SS City of Manchester Document

The CITY OF MANCHESTER belonged to the British owned Inman Line, and was built in 1851 by Tod & McGregor, Glasgow. She was a 2,109 gross ton ship, length 265.3ft x beam 37.5ft, clipper stem, one funnel, four masts (rigged for sail), iron construction, single screw and a speed of 9 knots. Launched on 14th Jun.1851, she left Liverpool on her maiden voyage to Philadelphia on 26th Jul.1851. She started her last voyage on this service on 20th Dec.1854, and in 1855 was chartered by the French and used as a Crimean War transport. She resumed Liverpool - Philadelphia sailings on 3rd Aug.1856, and commenced her last voyage on this route on 6th May 1857. On 24th Aug.1857 she left London for Calcutta as an Indian Mutiny transport and on 22nd Dec.1858 started Liverpool - New York sailings. In 1862, after 48 North Atlantic sailings, she was fitted with new boilers and started her final voyage between Liverpool, Queenstown (Cobh), Halifax and New York on 28th Jan.1871. Later the same year, she was sold, her engines were removed and she operated as a sailing ship until 1876, when she was wrecked. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.1,p.238-9]

The Inman Line The Inman Line was founded in 1850 by William Inman and Todd & McGregor Richardson. Inman was the driving force behind the company and within 5 years had taken complete control. The company never used sailing ships or paddle driven ships. Iron built, propeller driven ships used less coal, had more space for cargo, so more profit. Their first ships were the 'City of Manchester' and the 'City of Glasgow'. Each weighed 1,600 tons. The SS City of Manchester was 265.3 feet long by 37.5 feet wide powered by steam engines.

At first they only carried saloon and second class passengers, but in 1852 Inman ordered bunks, benches, tables and washing facilities for 400 people to be installed in both ships. The Inman Line was the first steamship company to carry emigrants to North America. The ships were ordered to call at Queenstown in Ireland to pick up passengers there and save them the journey to Liverpool.

Conditions on board these ships were far superior to those on wooden sailing ships, all food was found, 3 meals a day, washrooms with soap, towels, mirrors and water, seperate accommodation for families and single people, men to the bows, women aft, all for 10pounds. You had to provide your own bedding and eating utensils, although these could be purchased at the company's store.

Some of the rules on board the vessel were: "Passengers must be cheerful and must follow the rules cheerfully and without grumble, there fore the bar will be open for the sale of wines and spirits from 6am and will close at 11pm."

"Dogs are not allowed near the main mast."

"A body washed ashore in good clothes with good labels in them would receive more respect and kinder care than if dressed in clothes fit for the rag bag."

Other advice given to the ladies: "Never sit on deck in the dark. Wear heavy skirts, no light frilly dresses and sew weights in the hems because ships are so windy a lady would have no wish for embarrassment to the sailors when going round corners."

Meals were at these times for 1st and 2nd class: Breakfast 7-7:30am, Lunch 12 to 1pm, Dinner 4pm, Tea 7-7:30pm, Supper 10pm. Meals for the 3rd class or emigrants were: Breakfast 8am, Dinner 1pm, Supper 6pm and Oatmeal Gruel 8pm.

Ticket rates from Queenstown/Liverpool to New York City were $105 for 1st class, $85 for second class, $75 for third class, and $30 for Steerage passengers.

History of the Inman Line
The Inman Line had its roots in the Liverpool-based Liverpool and Philadelphia Steam Ship Company, which operated a line of sailing packets. It was owned by the Richardson brothers, who were Quakers. In 1850 their business partner William Inman persuaded them to buy the advanced new steamship, the SS City of Glasgow. The ship's first voyage for her new owners was on 17 December 1850, when she sailed from Liverpool with 400 passengers, arriving at Philadelphia only 10 days later. Within a few years it had been joined by more "City" ships named after Manchester, Baltimore, and Philadelphia.[1]

In the 1850s a steerage class ticket cost 8 shillings, several months' wages for a labourer, but business was brisk. In 1854 the City of Manchester made 5 voyages to Philadelphia alone, with over 500 passengers each trip. That same year disaster struck the company when the City of Glasgow disappeared en route to Philadelphia in March, and in September the City of Philadelphia ran aground on Cape Race, albeit with no loss of life.

In 1855 the Richardsons withdrew from the business after Inman violated their Quaker principles by leasing ships to France for use in the Crimean War. Inman dropped the Philadelphia service shortly after in favour of a New York service. By 1856 all the company's ships were screw-propelled in contrast to the more common paddle wheel steamers.

Until 1857 the Line ran a fortnightly service from Liverpool. That same year, following the collapse of the Collins Line, the Inman Line took its place carrying the US Mails. In 1860 they ran a weekly service, increasing in 1863 to three sailings every fortnight, and twice a week during summer in 1866. Their vessels gained a reputation for size, comfort and speed, the City of Paris making the trip from Cork to Halifax, Nova Scotia in under 7 days.[2]

1870 saw another unfortunate incident, when the SS City of Boston departed Halifax for Liverpool and disappeared without trace.

Financial difficulties eventually forced the company into liquidation in 1886 and its assets were purchased by the Philadelphia-based American Line and folded into the American company.