 British Queen
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | British Queen |
| Owner | British and American Steam Navigation Company |
| Route | Atlantic crossing. |
| Builder | London, Curling & Young |
| Launched | 24 May 1838.[1] |
| Maiden voyage | 12 July 1839 |
| Fate | 1841: Sold to Belgian Government and scrapped in 1844 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Steamship |
| Tonnage | 1850 grt |
| Length | 245 ft (75 m) |
| Beam | 40 ft (12 m) |
| Installed power | 500 hp, 800 actual power[2] |
| Sail plan | 3 masts |
| Speed | 10.2 knots[3] |
British Queen was a British passenger liner that was the second steamship completed for the transatlantic route when she was commissioned in 1839. She was the largest passenger ship in the world from 1839 to 1840, then being passed by the SS President. She was named in honour of Queen Victoria and owned by the British and American Steam Navigation Company. British Queen would have been the first transatlantic steamship had she not been delayed by 18 months because of the liquidation of the firm originally contracted to build her engine.[4]
As the largest ship in the world, British Queen was roomier and more comfortable than her contemporaries. She never won the Blue Riband[5] but matched Great Western's westbound speeds from 1838 through 1840 and was less than a half of a knot slower eastbound.[4]
After completing nine round trip voyages, British Queen was laid up in 1841 when British-American steam navigation traffic collapsed due to the loss of the President with all on board. She was sold to the Belgian Government for an Antwerp-Cowes-New York service that began in 1842. However, this proved unsuccessful and she was laid up again after three round trip voyages. British Queen was lightly built and was scrapped in 1844 when no further use was found for the pioneer liner.[4]
- ^ "Launch of the British Queen". The Times. No. 16738. London. 25 May 1838. col F, p. 6.
- ^ v
- ^ https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0004036/19120118/206/0015 [dead link]
- ^ a b c Gibbs, Charles Robert Vernon (1957). Passenger Liners of the Western Ocean: A Record of Atlantic Steam and Motor Passenger Vessels from 1838 to the Present Day. John De Graff. pp. 37–41.
- ^ Kludas, Arnold (2002). Record breakers of the North Atlantic, Blue Riband Liners 1838-1953. London: Chatham. ISBN 1-57488-458-1.