P & A Campbell

P & A Campbell was a shipping company based in Bristol from 1893 to 1979 which operated steamship services in the Bristol Channel.

Bristol Queen in the Camel Estuary

History

Peter and Alexander Campbell were the sons of Captain Bob Campbell, who ran a steamboat on the River Clyde. In 1887 their paddle steamer Waverley was moved from the Clyde to the Bristol Channel[1] and they set up the White Funnel fleet for coastal cruising.

They had a shaky start when they were summoned before the Bristol Magistrates in July 1887 for having an uncertified engineer for the Waverley.[2]

The company was formally formed in 1893 and they used the White Funnel image as a company logo. During the First World War, twelve of the fleet were requisitioned by the Admiralty as minesweepers and a troop ship. Two ships, Brighton Queen and Lady Ismay were lost.

During the Second World War the fleet was requisitioned again. Four new vessels were planned after the war, but only PS Bristol Queen and PS Cardiff Queen were built. They lasted until 1967 and 1968 respectively. After this the company used motor vessels until 1979 when it finally folded.[3]

The company had a brief fling with high speed craft in the summer of 1963, using the experimental SRN2 as a ferry between Penarth and Weston-super-Mare.[4]

Archives

Records of P & A Campbell are held at Bristol Archives (Ref. 37980) (online catalogue 1), (Ref. 40140) (online catalogue 2), (Ref. 40505) (online catalogue 3).

Vessels operated by Campbell
  • Waverley 1885 - 1921
  • Ravenswood 1891 - 1955
  • Westward Ho 1894 - 1946
  • Cambria 1895 - 1946
  • Britannia 1896 - 1956
  • Lady Margaret 1895 - 1905
  • Glen Rosa 1897 - 1921 (built 1877)
  • Albion 1899 - 1921 (built 1893)
  • Bonnie Doon 1899 - 1913 (built 1876)
  • Scotia 1899 - 1903 (built 1880)
  • Princess May 1901 - 1902 (built 1893)
  • Brighton Queen 1901 - 1915 (built 1897)
  • Lady Ismay 1911 - 1915
  • Waverley 1911 - 1941 (Barry built 1907, obtained form the Barry Railway Company in 1911)
  • Devonia 1911 - 1940 (Built 1905, obtained form the Barry Railway Company in 1911)
  • Tintern 1911 - 1913 (Westonia built 1899, obtained form the Barry Railway Company in 1911)
  • Glen Avon 1912 - 1944
  • Glen Usk 1914 - 1963
  • Glen Gower 1922 - 1960
  • Lady Moyra 1922 - 1940 (built in 1905)
  • Brighton Belle 1922 - 1940 (built in 1900)
  • Vecta 1939 - 1972 (renamed Westward Ho in 1965)
  • Empress Queen 1940 - 1955
  • PS Bristol Queen 1946 - 1968
  • PS Cardiff Queen 1947 - 1968
  • Crested Eagle 1957 (built 1938)
  • SRN2 1963 (built 1961)
  • St Trillo 1963 - 1975 (built 1936)
  • Queen of the Isles 1968 - 1970 (built 1964)
  • MV Balmoral 1969 - 1980
  • Devonia 1977 - 1980 (built 1955)

References
  1. Robins, Nick (21 January 2014). Scotland and the Sea. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1473834415.
  2. "The Provinces". London Evening Standard. London. 29 July 1887. Retrieved 22 October 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. Deayton, Alistair (29 July 2013). Waverley Steam. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1445641690.
  4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-23705878
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