Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Seacombe Prom

Seacombe Prom 1913. Awful lot of ships in the river.

It must have been a special occasion. Crowds lining the railings. Bunting on the two ferry boats at the stage. Liners similarly bedecked. Do I see two children NOT wearing a hat? Standards starting to slip even then!!! Tut.

How long would those beautiful arc lamps last these days? They'd be smashed up pronto for sure.

Looks like the Luisitania is down river a bit

And just one year later we entered into a needless war with Germany that must have robbed many young men on that promenade of their lives. What a difference a year made in those days. I guess we just take the peace of this modern age for granted. Great picture! keep them coming, I just love em.

Could it have been the Royal visit of King George V and Queen Mary?

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/robinson-galatea.html

You might have something there Granny

Here is a bit more on the Steam Yacht 'Galatea', including a photo at the opening ceremony of Gladstone Dock with HRH onboard from Liverpool History Society.

Her tender still survives at the Maritime Museum.

Perhaps the crowds are looking across the river to Gladstone Dock.

In addition could the liner have been the Mauretania? Extract in very small print taken from the link beneath.


Jul 1913 HM the King whilst visiting Liverpool went aboard the Mauretania (the wood paneling from her first class dining room is in a wine bar at the foot of Park Street in Bristol). 100 cadets formed a guard of honour on board the liner. The King presented the Gold Medal in person

http://www.hmsconway.org/history_mersey.html

Love these pictures Pablo . Thanks

Bloody hell Granny, you know your boats. Well spotted

Could be because a lot of my family were linked to the sea and in particular the Mersey.Also a great aunt worked on the Mauritania back in 19?? as a nurse. Don't know exactly, before the 2nd world war anyway.

The Mauretania sailed from Liverpool to New York on fifteen occasions in 1913.

One of them was on the 12th of July, the day after the Royal visit, so she would have been in Port at the time.


And a BIG thanks for all the new photo's today, Pabs. They are great. I can hardly catch up with you.

One the subject of the Mauretania, here's a comparison with New Brighton Tower

The ship on the left in the first picture is probably Cunard's newest ship 'Andania'. Having the right colour scheme with two funnels and two masts, it seems to fit the bill.
It could carry 2060 passengers and was 13405 gross tons.

It made its maiden voyage from Liverpool on 14th July 1913, heading for Southampton to commence regular services between Southampton and Montreal.

It was joined in service by sister ships Alaunia (from 27/12/13) and Aurania (from 28/3/17).

If it's not the Andania, then there were six more ships (from Cunards fleet of fifteen) that had two funnels and two masts, but they seem to have been at sea during the Royal visit of July 11th.

These other ships were:
Campania, Caronia, Carmania, Franconia, Ascania, Laconia.

Can anybody identify anything about the smaller ship in the middle? The one with the white band on its single funnel?

Bugger me Norton, I can barely see it. Looking at the funnel, it looks like a Harrison Line ship

In that case, it looks like the other ship may have been the 'Commodore', but several others look very similar to me at that distance. They are/were Architect, Barrister, Benefactor, Dictator, Navigator, Orator and Spectator.