100 Years of Emigrant Ships from Norway  Solem, Swiggum & Austheim |
The Allan Line |
100 Years of Emigrant Ships from Norway Solem, Swiggum & Austheim |
The Allan Line |
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The Allan Line was founded in 1854 as the "Montreal Ocean Steamship Company". The company was later known as the Allan Line after one of its founders, Hugh Allan. In 1891 the company took over the State Line (founded 1872). After this the company was often referred to as the Allan & State Line. The "Allan & State Line" name was gone by the end of 1905, and the "Allan Line"
name was gone by the end of 1918. In 1917 the Allan Line had been taken over by the Canadian Pacific Ocean Services Ltd.
Announcement in a Trondheim newspaper, by the Line's agent in 1869. It reads: The steamship Norway and Sweden will maintain a weekly service between this place and England, in the way that Norway will sail from here to Liverpool May 14th and Sweden May 21st, Norway to Newcastle (from Trondheim) on May 28th, and Sweden on June 4th, where after the route will continue in the same order, twice for Liverpool and twice for Newcastle, calling at Bergen to take on passengers. The Allan Line (Montreal Ocean Steamship Company) opened a route between Norwegian ports and Britain in 1869. For this service they had purchased the S/S Norway and the S/S Sweden. The service was intended as a feeder service for the company's oceanliners departing from Liverpool and Glasgow. The S/S Damascus was also used in the service. The Norwegian route had it's ending point in Trondheim, and the ships took on pyrites from the mines at Ytterøy a little further in the fjord. This was a lucrative trade combined with the transportation of passengers. The company discontinued it's feeder service in 1870, due to the decreasing number of emigrants, leaving it to the Wilson Line.
The Allan Line was one of the first Trans-Atlantic steamship companies to establish a network of agents in Norway. For many years it had a leading position in the transportation of emigrants from Norway to America. Most of the Norwegian emigrants crossing on the Allan Line ships went from Liverpool to Quebec, but there were also a number of Norwegians going on the Glasgow - Boston route. The company also maintained other routes, but the above mentioned were the most used routes for Norwegians. All the emigrants traveling on the Allan Line ships had to travel via GB. The general agent for the line had his office in Christiania. For many years the general agency was held by A. Sharpe.
1854 - 1901: Liverpool - (Halifax) - Portland - Maine (winter) 1856 - 1906: Glasgow - Boston - New York 1861 - 1917: Glasgow - St John's, Newfoundland - Quebec - Montreal 1864 - 1914: Glasgow - Philadelphia 1869 - 1870: Trondheim - Aalesund - Bergen - Newcastle - Liverpool 1870: Christiania (Oslo) - Leith - Glasgow 1869 - 1870: Gothenburg - Newcastle 1871 - 1892: Liverpool - Queenstown - Halifax - Norfolk - Baltimore 1872: Glasgow - Liverpool - New Orleans 1876 - 1902: Glasgow - Montevideo - Buenos Aires 1883 - 1896: London - New York 1886 - 1902: London - Montevideo - Buenos Aires 1888 - 1917: London - Quebec - Montreal 1901 - 1917: Liverpool - Halifax - Saint John, New Brunswick (winter)
In 1900;
In 1901, the same, although now we have "Allan Line" - Glasgow to Boston,
and Saint John NB added to Montreal (s) and Portland (w) run ...
In 1902, still the same, but Portland dropped and Halifax added to above .. In 1903 and 1904 all the same.
In 1905, addition of Havre/London, to Canada
In 1906, no "Allan & State Line" showing ... therefore no Glasgow to NY
In 1907, same as 1906, but addition of Saint John NB to Havre/London run
and Portland added to Glasgow to Montreal run
In 1908, same as 1907, but Quebec added to Glasgow-Montreal and
Liverpool-Montreal (s) & Portland (w) and to Havre run 1909, same as 1908
In 1910, Philadelphia dropped from Liverpool/St.John's/Halifax....
In 1911, same, but Halifax added to Boston run, and Portland run and
Glasgow added from Liverpool to St John's Nfld/Halifax run In 1912, 1913 and 1914 all the same.
In 1915, Liverpool/Glasgow to St. John's Nfld/Halifax run dropped, and
Halifax dropped from Liverpool to Montreal, and also from Glasow to
Montreal, and also from Havre/London to Montreal. 1916 - Canadian Pacific Ocean Services, Ltd. (Managers and Agents)
In 1916, Halifax and Saint John NB, added to Liverpool to Quebec/Portland
run, Glasgow to Halifax & Boston run dropped, and Havre and Halifax dropped
from London to Montreal/Saint John NB run 1917 - Canadian Pacific Ocean Services, Ltd. (Managers and Agents)
In 1917, London to Montreal/Saint John NB run dropped 1918 - Canadian Pacific Ocean Services, Ltd. (Managers and Agents) In 1918, Glasgow to Montreal/Halifax/Saint John NB/Portland run dropped Allan Line - Liverpool to Quebec/Montreal (summer) and Saint John NB (winter) |
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