The British Trampship.

[j.sabourn]

From the start and the basics….
The traditional function of the British tramp ship was to steam around the world in search of , or carrying cargoes. In the early days they were referred to in a derogatory manner, for they were inferior to liner tonnage. In many instances, tramping was the last source of employment for the aged cargo liner, before the shipbreakers.
There were 3 forms of Charter Party, the Voyage Charter, the Time Charter,and the Demise or Bare Boat Charter.
Evolution…Tramps first sailed the Mediterranean about 450 BC, they were small sailing ships with Greek masters and their home port was Marseilles, and their trading was confined to the Summer months. It is a well worth reading history of shipping. Today I gave up counting the number of British trampship owners on the commencement of WW11 when I got to 200 or thereabouts . Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

Some British tramp companys some may not have heard of…,
Alexander, David & Sons.
Burners,James & Sons
Chelsea Navigation Co. Ltd.
Dawson, F.L. & Co. Ltd.
Ensign Steamship Co. Ltd.
Finchley Steamship Co. Ltd.
Goulandris Bros. Ltd.
Hadjilias & Co. Ltd.

Just a few for starters.

JS..

[j.sabourn]

#2. Continuing need for Trampships in 1953…. There were 2.5 million GRTs of British Tramp Shipping which compared poorly with the figure of 3.5 million GRT before the outbreak of WW11 and 3 million GRT in 1950.
A few more trampship rarer owners others may not know…..
India Steamship & Co. Ltd.
Jones Richard W & Co. Ltd.
Lassos Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.
Lomond Shipping Co. Ltd.
McCowen & Gross Ltd.
Nepal Royal Shipping Corp.
Oregon Steamship Co. Ltd.
Priestman, Sir John & Co.
Quebec Steamship Lines.

JS

[Bill Morrison]

Hi John. I think you will have most of Travels Of The Tramps by Norman L Middlemiss. He set them at twenty in a volume. I only have volumes 3 & 5, a lot of good reading.
Bill.

[j.sabourn]

#4 only have the one book Bill “ British Tramps “ by I.G.Stewart “ a local Fremantle man.
Between 1953 and 1978 lived the life fully on trampships so consider myself well able to recognise the truth when I read it and how well the author has studied the subject. I consider there is a big gulf between experiences of tankers, liners and trampships the biggest thing in common is everyone got their feet wet at times.However most seamen learned to jump that gulf and serve on most ships , that was an example the old seafarer made of their trade . Very few today can do that. Others prefer to call them specialists in certain vessels. I was thrown in on tankers as a green Chief Officer without tanker endorsements and all the todays paperwork, I coped with the aid of the crew who had more experience. However I have today my doubts on a complete tankerman being able to cope on an old General Cargo vessel as it takes years of experience to learn the stowage of strange and wonderful commodities. Cheers JS
PS The name Norman Middlemass was the name of one of our engineer superintendents in Walter Runcimans where I served my time . It would be too much of a coincidence if they were one and the same. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
I consider the Hain Steamship Co to be a tramp ship Co, the two years I did on my first ship in 49 the Trevose I would call a tramp.
On my second trip we picked up tinplate from Swansea, then to Marseilles only there for two days, can't recall what we picked up. then to Genoa for three days,Naples for more cargo there for another couple of days, from there through the Suez to Port Sudan where I certainly remember what we picked up, freshly killed steer pelts still dripping and stinking. Then down to Ceylon, again picked up some cargo, then across to India where I think we dumped the pelts still stinking, then to Now Bangladesh, down to Aus discharged around the coast, then up to Queensland for a load of sugar, through the straights to Cape Town for bunkers the up the East coast of Africa to London.
Cheers Des

[j.sabourn]

Was the sugar for Purfleet on the Thames ? Des. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
Yes it was.
Des

[j.sabourn]

Was there in December 1953 with sugar from Cairns. Managed to get home for 2 days and rejoined her in Cardiff where we loaded coal for Buenos Aires. One certainly got variety on tramps. From BA to Italy with grain and from Italy to New Zealand with Phosphates . In between cargoes spent most of time down the bilges fighting with the rats for dominance on one’s domain. Was good to get on the bagged sugar run for a while FNQ to Japan for a few trips. Cheers JS

[Fred Saunders]

Interesting subject, "Tramp Ships " I think Seagars or Seagers of Cardiff Wales, was a tramp company, they lost a number of ships during W.W.11.
The company named their ships all ending in "us", the last ones they had I believe was the "Amicus " built 1944 as " Empire Noble " and the "Beatus " I think a former Ocean or Pask class.
Cheers
Fred Saunders