WikiWirral Wirral's Biggest Online Forum
Forum Statistics
Forums65
Topics76,436
Posts1,033,815
Members14,782
Most Online30,276
Jan 9th, 2025
Who's Online Now
8 members (2 invisible), 12,992 guests, and 732 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters
sunnyside 45,164
MattLFC 22,315
Mark 21,269
granny 17,803
_Ste_ 16,347
Newest Members
Just2me, atemplar, Thematika, Quriosity, Tom0602
14,782 Registered Users
New General Forums
New Wirral History
Woodslee School Croft Lane Bromborough
by Shadowfax - 7th Feb 2025 1:10pm
Heswall and "Yowlers"
by neil1024 - 22nd Jan 2025 11:36am
Storeton Radar Station WW2 era
by DaveCaraher - 29th Dec 2023 12:16pm
Hardware Store
by snowshoes - 18th Sep 2016 5:47pm
Seafield House, Tranmere
by chriskay - 7th Aug 2014 12:25pm
Top Posters(30 Days)
bert1 12
JunxinH 10
Topic Replies
Help Pensioners
by TudorBlue - 10th Feb 2025 12:48pm
Unilever Research
by bert1 - 9th Feb 2025 6:48am
Woodslee School Croft Lane Bromborough
by Shadowfax - 7th Feb 2025 1:10pm
Seafield House, Tranmere
by Shadowfax - 7th Feb 2025 11:06am
Storeton Radar Station WW2 era
by AR_One - 6th Feb 2025 3:19pm
The most interesting building in New Ferry
by bert1 - 5th Feb 2025 10:58am
Lucy Letby
by diggingdeeper - 4th Feb 2025 2:54pm
Heathrow's third Runway
by Jeremy - 3rd Feb 2025 12:26pm
Shaftesbury Boys Club
by bert1 - 1st Feb 2025 7:16am
February
M T W T F S S
1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28
Top Likes Received (30 Days)
Top Likes Received
bert1 14
casper 4
Mark 4
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#394960 14th Mar 2010 7:19pm
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,697
Likes: 14
bert1 Offline OP
Wiki Veteran
OP Offline
Wiki Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,697
Likes: 14
In 1858 the famous explorer Dr Livingstone came to Birkenhead to view the trials of a small paddle vessel built by Lairds. It was the first vessel ever built in the new material used for shipbuilding., that material being Steel. The vessel named MA ROBERT, the African name for Mrs Livingstone. The MA ROBERT was used for his expedition to the Zambesi in the same year.

Attached Images
Livingstone.jpg (34.02 KB, 311 downloads)
ma robert.jpg (85.19 KB, 312 downloads)
ma robert lairds.jpg (659.24 KB, 313 downloads)

God help us,
Come yourself,
Don't send Jesus,
This is no place for children.


Bertieone.
Google Ads
bert1 #394970 14th Mar 2010 7:59pm
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,515
Forum Addict
Offline
Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,515
The journey to West Africa must have been as exciting as going up the river.


See you in cyberspace!
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 243
Addict
Offline
Addict
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 243
They often used to ship these craft out in sections, and finally assemble them when they got to site.

Didn't stop him getting lost and Stanley having to go and find him !

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 576
Smartchild
Offline
Smartchild
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 576
The first programme in a new series called The Last Explorers was shown on BBC-2 last Sunday (January 21). I taped it and have only just watched it – hence this late heads-up.

It’s worth seeing for anyone interested in the history of Laird’s, telling the story of the missionary David Livingstone’s expedition in the Ma Robert - a vessel specially built for him by John Laird at the Birkenhead yard in 1858.

An experimental craft, it was the first steel-hulled paddle-wheel steamer and was shipped to Africa in prefabricated sections in the hold of a larger ship to be assembled on the Zambesi.

However, it was not a success. The Ma Robert drew a draught of only 3ft, but even that proved too deep for some sections of the river. It also turned out to be badly underpowered and was dubbed The Asthmatic.

I seem to remember reading that David Livingstone came to Birkenhead to take delivery of the ship and that Livingstone Street was so named in commemoration of his visit.

The programme, presented by Neil Oliver, does not mention that the ship was built at Laird's.

If anyone wants to catch it, this episode of The Last Explorers can be seen on BBC’s iPlayer until Sunday night.

Last edited by yoller; 27th Jan 2012 12:59am.
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 720
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 720
It's something my husband would love to watch as his Dad worked for many years at Laird's but sadly because we live in USA we wouldn't be able to see it on BBC iplayer. I've never understood why just because you don't live in a country you can't watch something on the internet from there. I've tried to listen to various UK radio stations online too but get the same message all the time saying I can't due to location frown


Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,697
Likes: 14
bert1 Offline OP
Wiki Veteran
OP Offline
Wiki Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,697
Likes: 14


God help us,
Come yourself,
Don't send Jesus,
This is no place for children.


Bertieone.
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,452
Forum Addict
Offline
Forum Addict
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,452
Yes Elizabeth, I get that too and can never understand it. Defeats the whole object of the "World-Wide Web", it strikes me...!!

Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,973
Forum Guardian
Offline
Forum Guardian
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 3,973
Wasn't there a film about Dr Livingstone,some scenes were shot in Hamilton Square,can't remember what it was called?


Every dog has its day!
bert1 #659194 28th Jan 2012 12:15am
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 576
Smartchild
Offline
Smartchild
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 576
Attached is an extract about the Ma Robert from Men of Iron: The Story of Cammell Laird Shipbuilders, by D Hollett (1992).

Attached Images
robert1.jpg (175.91 KB, 157 downloads)
robert2.jpg (135.71 KB, 159 downloads)
yoller #660066 30th Jan 2012 8:52pm
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,195
Forum Addict
Offline
Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,195
The naming of the vessel Ma Robert may have had more to do with Scottish tradition rather than any African influence. It was named in honour of Mary (Livingstone's wife) mother of their first born son 'Robert'.

There's some great info and further photographs on the following link:

http://www.ecoelements.co.uk/vf/vfpages/discovery/second.html

Geekus #660962 1st Feb 2012 1:30pm
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 472
Likes: 2
Smartchild
Offline
Smartchild
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 472
Likes: 2
The account of the origins of the name of Livingstone's steam launch come from his own writings where he records: "Those who speak this language [Sichuana or Bechuana, now called Tswana] have a curious custom of putting 'Ma' and 'Ra' before the name of the eldest son, and of calling his parents by these newly compounded names respectively. Thus they call Mrs Livingstone Ma-Robert, ie the mother of Robert..."


Moderated by  Mod 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Random Wirral Images

Click to View Topic.
Newest Topics
Unilever Research
by Excoriator - 8th Feb 2025 5:45pm
Woodslee School Croft Lane Bromborough
by Shadowfax - 7th Feb 2025 1:10pm
The most interesting building in New Ferry
by Excoriator - 3rd Feb 2025 2:42am
Royal Oak Little Neston ghosts?
by LibraryDenJ - 31st Jan 2025 11:00pm
Heathrow's third Runway
by Excoriator - 30th Jan 2025 12:13pm
For Sale & Free
Member Spotlight
diggingdeeper
diggingdeeper
Wirral
Posts: 14,460
Joined: July 2008
Today's Birthdays
There are no members with birthdays on this day.
New Wirral Info
Unilever Research
by Excoriator - 8th Feb 2025 5:45pm
The most interesting building in New Ferry
by Excoriator - 3rd Feb 2025 2:42am
Heathrow's third Runway
by Excoriator - 30th Jan 2025 12:13pm
Help with general life
by Peter0787 - 28th Jan 2025 7:00pm
Help Pensioners
by diggingdeeper - 25th Aug 2023 8:41am
News : New Topics
Wirral Bins Cancelled this week
by diggingdeeper - 10th Jan 2025 3:01pm
Lucy Letby
by diggingdeeper - 16th Dec 2024 6:16pm
Wallasey CLP Suspension Twaddle
by RUDEBOX - 23rd Oct 2016 8:53pm
New Enthusiast Forums
Royal Oak Little Neston ghosts?
by LibraryDenJ - 31st Jan 2025 11:00pm
60's mechanic wanted
by robin47 - 3rd Dec 2024 9:32pm
Shaftesbury Boys Club
by derekdwc - 10th Aug 2013 4:41pm
Popular Topics(Views)
10,122,247 CW Chat room thread
5,457,404 WIKI WALK CHAT
4,321,009 Spotted!
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5