Peel and North of Ireland Steamship Company

Advert from Manx Sun 10 August 1889

A short-lived company that ran for just the single season in 1889 and that was plagued by bad weather and a breakdown before being wound up before the following season as the losses were too great.

The main drive behind the establishment of the company was Joseph Mylchreest, the Diamond King, who took a special interest in the interest of Peel and neighbouhood - it had started well in the last week of June 1889 with the arrival of coal for the vessel on the Monday, the granting of a Packet boat licence on the Tuesday and the first voyage on the Wednesday, 26 June 1889 followed by a fireworks display on its return voyage - as the IoM Times stated:

Peel will be en fete to-day, the occasion being the inauguration of the new steamship service between Peel and Belfast via Bangor. The steamer leaves Peel at 9-15 a.m. daily the arrival of the first train from Douglas, and will leave Bangor on the return trip at 4-30, Greenwich time. At 10 o'clock in the evening there will be a display of fireworks - in the Peel Castle by Professor Caldwell†. As this display and illuminations will be on a much grander scale. than any hitherto attempted in Peel, no doubt it will attract ,a large number of visitors: and as Mr Mylchreest, the Diamond King, is giving the display And illuminating the Castle at his own expense. there is no doubt that it will be carried out with that gentleman's usual liberality.

The single saloon fare Peel to Bangor was 4s, a return 7s - a 1st class saloon return was 10s (this I think included a meal).

At the first and last Annual General Meeting in March 1890 a more unhappy tale emerged as stated by J Joughin (acting chair in the unexplained absence of Joseph Mylchreest):

"They had anticipated a larger number of passengers, and the expenses of the steamer were greater than were expected. They had been misled with regard to the steamer. She was a slower boat, and consumed more fuel than represented. The loss he attributed to the high charter fee (£600 per month), the heavy expense of coaling, and to the fact that the season was a stormy one. The breakdown of the steamer in the middle of the season had caused a falling off in the number of passengers"
[as reported in Mona's Herald 19 March 1890]

Expenditure over the year was £2,234 5s 4½d but passenger fares + other small income streams amounted to just £1230 11s 0½d leaving a significant loss of £1003 14s 4d and a call on the shareholders for a further 1s on each partly paid £1 share. The meeting was asked as to the advisability of continuing the service but this was left to a further meeting of the directors - it would appear that early in 1890 an approach was made to the IoMSPCo as to whether they would operate the route (see letter Mona's Herald 5 Feb 1890 signed by R.E).

However this approach to the IoMSPCo came to nought and at a meeting in June the Directors concluded that the company should be wound up - this was done on 17 July 1890 though a sufficient number of shareholders had to be searched for! Joseph Mylchreest pointed out that it would cost £45,000 to £50,000 to buy two boats to run the route and that they would be up against the IoMSPCo.

†A B Caldwell "Pyrotechnist at Derby Castle" in 1883 directory

		Maritime
Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor © F.Coakley, 2018