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Monday, November 17, 2008, 08:00
Essentially a Bristol ship-building enterprise, in the 1840s Charles Hill also had a fleet of old sailing boats carrying passengers and cargo to and from the West Indies.
But times were changing and these were later sold off and the money invested in two large boats for the India and Australia runs.
By 1879, the company, which now owned 18 vessels, decided to start a regular steamship cargo service between Bristol and New York.
With their funnels painted a distinctive black with a white band plus a blue, five-pointed star, the boats were easy to spot.
In 1933, the service was extended to Quebec and Montreal, and in 1958, following the newly opened St Lawrence Seaway, to the Great Lakes.
The boats included the Bath City, Wells City, London City, Birmingham City, Coventry City, Exeter City and Gloucester City.
Others, named after American cities, were New York City, Boston City, Brooklyn City, Halifax City, Jersey City, Kansas City, Montreal City and Toronto City.
By 1900, Hill’s had 10 steamships operating on the lucrative New York run.
Bristol City Line’s great rivals, the Great Western Steamship Line – later renamed the Great Western Steamship Company – was established in 1871.
After 1877, the company was sailing to New York, not from the City Docks, but from the newly opened Avonmouth Docks.
Two years later it started a weekly run to Quebec and Montreal.
But after five years of stiff competition from Bristol City Line, this route was terminated.
Then, in 1887, the company withdrew its New York passenger service to concentrate on cargo alone.
The writing was on the wall – in 1895 the company was finally wound up.
Well-known boats included the Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucester, Somerset and Warwick.
The company also owned the cargo steamers Worcester, Oxford, Cambridge, Hereford and Monmouth.
The Bristol City Line, however, continued operating until 1972, which is when Liverpool’s Bibby Line took a controlling interest and terminated the American run.
It was, as they say, literally the end of the line.
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