the wrath of the strict Sunday observers, and pitched battles, using potatoes, turnips and bottles, were fought between deckhands and smartly -- but soberly - dressed sabbatarians. The other point raised worth some reconsideration is the economics of the excursion traffic. Into the 18 60s at least, because of the seasonality of the tourist trade, most boats were tied up, out of service, for more than half the year. This seems a poor use of expensive capital equipment, and also suggests that excursion traffic was very profitable in the season.

There are a large number of illustrations, several lists of steamers plying on the Clyde at a number of dates with their size, power and routes, and a list of steamers plying on the Clyde from 1849 to 1869. The book is well produced and laid out. It is a fascinating read and an essential source for anyone researching early steamboats and their social milieu.

John Armstrong, Thames Valley University