Great Western Steamship Company

The Great Western Steam Ship Company operated the first regular transatlantic steamer service from 1838 until 1846.

Related to the Great Western Railway, it was expected to achieve the position that was ultimately secured by the Cunard Line.

The firm's first ship, Great Western was capable of record Blue Riband crossings as late as 1843 and was the model for Cunard's Britannia and her three sisters.

[2] The company collapsed because it failed to secure a mail contract and Great Britain appeared to be a total loss after running aground.

The Great Western Railway was formed in 1833 to build a Bristol-London line and appointed Isambard Kingdom Brunel as chief engineer.

To beat its rival, British and American chartered the Irish Sea steamer, the 700 GRT Sirius from the St. George Steam Packet Company for two voyages.

[1] Great Western proved clearly superior to British Queen and was the model for every successful Atlantic wooden paddle-wheeler.

Three years earlier, a Committee of Parliament decided that mail packets managed by the Post Office should be replaced by contracts with private shipping companies and that the Admiralty should assume responsibility.

[4] Famed Arctic explorer, Admiral Sir William Edward Parry was appointed as Comptroller of Steam Machinery and Packet Service in April 1837.

[5] Nova Scotians led by their young Assembly Speaker, Joseph Howe lobbied for steam service to Halifax.

[10] Guppy was also in disfavor at the Admiralty because of his critical remarks about the Royal Navy's steamship designs made at an 1837 scientific meeting.

[8] Cunard also had the strong backing of Nova Scotian political leaders such as Howe at the time when London was concerned about building support in British North America after the rebellion.