GREAT WESTERN    1837

Welcome to our Great Western website celebrating this remarkable and exceptionally historic transatlantic steamship. This ship was the first purpose built transatlantic steamship and first ocean liner. This ship pioneered the transatlantic crossing for steamships and in many ways is the first ocean liner.  This website celebrates the history of this pioneering ship and honours its unique place in maritime history in the birth of the transatlantic crossing. 

Designed by the famous railway engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the Great Western was his first ship. Brunel had a vision of extending his Great Western Railway (London to Bristol) to New York via a passenger steamship service. He saw that steamships would eventually replace the transatlantic sailing packets that had been running their scheduled service since 1818 when the James Monroe inaugurated the service with Black Ball Line. As a result the Great Western Steamship Company was created to own the Great Western.

The Great Western was built at the shipyard of Patterson & Mercer in Bristol. She was launched on the 19th July 1837. The Great Western set off from Bristol on the 8th April 1837 on her maiden voyage bound for New York. The Great Western arrived in New York on the 23rd April 1838 setting the record for the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing and so beat the Sirius and captured the Blue Riband. 

Thus the Great Western was the first purpose built transatlantic steamship and first ocean liner. This ship pioneered the transatlantic crossing for steamships and in many ways is the first ocean liner.  Thus she made maritime history. Indeed this historic legacy still continues today with Cunard Line and their regular transatlantic crossing with the RMS Queen Mary 2. So the legend lives on!

Her Regular Service Route: Great Britain to the United States of America (USA)

Bristol to New York transatlantic service

"THE TRANSATLANTIC CROSSING"

THE GREAT WESTERN STEAMSHIP COMPANY, BRISTOL