The steamboat, safety and the state: Government reaction to new technology in a period of laissez-faire

Mariners Mirror

Volumn 89, Issue 2, 2003, Pages 167-184

  Armstrong, J ^a   Williams, D M ^b,c  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WEST LONDON   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER   (United Kingdom)

^c International Maritime Economic History Association   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 30744474986     PISSN: 00253359     EISSN: 2049680X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/00253359.2003.10659284     Document Type: Article

References (74)

1. Osborne, Brian D., 1995. The Ingenious Mr Bell Glendaurel 19
2. Phillip Spratt, H., 1958. The Birth of the Steamboat London * 67–8. On the early steamboat see also K. T. Rowland, Steam at Sea, A history of Steam Navigation (Newton Abbott, 1970), 9–50
3. The Birth Spratt, 61
4. 1959. 49. J. G. Bruce, ‘The contribution of cross-channel and coastal vessels to developments in marine practice’, Journal of Transport History, vol. IV 65–6
5. Kirby, M. R., 1993. The Origins of Railway Enterprise. The Stockton and Darlington Railway 1821–1863 Cambridge (R. E. Carlson, The Liverpool and Manchester Railway Project 1821–1931 (Newton Abbot, 1969)
6. Roll, E., 1968. An Early Experiment in Industrial Organisation:Being a History of the Firm of Boulton & Watt, 1775–1805 12Cass 107–11. J. Lord, Capital and Steam Power 1750–1800 (Cass, 1966), 74–6, 154
7. Palmer, Sarah. ‘Experience, experiment and economics:factors in the construction of early merchant steamships’. “ ‘Experience, experiment and economics:factors in the construction of early merchant steamships’ ”. In Ships and Shipbuilding in the North Atlantic Region Edited by:Matthews, K., and Panting, G., Newfoundland 236
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10. Palmer. ‘Experience, experiment’, 233
11. Cottrell, P. L., 1981. “ ‘The steamship on the Mersey, 1815–80:investment and ownership’ ”. In Shipping, Trade and Commerce. Essays in Memory of Ralph Davis Edited by:Cottrell, P. L., and Aldcroft, D. H., Leicester 142. T. R. Gourvish, ‘The railways and steamboat competition in early Victorian Britain’, Transport History, vol. 4 (1971), 1–22
12. 1844. BPP, VIII, 221–30
13. Palmer. ‘Experience, experiment’, 234. Cottrell, ‘The steamship’, 142
14. Palmer. ‘Experience, experiment’, 234
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16. Cottrell. ‘The steamship’, 140
17. Jackson. ‘Operational Problems’, 172
18. Palmer. ‘Experience, experiment’, 242
19. 1817. Select Committee on Steamboats, BPP, (422), VI
20. 1831. Select Committee on Calamities by Steam Navigation, BPP, (335), VIII
21. 1839. Report on Steam Vessel Accidents to the Committee of the Privy Council for Trade, BPP, (273), XLVII
22. Ibid 1
23. 1839. Report on Steam Vessel Accidents, BPP, (273), XLVII, 2–16
24. 1860. Select Committee on Anchors (Merchant Service), BPP, (182), VIII. Select Committee on Chain and Anchors Bill, 1864 (139), VIII. Select Committee on Chain and Anchors Bill, 1874 (252), VI
25. 1839. Report on Steam Vessel Accidents, BPP, (273), XLVII, 14–5
26. Palmer. ‘Experience, experiment’, 235
27. 1839. Report on Steam Vessel Accidents, BPP, (273), XLVII, 110
28. Palmer. ‘Experience experiment’, 234
29. Early Solent Steamers For examples of collection see Jackson, Operational problems'. Captain F. T. O'Brien, (2nd edn, Glasgow, 1981), 15–60
30. 1839. Report on Steam Vessel Accidents, BPP, (273), XLVII, 117
31. 1831. Select Committee on Calamities by Steam Navigation, BPP, (335) VIII, Qs 709–11, 800–1. See also 666–9, 848–55, 1650–1
32. Geoffrey, B. M., Passage of Humber (Lockington Publishing, North Ferriby, n.d.), 41–3
33. 1839. Report on Steam Vessel Accidents, BPP, (273), XLVII, 15. In addition these accidents accounted for the loss of 688 animals which provides some indication of steamship business
34. 16 July 1817. The Times 16 July, and 23 October 1838
35. 29 October 1825. Glasgow Mechanics Magazine 29 October, Osborne, The Ingenious, 204–6
36. 1839. Report on Steam Vessel Accidents, BPP, (273) XLVII, 13, 30
37. 1831. 4 Select Committee on Calamities by Steam Navigation, BPP, (335), VIII, 136–7, A
38. Pearson, F. H., Notes on the first twenty years of Hull steam shipping (Hull, 1894), 46
39. 1826. Commons Journal For instance in 1826 the Lord Advocate introduced a bill to regulate steamboats in Scotland:LXXXI 147. In 1825 and 1834 the Clyde Trustees brought in rules for steamboats using that river:Sir J. D. Marwick, The River Clyde and Clyde Burghs (Glasgow, 1909), 199–200. Rules were also introduced on the Thames in 1828:BPP, 1837–8, XXIII, 335 and C. L. Wheble, The London Lighterage Trade (unpub. MSc thesis, University of London, 1939). The Privy Council Committee, 1839, noted the existence of regulations in the Clyde, Tyne and Humber:see 75,162,191
40. 1817. Select Committee on Steamboats, BPP, (422), VI. On the Bill, see 1817 (483), II, 345; 1818 (63), I, 105; 1818 (225), I, 113
41. 1831. Select Committee on Calamities by Steam Navigation, BPP, (335), VIII, 1–201
42. Voyages to Hudson Bay in Search of a Northwest Passage.
43. 1839. Report on Steam Vessel Accidents, BPP, (273), XLVII, 22–7. The italics are the Committee's
44. 16 July 1817. The Times 16 July, See. Captain J. Williamson, The Clyde Passenger Steamer (Glasgow, 1904), 46–9. BPP, 1831, VIII, 1–201 and 1836, XXVIII, 1–32
45. Taylor, A. J., 1976. Laissez-faire and State Intervention in Nineteenth Century Britain See (London, 1972) for a good summary of the debate, and Colin J. Holmes, ‘Laissez-faire in theory and practice:Britain, 1800–1875’, Journal of European Economic History, vol. V. no. 3 671–88
46. 1958. The Board of Trade and the Free Trade Movement 1830–42 Oxford On the position of governments in the context of economic policy see Lucy Brown, 34–74
47. Hansard. 3rd Series Commons, vol. XLIII, 1147–8
48. 1819. Abstract Mitchell, 396–402. The national debt reached a peak of £844 million in
49. MacDonagh, O., 1961. A Pattern of Government Growth Edited by:Robson, R., London (O. MacDonagh, ‘Coal mines regulation:the first decade’, in Ideas and Institutions of Victorian Britain (London, 1967). Lloyd R. Sorenson, ‘Some classical economists, laissez-faire and the factory acts’, Journal of Economic History, vol. XII (1952), 247–62. H. Parris, Government and Railways in the Nineteenth Century (London, 1969)
50. Steam at Sea On the progress of steam and the beginnings of ocean steamship services, see Rowland, 69–91
51. Harcourt, Freda. 1988. “ ‘British oceanic mail contracts in the age of steam, 1838–1914’ ”. In Journal of Transport History, 3rd series 9
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53. Palmer, Sarah, and Williams, Glyndwr, eds. 1839. Charted and Uncharted Waters Select Committee on Shipwrecks of Timber Ships, BPP, (9), IX. This inquiry and resulting legislation is discussed in David M. Williams, ‘State regulation of merchant shipping 1839–1914:The bulk carrying trades’ in (London, 1982)
54. 112 2 & 3 Victoria, cap.; 3 & 4 Victoria, cap. 36
55. 1843. Select Committee on Shipwrecks, BPP, (549), IX; Second Report of the Committee, 1843 (581), IX
56. 1949. Steamboats on the Western Rivers, an Economic and Technical History L. C. and B.J. Hunter, (Cambridge, Mass., 523–5. G. R. Taylor, The Transportation Revolution 1815–60 (New York, 1951), 68
57. Hansard. 1839. 3rd Series Commons, XLIII, 1147. BPP, XXV, 487–745
58. 1839. Report on Steam Vessel Accidents, BPP, (273), XLVII, 28–9,169,179, 184
59. 1844. The River Clyde Marwick, 199–200. Wheble, thesis. J. Bell, Collections Relative to the River Tyne, its Trade and the Conservancy thereof, vol. Ill (Newcastle,. BPP (Lords), 1839, XXV, 605
60. 1839. BPP (Lords), XXV, 605
61. Parkhurst, P. G., 1962. Ships of Peace New Maiden 138
62. Ibid 136–40
63. 100 9 & 10 Victoria, cap
64. Smith, H. L., 1928. The Board of Trade London 104. R. Prouty, The Transformation of the Board of Trade, 1830–1855 (London, 1957), 62
65. Denham, H. M., 1840. Sailing Directions from Port Lynas to Liverpool Liverpool
66. MacDonagh. Pattern of Government Growth.
67. Irvine, H. S., 1960. “ ‘Some aspects of passenger traffic between Britain and Ireland, 1820–50’ ”. In Journal of Transport History IV 232–7
68. 81 11 & 12 Victoria, cap
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70. 79 14 & 15 Victoria, cap
71. Graham, G. S., 1956. “ ‘The Ascendancy of the Sailing Ship, 1850–1875’ ”. In Economic History Reviewed IX
72. 1817. Select Committee on Steamboats, BPP, (422), VI, 3
73. Williams, David M., 1990. “ ‘Bulk Passenger Freight Trades’ ”. In Shipping and Trade, 1750–1950:Essays in International Maritime Economic History Edited by:Fischer, Lewis R., and Nordvik, Helge W., Pontefract 43–62
74. 1892. The Washington International Maritime Conference focused on these issues. See Reports of the Board of Trade Committee to Consider Alterations in Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, recommended at the Washington International Maritime Conference, BPP, 1890–91 (C.6293), LXXXVI, 227; (C.6833), LXXI, 123