Paddle Steamer Resources by
Tramscape
Thames
Estuary, River Medway, Kent, Essex and East Anglia Coast, England,
U.K.
New Medway Steam
Packet Co Ltd
Formed in
1919 out of the Medway Steam Packet Company which had been in
operation since 1881 and traced its origins back to 1837. Their
operations had ceased when their two paddlers, Princess of Wales and
City of Rochester has been taken over by the Admiralty during World
War I. The new company was to embark on a period of rapid growth,
purchasing two more vessels, the small PS Audrey from Bournemouth and
the well known Thames steamer Queen of the South (ex-Woolwich Belle).
They also ordered PS Medway Queen new for the 1924 season and in 1925
bought PS Walton Belle which joined the fleet as Essex Queen.
Continued expansion at the end of the 1920s saw two ex - naval
minesweepers purchased (Queen of Thanet and Queen of Kent), and yet
another "Belle" steamer, Yarmouth Belle which became Queen of
Southend. In 1933 and 1934 the purchasing was to continue with the
screw steamer Royal Daffodil brought from its Mersey Ferry routine to
run cruises around London Docks and the Southern Railway's PS Duchess
of Kent spending one season with the Rochester-based company in 1934
as PS Clacton Queen.
By this time, the New Medway Company was running services along the
Kent Coast, up into East Anglia and across the English Channel to
France. They had also extended their reach to London rather than
starting services from the Medway.
The positive policies of this expansionary company were underlined
when they ordered the first major coastal vessel to be powered by
diesels, with the Dumbarton yard of Denny delivering MV Queen of the
Channel in 1935 for use on the cross-channel route. The success of
this vessel prompted the ordering of further diesel powered
tonnage.
The strong position achieved by the Medway company was enough to
cause severe concern to the General Steam Navigation Company, which
had, over the years, seen competitors come and go whilst itself
surviving the financial difficulties generally associated with
steamship owning. In 1937, the GSN purchased a majority shareholding
in the New Medway Company and effectively bought out what was
appearing to become the greatest potential threat of them all.
After 1937, the New Medway Steam Packet Company retained nominal
independence but operated as a subsidiary of the GSN. Until the end
of the 1963 season, the famous paddler Medway Queen, proudly carried
the company's name as a substantial cruising presence was maintained
at the Medway ports.
Vessels of the Medway
Steam Packet
Company
PS
City of Rochester (1920 - lost during World War II)
PS Princess of Wales (1920-1925)
Second Hand
Purchases
PS Audrey
PS Queen of the South (1924-1932)
PS Essex Queen
(1925-1945)
PS Queen of Thanet
(1929-1949)
PS Queen of Kent (1928-1949)
PS Queen of Southend /
Thames Queen (1929-1948)
SS Royal Daffodil
PS Clacton Queen
(1934-1935)
New
Build
PS
Medway Queen (1924-1964)
Motor vessels : Details available on the
full database CD
MV Queen of the Channel
(1935-1939)
MV Royal Sovereign
(1937-1939)
New Build after 1937 - in association with the
General Steam Navigation
Co
MV Royal Daffodil
MV Queen of the Channel
MV Royal Sovereign
Return
to:
GSN
River Thames Historical