Diamond Steam Packet Co

The Diamond Steam Packet Company opened a London-Gravesend service in 1836, and ran in keen competition with the Star and the Woolwich Companies. The down river trips to Gravesend - the long ferry - used to leave London at 9.0 a.m., 10.30 a.m., 2.0 p.m., 3.0 p., 5.0 p.m. and 7.0 p.m. on weekdays, the single fares being 1s. 0d. for the fore cabin and 1s. 6d. for the chief cabin. On Sundays, the boats left at 7.0 a.m., 9.0 a.m., 10.30 a.m., 2.0 p.m. and 7.0 p.m., no distinction being made as to class, the single fare being 1s. 6d.

1830 the company's vessels engaged in services below London Bridge to Gravesend, &c were:

• Kent
• Pearl
• Essex

The Diamond steamboats carried a fore-mast which, like the funnel, could be lowered when negotiating London Bridge. A canvas awning was provided over the poop-deck - first class only - abaft the paddles.

A. R. Bennett in his book London and Londoners in the Eighteen-fifties and sixties says “their funnels, which had mostly straight tops, were painted black for a foot or so down, and then in four lines of diamonds to the base, white diamonds sideways and black diamonds foreward and aft.” An old water colour painting of the BRILLIANT, in the possession of the author, shows the funnel with an ornamental top and, instead of the four rows of black and white diamonds, black and white squares - chessboard fashion.

The opening of the North Kent Railway to Gravesend did not seriously interfere with the river traffic, but the cheap fares subsequently introduced by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway, together with the facilities and attractions offered by other Railway Companies, eventually so reduced the traffic that the services were totally discontinued in 1855, and the fleet sold and dispersed in 1856. The boats of the Star Company had previously been withdrawn, as also had those of the Thames Company and other boats running to Hungerford Market.

Owned

• PS Ruby
• PS Sapphire
• PS Emerald
• PS Diamond
• PS Gem
• PS Pearl
• PS Topaz
• PS Brilliant
• PS New Pearl
• PS Essex
• PS Kent

See Also

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