Devitt and Moore

House flag of Devitt and Moore

Devitt and Moore was a British shipping company formed by Thomas Henry Devitt and Joseph Moore in 1836. They became shipowners and entered the passenger and cargo trade to Australia managing and owning many clipper ships such as City of Adelaide and South Australian. With the advent of steam, they developed a training scheme for cadets and formed Pangbourne College.[1]

Devitt and Moore fleet

In purchasing their first two full-rigged ships from Duncan Dunbar in 1863, Devitt and Moore started their long connection with Australia as shipowners. Over the next fifty-five years until the end of the First World War when they finally conceded to the competition from steamships, at various times the Devitt and Moore fleet comprised twenty-nine square-rigged sailing ships and two steamships carrying passengers, wool, copper and general cargo between Great Britain and Australia. Thomas Henry Devitt's grandson Howson Foulger Devitt went on to establish the insurance broker Devitt Insurance in 1936.[2]

The following list of ships owned by Devitt and Moore was adapted from a book by Captain AG Course.[1]

Vessel Name Original Rig Material Builders Date Built Period Owned Gross Tonnage Net Tonnage Length Overall (feet) Breadth (feet) Depth(feet)
Vimiera Ship Wood James Laing, Sunderland 1851 1863-1872 967 925 165.7 33 22.9
La Hogue Ship Wood James Laing, Sunderland 1855 1863-1886 1331 - 226 35 22.9
City of Adelaide Ship Composite W Pile & Co, Sunderland 1864 1864-1887 791 696 176.8 33.2 18.8
Saint Dunstan Barque 3-masted Wood -, Sunderland 1858 1864-1868 441 - 128.5 27.5 18
Grasmere Barque 3-masted Wood G. Gardner, Sunderland 1865 1865-1883 465 - 142 28.5 17.5
Pekina Ship Wood Smith, Aberdeen 1865 1865-1880 770 - 177 30.6 18.4
St Vincent Ship Composite W Pile & Co, Sunderland 1865 1865-1887 892 - 190 35 18.9
Parramatta Ship Wood James Laing, Sunderland 1866 1866-1887 1521 - 231 38.2 22.8
Dunbar Castle Ship Wood James Laing, Sunderland 1864 1866-1881 925 - 182.7 33.9 21.5
South Australian Ship Composite W Pile & Co, Sunderland 1868 1868-1887 1078 1049 201 36 20.1
Hawkesbury Ship Composite W Pile & Co, Sunderland 1868 1868-1888 1179 1120 203 36.2 21.5
Chaa-Sze Ship Wood A Hall & Sons, Aberdeen 1860 1868-1874 595 550 170 29.1 18.1
Outalpa Ship Iron W Pile & Co, Sunderland 1869 1871-1881 717 676 187.7 30.6 18
Gateside Barque 3-masted Iron A. McMillan, Dumbarton 1869 1871-1884 739 698 184.6 29.6 18
John Rennie Ship Iron J. and G. Rennie, Millwall 1863 1872-1890 848 - 177 32.6 20
Collingwood Ship Iron W. Hood & Co, Aberdeen 1872 1872-1893 1064 1015 211.1 34.8 21
Sobraon Ship Composite A Hall & Sons, Aberdeen 1866 1872-1889 2130 - 272 40 27
Rodney Ship Iron W Pile & Co, Sunderland 1874 1874-1896 1519 1447 235.6 38.4 22
Glenelg Steamer Iron Samuda Brothers, Blackwall 1873 1875-1880 1316 - 249.7 32.8 22.3
Duke of Atholl Ship Iron Denny & Rankin, Dumbarton 1865 1880-1889 963 - 199.2 33.2 20.9
Illawarra Ship Iron Dobie & Co, Glasgow 1881 1881-1907 1963 1887 269.1 40.6 24
Simla Barque 4-masted Iron Tod & McGregor, Glasgow 1854 1882-1883 2288 2172 330.2 39.8 26.7
Derwent Ship Iron A. McMillan, Dumbarton 1884 1884-1904 1970 1890 275 40.2 23.7
Macquarie Ship Iron R. & H. Green Blackwall, London 1875 1887-1904 1965 1857 269.8 40.1 23.7
Tamar Ship Steel Napier, Shanks & Bell, Dumbarton 1889 1889-1900 2115 2048 286.8 42.5 24
Harbinger Ship Iron R. Steele & Co, Port Glasgow 1876 1890-1898 1585 1506 253.5 37.6 22.4
Hesperus Ship Iron R. Steele & Co, Port Glasgow 1873 1890-1899 1859 1777 262.2 39.7 23.5
Irvine Ship Iron W. Doxford & Son, Sunderland 1867 1899-1901 673 655 170.6 29.5 19.1
Port Jackson Barque 4-masted Iron A Hall & Sons, Aberdeen 1882 1906-1916 2212 1994 286.2 41.1 25.2
Medway Barque 4-masted Steel A. McMillan & Son, Dumbarton 1902 1910-1918 2516 2298 300 43.2 24.8
St George Barquentine Iron and teak sheathing Ramage & Ferguson, Leith 1890 1919-1921 694 - 191 32.1 17.8
Sunbeam Barquentine Composite Bowdler, Chaffer & Co, Seacombe 1874 1920-1922, training ship 334 - 170 27.5 13.8
  • La Hogue
    La Hogue
  • City of Adelaide at Port Augusta c1882-83, after conversion to a barque.
    City of Adelaide at Port Augusta c1882-83, after conversion to a barque.
  • Pekina
    Pekina
  • Parramatta
    Parramatta
  • South Australian
    South Australian
  • Hawkesbury
    Hawkesbury
  • Figurehead of Chaa-Sze
    Figurehead of Chaa-Sze
  • John Rennie
    John Rennie
  • Barque Collingwood
    Barque Collingwood
  • Sobraon
    Sobraon
  • Rodney
    Rodney
  • Duke of Atholl
    Duke of Atholl
  • Illawarra
    Illawarra
  • Macquarie
    Macquarie
  • Tamar
    Tamar
  • Harbinger
    Harbinger
  • Hesperus
    Hesperus
  • Port Jackson
    Port Jackson
  • Medway
    Medway

References

  1. ^ a b Course, Capt. A.G. (1961). Painted Ports: The Story of the Ships of Devitt and Moore. London: Hollis & Carter.
  2. ^ "The History of Devitt". Devitt Insurance Services.