Bolton S C For Davey Caton

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Davey
This one is for you to start something on mate!
So go for it now!
Cheers
Vernon!
By kind permission of Brian ! Site Admin\Webmaster

[Mick Spencer]

Just seen your message. I'm sure the "Ramsay" I sailed on in May 55 to Dec. 55 was one of Boltons (may be wrong but so what) Cheers Mick Nottingham UK

[Doc Vernon]

Quite correct mspencer!

Bolton Steam Shipping Co. Ltd, 1885-1917 1921-1982, London

Bolton Steam Shipping Co. Ltd originated from 1885 when Frederick Bolton formed a partnership with Louis T. Bartholomew as Frederic Bolton & Company and ordered a steamer from J.L. Thompson & Sons, Sunderland. She was delivered in June 1885 as the RAPHAEL (1) followed by the REMBRANDT (1) in August 1886 and the RUBENS (1) in July 1887 and the RUYSDAEL (1) in September 1888. The ships were used in the Tramping trades.
Two more tramp ships were delivered from J.L. Thompson & Sons, Sunderland, in 1893 and 1894, the ROMNEY (1) and ROSSETTI (1).

Henry Kenneth joined as a partner in 1887 but could not get on with Louis T. Bartholomew, so Frederick bought Kenneth out in 1897 and formed the Bolton Steam Shipping Company Ltd.

Another three tramp ships were delivered from J.L. Thompson & Sons, Sunderland in 1898, 1902 and 1904, REYNOLDS (1), RAMSAY (1) and RIBERA (1). The RAPHAEL (1), REMBRANDT (1), RUBENS (1) and RUYSDAEL (1) were sold to Chile in 1906 and a new tramp ship built by William Gray and Sons, West Hartlepool the RUBENS (2) joined the fleet.

In February 1927 a new REYNOLDS (2) was completed at R. Duncan's, Port Glasgow. She was followed by two sisters in May 1929 and March 1930, the ROMNEY (2) and RAMSAY (3).
The RUBENS (3), RUYSDAEL (3) and RAMSAY (2) were sold in 1927, 1929 and 1928 and the RIBERA (3) was laid up in 1930 and scrapped in 1931.

On 9th June 1942 the RAMSAY (3) was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine in the Atlantic while in convoy ONS 100. On 31st October 1942 the REYNOLDS (2) was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine South of Madagascar.
Two sister ships the RIBERA (4) and REMBRANDT (2) were completed in 1940 and 1941 at the Lithgow’s yard at Port Glasgow. Two standard Ocean’s were managed for the Government.
The managed OCEAN VIGIL was purchased in 1946 and renamed RAMSAY (4), while a sister was purchased in 1947 and renamed RUYSDAEL (4) (ex- OCEAN WANDERER). The managed liberty SAMCEBU was also purchased in 1947 and renamed REYNOLDS (3).
The ROMNEY (2) was sold to Greece in 1949 and was replaced by the RAPHAEL (2) (ex- OCEAN VAGRANT). The EMPIRE MARTABAN was taken on a bare boat charter from 1946 till 1951 with an option to purchase which was taken up in 1951 but immediately resold to other London owners.
New ships were built in 1952 and 1953, the RAMSAY (5) and REYNOLDS (4).

The above highlighted would i reckon have been the one you were on!

Cheers

[Mick Spencer]

Gee wiz Castleman with all that info you missed out the colour of the skippers socks. Thanks a ton.

[DeepSea]

I did four trips with Bolton's from 81 to 83. The best runs I was ever on. Steel from Teesport, Santos, & Angra Dos Reis for the Great Lakes. About ten discharge port up the lakes, then load grain in Duluth & Thunder bay for the continent. When the lakes closed in winter, would tramp out in the Far East. Unfortunately being young and daft, I missed a ship in Santos and along with me and a steward who borrowed a pick up truck without consent in Vancouver, I got the sack.

Bolton's were only a management company by then having sold out to the American Ted Arison, who named his new ships with the prefix Nosira (Arison spelled backwards) I sailed on Reynolds (5) twice, Nosira Lin & Nosira Sharon.

The pick up truck we borrowed was involved in a serious accident with a shunting train and a few ton of timber in which I came off the worst having snapped my left femur in half. A couple of operations and six month rehab, before I got back to sea, but at the time met Gill when on sick leave and have been together 27 years.

[Victor Wroth]

the captain of the Ramsay B.F.R. Thomas sunk in ww2 was a survivor along with 6 others from torpedoing in the greenland area, sunk in minutes.

Taffy Thomas was a great old skipper on the Reynolds(2),chief mate Mr Macgowan. great 1948 trip to far east,Japan and Australia via Spain and Sri Lanka ( colombo) Sigapore, Hong Kong etc. Great friendly crew all the way down although this Liberty ship used to bounce alarmingly in the rough weather we experienced. A memorably happy ship of Boltons

Vixen

[Tom Lennon]

Gee wiz Castleman with all that info you missed out the colour of the skippers socks. Thanks a ton.

Iwas on the Ribera 1946/1948 With Capt Kyne, A Gentleman anjd a Seaman great. I joined the Ruysdael in 1949 for a one way trip to Auckland New Zealand, Tom Lennon

[john ramsay]

my dad ( john ramsay ) sailed on the SS REMBRANDt several times for the bolton steamship company but the records i have of one of his trips was 1952 , so they must of built a few by the same name ????
dad was an engineer by the way served his time in smiths docks i think and grandad was at furness ( spell ) we lived at haverton hill way back then .
while i am here may aswell add he also sailed on the following .
athel foam .
mont sandra
la quinta.... not sure on the spelling on that one but thats how he said it .
and a few others i cant think of at the moment , dads gone now but mum is still with us .

[Ian J. Huckin]

Us Bolton's lads get around don't we

Rievaulx
Ribblehead
Rossetti
Reynolds
Rubens
Nosira Lin
Nosira Sharon

[John Arton]

Arison is the guy behind Carnival cruise lines. Nearly all of us who worked for the Canadian Pacific believe it was their money that started off Carnival with the sale of the Empress of Canada to Carnival, there first ship. The funnel design hardly changed from C.P., just the colours. Moving onto Boltons, when the first Nosira ship was launched in Sunderland who should be there alongside Mr. Arison but the three head honchos from the C.P.R.
There was always talk and some vague evidence that C.P. had bought into Boltons via Mr. Arison but by that time most of us had either been made redundant or were on the way to being made redundant by 88when C.P. eventually closed down there shipping arm in the U.K.
rgds
JA