New Medway Steam Packet Co
Pioneers of the Thames day-excursion trade along with General Steam Navigation Company
1836 July 30th. Medway Steam Packet Co. 'For establishing a regular communication between Chatham, Rochester and Sheerness. The company having now completed their arrangements for the starting of one Vessel, on the above Station, beg to announce that she will commence running on MONDAY next, the 1st AUGUST, and will and after that day, leave Chatham and Sheerness, at the undermentioned hours....Walter Hills, Sec.'[1]
1889 Medway Steam Packet Co. Sun Pier, Chatham to Sheerness and Southend. The M.D. is W. W. Foord.[2]
1924 PS Medway Queen was built at the Ailsa Shipbuilding Co for service on the River Medway and the Thames Estuary. Delivered to be part of the "Queen Line" fleet of the New Medway Steam Packet Co based at Rochester, Kent.
1936 The New Medway Steam Packet Co was taken over by General Steam Navigation Co which gave General Steam Navigation a monopoly of the Thames excursion business.
1939 Capt S. J. Shippick, managing director of the New Medway Steam Packet Co., of Gravesend-road, Strood.[3]
Steamers of the Thames and Medway by Frank Burtt
THE New Medway Steam Packet Company was incorporated in December, 1919, to acquire the assets of the Medway Steam Packet Company (incorporated in 1881) which was the successor to the Medway Steam Packet Company of 1837. The original Company was formed with the primary object of linking Chatham with Sheerness by water, prior to the advent of the railway.
It has not been possible to acquire any reliable information concerning the Company’s boats prior to 1871, but it is of interest to record that the earliest of these boats were built of mahogany.
The New Medway Steam Packet Company are proprietors of their own shipyard, engineering shops, foundry, etc., and carry out all repairs and renovations^ with their own staff.