28th June 1814 Stirling Enters the Steam Age
It has sometimes been claimed that the first steamboat arrived in Stirling some time during 1813, the same year that Henry Bell’s ‘Comet’ plied successfully on the Clyde. By the 20th May 1813, according to the Caledonian Mercury, the Comet was at Leith; visitors flocked to see it and it made a few local trips. But, by the 7th June, it had returned to the Clyde, towing a vessel of 47 tons into Greenock. No sign of a Stirling run!
On 28th March 1814 the paper published a further account of the successes of the Comet on the Clyde and on 9th April it reported a successful voyage by a new vessel between Dundee and Perth. It was on 9th June that year that Stirling got its first sight of a steamboat, when, according to local diarist Dr Lucas;
On 28th March 1814 the paper published a further account of the successes of the Comet on the Clyde and on 9th April it reported a successful voyage by a new vessel between Dundee and Perth. It was on 9th June that year that Stirling got its first sight of a steamboat, when, according to local diarist Dr Lucas;
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A steam boat that was built at Kincardine and intended to run as a passage boat between the town and Leith, came up to the shore, but the debut was rather unfavourable, for instead of running up by means of the steam engine with which it is furnished, it had to be towed up with horses and men. (quoted by Morris, p. 65). |
This run does not seem to have been preceded by any publicity in the Edinburgh papers – perhaps because the proprietors feared just such a disaster with a ship which can hardly have been trialled. On the other hand, it cannot have been towed ALL the way and the mishap may have only affected the final approach to The Shore. If the vessel steamed downstream sometime in the next few days, its departure would have to count as Stirling’s first experience of steam.
But perhaps it stayed in Stirling for repairs till almost the end of the month. Certainly, on the 4th July 1814 an advertisement in the Caledonian Mercury confirms that success had now been achieved;
But perhaps it stayed in Stirling for repairs till almost the end of the month. Certainly, on the 4th July 1814 an advertisement in the Caledonian Mercury confirms that success had now been achieved;
CHEAP, EASY AND SAFE CONVEYANCE
The ‘Stirling’ steam boat, elegantly fitted up for the accommodation of passengers, commenced sailing betwixt Stirling and Leith on Tuesday last and will continue to sail from Stirling every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from Leith every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday while the weather permits. The hours of sailing will be determined by the time of the tides. She performs the voyage in seven hours and passengers are taken in and put out at Alloa, Kincardine &c. Fare from Stirling to Leith, best cabin 6s 6d; second cabin 4s 6d.
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The notice was dated at Stirling on 2nd July 1814 so we can now be sure that by 28th June 1814 Stirling had entered the Steam Age.
On the Clyde the new services were putting the horse-drawn post chaises out of business, even in 1813. It would be interesting to know how the two competed on the Stirling run. Certainly, both were aimed at the well-to-do – even the cheaper boat fare of 4s 6d (22.5p) was far beyond most pockets. But the venture was successful enough for there to be two ships on the run by 1815, probably running between Stirling and Newhaven; by 1817 there were fairly regular services.
But the tides, the windings and the shallows of the upper Forth all posed major problems and there was a more limited choice of destination and less dramatic scenery than on the Clyde. Passengers on the Forth steamers would have to spend at least a night at their destination – even if all ran according to schedule. And, 44 years later, the train would do the Stirling-Edinburgh trip in a fraction the time and at a fraction of the cost (see On This Day 1848 1st March).
Sources
D.B. Morris, 1920.’Early Navigation of the River Forth’, Transactions of the Stirling Natural History and Archaeological Society, volume 43, p. 51-73.
Caledonian Mercury – see http://www.nls.uk/ Licensed Digital Collections.
See Dr Lucas’s Diary (1808-1821) typescript in Archives.
On the Clyde the new services were putting the horse-drawn post chaises out of business, even in 1813. It would be interesting to know how the two competed on the Stirling run. Certainly, both were aimed at the well-to-do – even the cheaper boat fare of 4s 6d (22.5p) was far beyond most pockets. But the venture was successful enough for there to be two ships on the run by 1815, probably running between Stirling and Newhaven; by 1817 there were fairly regular services.
But the tides, the windings and the shallows of the upper Forth all posed major problems and there was a more limited choice of destination and less dramatic scenery than on the Clyde. Passengers on the Forth steamers would have to spend at least a night at their destination – even if all ran according to schedule. And, 44 years later, the train would do the Stirling-Edinburgh trip in a fraction the time and at a fraction of the cost (see On This Day 1848 1st March).
Sources
D.B. Morris, 1920.’Early Navigation of the River Forth’, Transactions of the Stirling Natural History and Archaeological Society, volume 43, p. 51-73.
Caledonian Mercury – see http://www.nls.uk/ Licensed Digital Collections.
See Dr Lucas’s Diary (1808-1821) typescript in Archives.
