Caledonia Ship¹

• (Child) Birth*: Caledonia Ship was born in 1863; CALEDONIA 1863
  The CALEDONIA was built by Tod & MacGregor, Glasgow in 1863 for the Anchor Line. She was a 1,393 gross ton ship, length 261.5ft x beam 33.1ft, clipper stem, one funnel, three masts, iron construction, single screw and a speed of 10 knots. There was accommodation for 40-1st, 90-2nd and 300-3rd class passengers. Launched on 29/10/1863, she sailed from Glasgow on her maiden voyage to Portland and New York on 11/12/1863. Between 1863 - 1872 she sailed between Glasgow and New York except for a single round voyage in Feb 1870 Glasgow - Palermo - New York and Glasgow. In 1872 she was rebuilt to 2,125 gross tons, fitted with compound engines and her accommodation increased to 60-1st and 550-3rd class. On 10/7/1872 she resumed Glasgow - Moville - New York sailings and in August 1874 commenced her first Glasgow - Genoa - Naples - New York - Glasgow voyage. She made two round voyages on this service and in March 1875 made a single Glasgow - Liverpool - Bombay voyage. From 1875-80 she was used for the Glasgow - Mediterranean - New York - Glasgow service, 1880-81 London - Halifax - Boston (8 round voyages), 1881-84 Glasgow - Mediterranean - New York - Glasgow, 1884-86 London - Halifax - Boston (11 round voyages), 1886-96 Glasgow - Mediterranean - New York - Glasgow. On 6/5/1896 she left Genoa on her last voyage to Naples, New York (arr 19/6/1896), and Glasgow and on 23/4/1897 was sold and scrapped in Italy. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.1,p.452]
• (Child) Birth: Caledonia Ship was born in 1894; CALEDONIA 1894
  7,558 gross tons, length 486ft x beam 54.2ft, two funnels, four masts, single screw, speed 18 knots, accommodation for 365-1st and 175-2nd class passengers. Built 1894 by Caird & Co, Greenock for P & O Steam Navigation Co. she was used on the UK - India service. On 14th Dec.1916 she struck two mines off Marseilles, her passengers were discharged and a skeleton crew took her into Marseilles where she was repaired and returned to service. On 29th Dec.1917 she was commissioned as a troop transport (No.C.6021) and carried over 104,000 troops without loss. 1920 refitted by A. Stephen & Sons, Linthouse and returned to commercial service. In 1925 a routine examination at Bombay showed a cracked propeller shaft and she was sold to Goolam Hossein Essaji, Bombay for scrapping. [P & O, A Fleet History by S. Rabson & K. O'Donoghue, ISBN 0-905617-45-2 contains photos of the ship]²
• (Deceased) Death*: Caledonia Ship died in 1897.²
• (Child) Birth: Caledonia Ship was born in 1904; CALEDONIA 1904
  She was a 9,223 gross ton ship, length 500ft x beam 58.3ft, two funnels, two masts, twin screw and a speed of 16 knots. Accommodation for 383-1st, 216-2nd and 829-3rd class passengers. Built by D & W. Henderson Ltd, Glasgow, she was launched for the Anchor Line on 22nd Oct.1904. Her maiden voyage started on 25th Mar.1905 when she sailed from Glasgow for Moville and New York. Her last voyage on this service started 11th Jul.1914 and in August of that year she became a troopship. On 8th Aug. she left for Dublin and France and then operated mainly from Bombay to the Mediterranean with Indian troops. In march 1915 she took part in the Dardanelles campaign and then on the North Atlantic ferrying Canadian troops to Plymouth. She then returned to the Mediterranean and on 4th Dec.1916, while en route from Salonika to Malta to refit, she was torpedoed and sunk by an enemy submarine while 125 miles E by S of Malta. The captain of the CALEDONIA tried to ram the submarine and actually struck her, but was taken prisoner and handed over for trial in Germany. (Captain Fryatt of the BRUSSELS had previously been tried and executed for a similar act). The Germans were informed that if such an act occurred, a German officer of similar rank would be shot and Capt. Blaikie of the CALEDONIA was sent to an officers POW camp.[Merchant Fleets by Duncan Haws, vol.9, Anchor Line] [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.1,p.466]²
• (Deceased) Death: Caledonia Ship died in December 1916.²
• (Child) Birth: Caledonia Ship was born in 1925; CALEDONIA / SCOTSTOUN 1925
  The CALEDONIA was a 17,046 gross ton ship, built by A.Stephen & Sons, Glasgow for the Anchor Line. Her details were - length 553ft x beam 70.4ft, three funnels, two masts, twin screw and a speed of 16 knots. Accommodation provided for 205-1st, 403-2nd and 796-3rd class passengers. Her keel was laid in Feb 1920 but she wasn't launched until 22/4/1925 and started her maiden voyage from Glasgow to Moville and New York on 3/10/1925. In Oct 1930 she was refitted to carry 1st, tourist and 3rd class, and in March 1936 altered to carry cabin, tourist and 3rd class. She was reconditioned in 1938 with remodelled 3rd class accommodation, new propellers and a speed of 17 knots. In June 1939 she commenced her last N.Atlantic voyage from Glasgow to Moville, Boston, New York, Boston, Moville and Glasgow and in September 1939 was converted to an Armed Merchant Cruiser and renamed SCOTSTOUN. On 13/6/1940 she was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-25, 80 miles west of Barra Island, Hebrides with the loss of 6 lives. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.1,p.470] She was wrecked in 1874. [Merchant Fleets, vol.10, Shaw Savill & Albion by Duncan Haws]²
• (Deceased) Death: Caledonia Ship died in 1925.²
• (Deceased) Death: Caledonia Ship died on 13 June 1940.²

• Passenger List: Caledonia Ship was found on the passenger list of and with Phyllis Pitkethly Nicolson on 9 January 1928 at New York, USA, , Name: Sophia Nelson Morrison Nicolsen Arrival Date: 9 Jan 1928 Birth Year: abt 1900 Birth Location: Scotland Birth Location Other: Dundee, Scotland Age: 28 Gender: Female Ethnicity/Race­/Nationality: Scottish (Scotish) Port of Departure: Glasgow, Scotland Port of Arrival: New York, New York Ship Name: Caledonia Search Ship Database: Search the Caledonia in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database.³
• (Ship) Immigration: Sophia Nelson Morrison Innes jute winder was on the Caledonia Ship along with Phyllis Pitkethly Nicolson and Forester C Nicolson iron turner when they immirated on 9 January 1928 at New York, New York, USA, . List or manifest of Alien passengers for the Unites States Immigration Officer at port of arrival; SS Caledonia, passengers sailing from Glasgow, 31st December 1927, arriving at port of New York, 9th January 1928, line 19; Nicolson, Sophia Nelson Morrison, age 28 years, female, married, occupation h'wife, able to read, language English, able to write, nationality British, race Scottish, place of birth Scotland, Dundee, immigration visa no 7516 issued at Glasgow 8/11/27, last permanent residence Scotland Dundee, nearest relative/friend in county from whence alien came - mother, Mrs Sophie Morrison, 7 McGill St, Dundee, final destination PA Collingdale, whether having a ticket to such final destination - yes, paid for passage - husband, in possession of $50, before in United States - no, whether going to join a relative or friend - husband Forrester Nicolson, 88 Chester Pike, Collingdale, PA, col 24a (descptn?) - no, length of time intends to stay - perm, whether intends to become a citizen of United States - yes, col 25 (descptn?) - no, polygamist - no, anarchist - no, col 28 (descptn?) - no, col 29 (descptn?) - no, previously here and departed within one year - no, good condition of health, no deformity, height 5'3 1/2", complexion fair, hair brown, eyes blue, no marks of identification; line 20, Phyllis Pitkethly Nicolson, all same, except aged 6, immigration no 7517, ticket paid by father, complexion fair, hair fair, eyes grey blue.¹

Notes

• Note for Web*: Caledonia Ship CALEDONIA 1863
  The CALEDONIA was built by Tod & MacGregor, Glasgow in 1863 for the Anchor Line. She was a 1,393 gross ton ship, length 261.5ft x beam 33.1ft, clipper stem, one funnel, three masts, iron construction, single screw and a speed of 10 knots. There was accommodation for 40-1st, 90-2nd and 300-3rd class passengers. Launched on 29/10/1863, she sailed from Glasgow on her maiden voyage to Portland and New York on 11/12/1863. Between 1863 - 1872 she sailed between Glasgow and New York except for a single round voyage in Feb 1870 Glasgow - Palermo - New York and Glasgow. In 1872 she was rebuilt to 2,125 gross tons, fitted with compound engines and her accommodation increased to 60-1st and 550-3rd class. On 10/7/1872 she resumed Glasgow - Moville - New York sailings and in August 1874 commenced her first Glasgow - Genoa - Naples - New York - Glasgow voyage. She made two round voyages on this service and in March 1875 made a single Glasgow - Liverpool - Bombay voyage. From 1875-80 she was used for the Glasgow - Mediterranean - New York - Glasgow service, 1880-81 London - Halifax - Boston (8 round voyages), 1881-84 Glasgow - Mediterranean - New York - Glasgow, 1884-86 London - Halifax - Boston (11 round voyages), 1886-96 Glasgow - Mediterranean - New York - Glasgow. On 6/5/1896 she left Genoa on her last voyage to Naples, New York (arr 19/6/1896), and Glasgow and on 23/4/1897 was sold and scrapped in Italy. [North Atlantic Seaway by N.R.P.Bonsor, vol.1,p.452] in 1863.