Builders: S McKnight & Co Ayr 1891
Propulsion type: Paddle single cylinder diagonal, then compound diagonal
Owners: P & A Campbell Ltd
Service dates: 1891 - 1955
Tonnage: Net 123 Gross 345
Comments:
Originally Ravenswood had two haystack boilers and two funnels (for a picture click here). After reconditioning and reboilering in 1909 she received a single, tall funnel and the bridge was moved from between her paddle boxes to forward of her funnel. She began her service on the Bristol to Ilfracombe service and was later used extensively for work from Bristol and the South Wales ports. For three seasons before the First World War she sailed from Brighton. After war service she was back in Bristol but also had spells at Cardiff and again on the South Coast. After the Second World War she was reconditioned and appeared, for some reason, with a disguised paddle box (for a picture click here). In 1954 she received a mainmast to carry navigation lights. In 1955 she failed her Board of Trade survey and due to Campbell's sad economic plight it was not felt to be worth reconditioning her and she was broken up at Newport after failing to find a buyer. After 64 years service and having the honour of being the first ship specifically built for Campbell's Bristol service, she had a proud and distinguished career.