paddlesteamers.info : The Internet's leading website for
Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
Firth
of Clyde, UK
The
Campbells of Kilmun - Keith & Campbell - Captain Bob
Campbell
Brothers
Alexander and John Campbell from Rosneath on the Gareloch became
steamship captains in thre 1830s and it is understood that both
became part shareholdrs in the vessels they mastered. In 1854, the
brothers became majority shareholders in PS Duchess of Argyle,
assigning the captaincy to their nephew Robert Campbell. originally
on the Gareloch trade, the focus of operations was switched to the
Holy Loch and Robert moved his home from Rhu on the Gareloch to
Kilmun.
Captain Bob Campbell succeeded his uncles
Alexander and John and developed a loyal following for his services
to Kilmun and the Holy Loch. From 1871 to 1884, this was in a loose
business partnership with Glasgow coal merchants Hugh Keith & Co,
who were already operating PS Lady Brisbane on excursion services.
This gave Bob Campbell the financial backing to develop his business,
vessels running in parallel to that of Keith & Co, on different
routes and with different funnel colours, but some interchange of
vessels.
The partnership dissolved as its assets were sold to Captain Buchanan
to ward off bankruptcy. Campbell immediately ordered one new steamer
and purchased another "off the stocks" of a local shipbuilder,
causing much disgust to Captain Buchanan who had understood that he
had also bought the goodwill of the business. Campbell was, however,
extremely popular with the travelling public and, with new steamers,
was able to recover much of the Holy Loch trade.
His death in 1888 combined with the entry of the Caledonian Railway
into steamboat operation led captain Bob's two sons, Peter and Alec
to sell the business to the newly-established Caledonian Steam Packet Co and take Waverley to the Bristol
Channel where P&A Campbell were to establish a new operation known as the White Funnel Fleet
which would dominate services in those waters for 90
years.
Alexander
and John Campbell
Victoria
Duchess of Argyle
Express
Mail
Vivid
Vesta
Vesper
Ardencaple
Hugh Keith &
Co
Lady Brisbane
(renamed Balmoral when taken into Keith & Campbell
fleet)
Keith &
Campbell
Steamers
Vivid, Vesta, and Ardencaple were in the Campbell
fleet and
Balmoral (ex-Lady Brisbane) in the Keith fleet at the time of establishment of Keith & Campbell.
New purchases from 1871
Levan
Ardgowan
Craigrownie
Hero
Guinevere (purchased from Graham Brymner)
Benmore
Graphic
Shandon
Argus
Captain Bob
Campbell
PS
Meg Merrilies
PS Waverley
PS Madge
Wildfire
Bibliography
The
Campbells of Kilmun
By Iain Hope
Published in 1981 by Aggregate Publications, Johnstone, Scotland
History of the Campbell steamers in the Bristol Channel with early chapters
devoted to the Clyde operation.
Return
to
Firth of Clyde