This article is about the trans-Atlantic packet shipping company. For the Liverpool-based shipping company trading with the same name, see James Baines & Co.
The Black Ball Line (originally known as the Wright, Thompson, Marshall, & Thompson Line, then as the Old Line) was a passenger line founded by a group of New York Quaker merchants headed by Jeremiah Thompson, and included Isaac Wright & Son (William), Francis Thompson and Benjamin Marshall. All were Quakers except Marshall.[1]
Map of the Port of New York on the south tip of Manhattan Island in 1851. Heavy broken line marks the waterfront below City Hall park in 1784. Area filled in prior to 1820. The docks of the Black Ball Line are in the upper part of the figure.
The line initially consisted of four packet ships, the Amity, Courier, Pacific and the James Monroe. All of these were running between Liverpool, England and New York City. This first scheduled trans-Atlantic service was founded in 1817. In operation for some 60 years, it took its name from its flag, a black ball on a red background.[2][3]
The Wright, Thompson, Marshall, & Thompson Line was founded in 1817 and began shipping operations in 1818. At some point in the line's history it became known as the Old Line and eventually became known as the Black Ball Line after the 1840s.[1] The Black Ball Line established the modern era of liners. The packet ships were contracted by governments to carry mail and also carried passengers and timely items such as newspapers. Up to this point there were no regular passages advertised by sailing ships. They arrived at port when they could, dependent on the wind, and left when they were loaded, frequently visiting other ports to complete their cargo. The Black Ball Line undertook to leave New York on a fixed day of the month irrespective of cargo or passengers. The service took several years to establish itself and it was not until 1822 that the line increased sailings to two per month; it also reduced the cost of passage to 35 guineas.
The sensation this created brought in competitors such as the Red Star Line, which also adopted fixed dates. The average passage of packets from New York to Liverpool was 23 days eastward and 40 days westward. But this was at a period where usual reported passages were 30 and 45 days respectively, while westward passages of 65 to 90 days excited no attention. The best passage from New York to Liverpool in those days was the 15 days 16 hours achieved at the end of 1823 by the ship New York (though often incorrectly reported as Canada).[4] The westward crossing had a remarkable record of 15 days 23 hours set by the Black Ball's Columbia in 1830,[5] during an unusually prolonged spell of easterly weather which saw several other packet ships making the journey in 16 to 17 days. Captain Joseph Delano was reported to be "up with the Banks of Newfoundland in ten days".[6][7]
Captain Charles H. Marshall
In 1836 the Line passed into the hands of Captain Charles H. Marshall, he gradually added the Columbus, Oxford. Cambridge, New York, England, Yorkshire, Fidelia, Isaac Wright, Isaac Webb, the third Manhattan, Montezuma, Alexander Marshall, Great Western, and Harvest Queen to the fleet.[8]
The Black Ball Line is mentioned in several sea shanties, such as "Blow the Man Down," "Homeward Bound", "Eliza Lee", "New York Girls", and "Hurrah for the Black Ball Line."
Was a whaler from 1826 to 1861 and a part of the Great Stone Fleet during the Civil War[9]
1817
James Monroe
424 tons
118 ft
28'3''
A. Brown, New York
The first packet of the Black Ball liner to depart on time, 5 January 1818;[9] left the packet service in 1823 to the Cuban trade; ran aground in 1850 off the Tasmanian coast
1819
Albion
New York
wrecked off the coast of Ireland, near Kinsale, April 25, 1822, with a loss of forty-six lives
sank 31 December 1875 after a collision, in the Irish Channel
1855
James Foster, Jr.
1410 BRT
William H. Webb, New York
was in 1881 as a Hudson sold to German owners
1855
Neptune
1406 BRT
William H. Webb, New York
ran in April 1876 to the Nova Scotia coast and broken
1860
Alexander Marshall
1177 BRT
William H. Webb, New York
sank 1869 in the North Atlantic
Similar shipping linesedit
In 1851 James Baines & Co. of Liverpool entered the packet trade using the same name and flag as the New York company, despite its protests. Thus, for about twenty years, two "Black Ball lines" under separate ownership were operating in direct competition on the transatlantic packet trade. James Baines & Co. also operated ships running between Liverpool and Australia, including famous clipper ships such as Champion of the Seas, James Baines, Lightning, Indian Queen, Marco Polo and Sovereign of the Seas.[1]
The Saint John-Liverpool Packet Line which existed for a couple of years in the 1850s was also known as the Black Ball Line. It was managed by Richard Wright, St. John, and William and James Fernie, in Liverpool.[1]
In 1894 Charles Peabody, a descendant of one of the founding Marshall brothers, created the Alaska Steamship Company and used a variation of the Black Ball Line's flag. In 1928 Peabody's son Alexander Marshall Peabody used that flag for his own new Puget Sound Navigation Company, which operated ferries under the name "Black Ball Line." Black Ball Ferry Line, a successor company to Puget Sound Navigation Company, currently operates the MV Coho daily across the US/Canada border. The Coho crosses from Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC.[12]
Notesedit
^The company was founded in 1817. It was not until 1818 that it began shipping operations.
Referencesedit
^ abcde"Shipping Lines: Old Line (Black Ball Line)". Bruzelius.info. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
^Stephen Fox, Transatlantic: Samuel Cunard, Isambard Brunel, and the Great Atlantic Steamships, Harper Collins (2003) ISBN0-06-019595-9, pp. 3–16 (introductory chapter on sailing packets)
^. Archived from the original on 16 September 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
^Cutler, Carl C. (1984). Greyhounds of the Sea (3rd ed.). United States Naval Institute/Patrick Stephens, Northants. p. 66.
^Gibbs, Charles Robert Vernon (1957). Passenger Liners of the Western Ocean: A Record of Atlantic Steam and Motor Passenger Vessels from 1838 to the Present Day. London: Staples Press. OCLC 225962096.
^Clark, Arthur H. (1911). textsThe clipper ship era; an epitome of famous American and British clipper ships, their owners, builders, commanders, and crews, 1843-1869. G. P. Putnam's Sons. p. 41. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
^ abcdeStrong, Charles (1957). The story of American sailing ships. New York, Grosset and Dunlap.
^"Ship Superior, Black Ball Line". The Mariners' Museum and Park. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
^"SV Montezuma (+1854)". Wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 25 May 2022. The American packet ship Montezuma was a 3-masted, square-rigged ship, built in New York in 1843 by Webb & Allen for the Black Ball Line of packets between New York and Liverpool. 924 tons; 162' x 35' 8" x 21' ft. Montezuma was wrecked on Jones Beach, Long Island, on 18 May 1854, on a voyage from Liverpool to New York, carrying approximate 500 immigrant passengers. All passengers and crew were saved.
^"Black Ball Ferry Line: About Us". Ferry Coho. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
External linksedit
Media related to Black Ball Line at Wikimedia Commons
A Tribute To A Dynasty: The Black Ball Line and The Pacific Northwest 10 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
WNYC Reading Room
Steamship Ticket for Passage of Mr. Nicholas Fish on the Packet Ship Yorkshire, 1859 at GG Archives
February 12, 2024
black, ball, line, trans, atlantic, packet, this, article, about, trans, atlantic, packet, shipping, company, liverpool, based, shipping, company, trading, with, same, name, james, baines, black, ball, line, originally, known, wright, thompson, marshall, thomp. This article is about the trans Atlantic packet shipping company For the Liverpool based shipping company trading with the same name see James Baines amp Co The Black Ball Line originally known as the Wright Thompson Marshall amp Thompson Line then as the Old Line was a passenger line founded by a group of New York Quaker merchants headed by Jeremiah Thompson and included Isaac Wright amp Son William Francis Thompson and Benjamin Marshall All were Quakers except Marshall 1 Black Ball LineCompany typePartnershipIndustryShipping transportationFounded1817 1817 1 note 1 in New York United StatesDefunct1878FateBankruptcyArea servedTransatlanticMap of the Port of New York on the south tip of Manhattan Island in 1851 Heavy broken line marks the waterfront below City Hall park in 1784 Area filled in prior to 1820 The docks of the Black Ball Line are in the upper part of the figure The line initially consisted of four packet ships the Amity Courier Pacific and the James Monroe All of these were running between Liverpool England and New York City This first scheduled trans Atlantic service was founded in 1817 In operation for some 60 years it took its name from its flag a black ball on a red background 2 3 Contents 1 History 2 List of Black Ball Line USA ships 3 Similar shipping lines 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksHistory edit nbsp England a packet ship of the Black Ball LineThe Wright Thompson Marshall amp Thompson Line was founded in 1817 and began shipping operations in 1818 At some point in the line s history it became known as the Old Line and eventually became known as the Black Ball Line after the 1840s 1 The Black Ball Line established the modern era of liners The packet ships were contracted by governments to carry mail and also carried passengers and timely items such as newspapers Up to this point there were no regular passages advertised by sailing ships They arrived at port when they could dependent on the wind and left when they were loaded frequently visiting other ports to complete their cargo The Black Ball Line undertook to leave New York on a fixed day of the month irrespective of cargo or passengers The service took several years to establish itself and it was not until 1822 that the line increased sailings to two per month it also reduced the cost of passage to 35 guineas The sensation this created brought in competitors such as the Red Star Line which also adopted fixed dates The average passage of packets from New York to Liverpool was 23 days eastward and 40 days westward But this was at a period where usual reported passages were 30 and 45 days respectively while westward passages of 65 to 90 days excited no attention The best passage from New York to Liverpool in those days was the 15 days 16 hours achieved at the end of 1823 by the ship New York though often incorrectly reported as Canada 4 The westward crossing had a remarkable record of 15 days 23 hours set by the Black Ball s Columbia in 1830 5 during an unusually prolonged spell of easterly weather which saw several other packet ships making the journey in 16 to 17 days Captain Joseph Delano was reported to be up with the Banks of Newfoundland in ten days 6 7 nbsp Captain Charles H MarshallIn 1836 the Line passed into the hands of Captain Charles H Marshall he gradually added the Columbus Oxford Cambridge New York England Yorkshire Fidelia Isaac Wright Isaac Webb the third Manhattan Montezuma Alexander Marshall Great Western and Harvest Queen to the fleet 8 The Black Ball Line is mentioned in several sea shanties such as Blow the Man Down Homeward Bound Eliza Lee New York Girls and Hurrah for the Black Ball Line List of Black Ball Line USA ships editYear built Name Tonnage Length Beam Shipyard Remarks1807 Pacific A amp N Brown New York Sold in 1819 and became a whaler 9 1816 Amity 382 bm New York stranded on 24 April 1824 in Manasquan1817 Courier 381 tons 103 6 29 S Wright New York Was a whaler from 1826 to 1861 and a part of the Great Stone Fleet during the Civil War 9 1817 James Monroe 424 tons 118 ft 28 3 A Brown New York The first packet of the Black Ball liner to depart on time 5 January 1818 9 left the packet service in 1823 to the Cuban trade ran aground in 1850 off the Tasmanian coast1819 Albion New York wrecked off the coast of Ireland near Kinsale April 25 1822 with a loss of forty six livesLiverpool wrecked on her maiden voyage 9 1822 nbsp Ship Superior Isaac Webb In 1822 Isaac Webb built the three masted ship Superior in New York City for Charles Hall of the Black Ball Line 10 1822 James Cropper1832 South America 9 1843 nbsp Montezuma 924 bm William H Webb New York wrecked on Jones Beach Long Island 18 May 1854 11 1843 nbsp Yorkshire 996 bm William H Webb New York in February 1862 lost on the trip from New York1845 nbsp Fidelia 895 bm William H Webb New York1869 nbsp Charles H Marshall 1683 bm William H Webb New York In 1887 sold to Norway as Sovereign burned while loading coal 20 March 18911846 Columbia 1050 bm William H Webb New York1847 Isaac Wright 1129 bm William H Webb New York caught fire on 23 December 1858 on the Mersey and sankOrpheus nbsp New York1850 Manhattan 1299 BRT William H Webb New York broke out on 14 March 1863 Liverpool en route to New York disappeared1851 Isaac Webb 1359 1497 BRT William H Webb New York went to the dissolution of the Black Ball Line for Charles H Marshall amp Co and sank on 25 October 18801851 Great Western 1443 BRT William H Webb New YorkEagleOrbitNestorWilliam ThompsonAlbionCanadaBritannia1854 nbsp Harvest Queen 1383 BRT sank 31 December 1875 after a collision in the Irish Channel1855 James Foster Jr 1410 BRT William H Webb New York was in 1881 as a Hudson sold to German owners1855 Neptune 1406 BRT William H Webb New York ran in April 1876 to the Nova Scotia coast and broken1860 Alexander Marshall 1177 BRT William H Webb New York sank 1869 in the North AtlanticSimilar shipping lines editIn 1851 James Baines amp Co of Liverpool entered the packet trade using the same name and flag as the New York company despite its protests Thus for about twenty years two Black Ball lines under separate ownership were operating in direct competition on the transatlantic packet trade James Baines amp Co also operated ships running between Liverpool and Australia including famous clipper ships such as Champion of the Seas James Baines Lightning Indian Queen Marco Polo and Sovereign of the Seas 1 The Saint John Liverpool Packet Line which existed for a couple of years in the 1850s was also known as the Black Ball Line It was managed by Richard Wright St John and William and James Fernie in Liverpool 1 In 1894 Charles Peabody a descendant of one of the founding Marshall brothers created the Alaska Steamship Company and used a variation of the Black Ball Line s flag In 1928 Peabody s son Alexander Marshall Peabody used that flag for his own new Puget Sound Navigation Company which operated ferries under the name Black Ball Line Black Ball Ferry Line a successor company to Puget Sound Navigation Company currently operates the MV Coho daily across the US Canada border The Coho crosses from Port Angeles WA to Victoria BC 12 Notes edit The company was founded in 1817 It was not until 1818 that it began shipping operations References edit a b c d e Shipping Lines Old Line Black Ball Line Bruzelius info Retrieved 25 May 2022 Stephen Fox Transatlantic Samuel Cunard Isambard Brunel and the Great Atlantic Steamships Harper Collins 2003 ISBN 0 06 019595 9 pp 3 16 introductory chapter on sailing packets House Flags of U S Shipping Companies B Archived from the original on 16 September 2020 Retrieved 25 May 2022 Cutler Carl C 1984 Greyhounds of the Sea 3rd ed United States Naval Institute Patrick Stephens Northants p 66 Cutler 1984 pp 410 Gibbs Charles Robert Vernon 1957 Passenger Liners of the Western Ocean A Record of Atlantic Steam and Motor Passenger Vessels from 1838 to the Present Day London Staples Press OCLC 225962096 Cutler 1984 pp 65 68 Clark Arthur H 1911 textsThe clipper ship era an epitome of famous American and British clipper ships their owners builders commanders and crews 1843 1869 G P Putnam s Sons p 41 Retrieved 1 April 2020 a b c d e Strong Charles 1957 The story of American sailing ships New York Grosset and Dunlap Ship Superior Black Ball Line The Mariners Museum and Park Retrieved 11 July 2021 SV Montezuma 1854 Wrecksite eu Retrieved 25 May 2022 The American packet ship Montezuma was a 3 masted square rigged ship built in New York in 1843 by Webb amp Allen for the Black Ball Line of packets between New York and Liverpool 924 tons 162 x 35 8 x 21 ft Montezuma was wrecked on Jones Beach Long Island on 18 May 1854 on a voyage from Liverpool to New York carrying approximate 500 immigrant passengers All passengers and crew were saved Black Ball Ferry Line About Us Ferry Coho Retrieved 29 August 2023 External links edit nbsp Media related to Black Ball Line at Wikimedia Commons A Tribute To A Dynasty The Black Ball Line and The Pacific Northwest Archived 10 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Transatlantic WNYC Reading Room Steamship Ticket for Passage of Mr Nicholas Fish on the Packet Ship Yorkshire 1859 at GG Archives Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Black Ball Line trans Atlantic packet amp oldid 1205328068, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
