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Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Steamship Great Western
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Steamship Great Western
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Steamship Great Western
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Steamship Great Western

Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Steamship Great Western

Associated (Frogmore House, Windsor, England, 1900 - 1979)
Medallist
DateMay 2004
Object NameMedal
MediumSterling Silver
ClassificationsMedals
AcquisitionPresented in 2004 by Dr Joan M Burrell.
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS072500.50
About MeThe Great Western was equipped with a surface condenser which meant that she could be steamed continuously and the engines did not have to be I stopped to clear the boilers of salt every few days, as with most of her predecessors. She crossed the Atlantic for the first time, steaming continuously, with seven passengers, during the month of April, 1838. Although the Sirius had arrived at New York a few hours before her, having also steamed continuously across the Atlantic, this latter vessel did not enter regular trans-Atlantic service as did the Great Western.

The Great Western steamed regularly across the North Atlantic until the end of 1846 by which time she had made 37 round voyages, the great majority of them well within the time predicted by the original sponsors of the venture. The real reason for her withdrawal was the simple fact that, given the limitations of contemporary technology, it was not possible to operate steamships in the Atlantic trade at the period without a mail subsidy. The Great Western Steam Ship Company did not succeed in obtaining a subsidy because they could not comply with the conditions imposed by the Government. The contract went to Samuel Cunard, and this led to the Cunard Line's long history of trans-Atlantic service. Another factor in the withdrawal of the Great Western was the expense of building the experimental Great Britain, originally intended as a consort for the Great Western. But without the mail subsidy the service was not profitable.

The Great Western was broken up in 1857.

The Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea, John Pinches Medallists Ltd.
Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Steamship Great Britain
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