The Skirmisher was a cunard tug boat early 1900's. Does anyone have or know where I can obtain pictures? I know the bell of it is in St Nicholas church Liverpool but thats about all. Thanks in anticipation.
There was a Cunard Passenger vessel called Skirmisher around the same period - strange
It was actually a "Tender"
I am curious Aegean, why do you ask?
There was a Cunard Passenger vessel called Skirmisher around the same period - strange
MITCHELL AND KENYON 237 CUNARD MAIL STEAMER LUCANIA LEAVING FOR AMERICA (1901)
NFA Catalogue
Main (replacement) title (00.07). Filmed from a boat. Passenger liner `Skirmisher' (00.24). The `Lucania' with Liverpool quayside in distance crowded with people (00.46). `Lucania' portside. Passengers waving handkerchiefs through portholes. Closer shot of same (01.17). `Lucania' portside, LS people on decks and all the lifeboats (2.17mins). Notes: The `Skirmisher' was a Cunard passenger liner launched 1884 and scrapped 1947. M&K 229,231,232,234,237 and 240 make up this one film.
Found this [youtube]zQVQ7ry94lI[/youtube]
Nice find Bert, but some one should have said "dont stare at the camera"
My Grandad was the captain on the Skirmisher and my Mum will be overjoyed by these photographs. Thanks to all of you for this response! I am madeup. Thank you ....
Bert that is a superb find....thankyou.
Just found out from my Mum that my great grandad was chief engineer on the Skirmisher "Thomas Coady" - trying to find out more about the man. Have you or any of your members any info about him?
Hi Les and Welcome,
I can do a bit of a look up on Ancestry if you haven't already done so. Need to know approx birth date and place of birth if known.
TSS Skirmisher (ON 87990) was a 165ft steel twin-screw tug/tender built for Cunard to tranport passengers from Liverpool Landing Stage to the company's larger liners, which in those days had to moor in mid-river as their draught was too great to allow them to get close to the stage. She was launched on 14th May 1884 at the yard of J & G Thompson at Clydebank, who had had a long association with Cunard, having built the liners Abyssinia (1870), Servia (1881) and Aurania (1883) for the company. Skirmisher was the first purpose-built tender that Cunard owned; previously, like most other shipping companies, they had hired tugs from local tug companies on an ad-hoc basis to do the job. She was a familiar sight working on the Mersey for over 60 years, before being disposed of for breaking at Garston in February 1946.
It's the first time I've seen the original post, so it's nice to see that it is being kept alive with fresh interest and has some very interesting information in it.
In DD's second post, (10th March 2010) the one with the two pictures in it, it looks like the lower picture was taken later in the ships life as the tunnel vent is visable, as is Seacombe Ferry on the far right. Apart from that, what struck me are the flags flying on the forward mast. Is the lower flag that of the White Star Line?
The answer is yes. Aparrently from the time of the Cunard & White Star merger in 1934, each ship in the combined fleet would fly the flag of its original owner above that of the partner company. The practice continued until 1968.
Thanks Bert - still confirming details with mum in NZ. She has confirmed that his name was 'Thomas Bell' and not Coady. I have a birthdate of 1857 but need to confirm this. Anyone with any information on The Skirmisher - please post it here or forward it to me, so I can possibly use as a line of further investigation. bye for now - Les
The 1911 Census has a Thomas Bell, marine engineer, living at 155 Fountains Road, Kirkdale, who was born in 1857 in Stirlingshire, Scotland. He is described as a widower living with three daughters and four sons, Isabella (26), Maggie (25), Janet (22), Thomas (20), Robert (18), George (14) and Andrew Finnie (12). The 1901 Census has him at 23 Tetlow Street, Kirkdale, living with his wife Janet and the same seven children plus another daughter Mirren, then aged 6. According to this census he was born in Baldernock (now in East Dumbartonshire) and his wife was from Stevenston in Ayrshire. Could be him?
Thanks Marty - you've got the right Thomas Bell. Lots more information than I had at hand. Can now take it further. Cheers - Les
