Greek Steamship Company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There was no earlier steamship company in Greece. The Greek Steamship Company was established in 1856 and had its headquarters in the city of Hermoupolis (often spelled "Ermoupoli"), on the island of Syros (Syros was often known as "Syra" in the 19th century and earlier). The primary task of the company was (1) to link up the Greek islands (particularly the Cyclades) and the coastal cities and (2) to better connect Greece with wider Europe and the Middle East. From 1832 Athens was named the political capital of Greece, however Hermmoupolis (Ermoupoli) in Syros remained the commercial and industrial capital throughout the mid-19th century. In various volumes the steamship company is sometimes referred to at the "Greek Steamship Company", though British Foreign Office documents in 1881 and thereabouts refer to "The Hellenic Steam Navigation Company".
The voyages of the Syra steamships began in earnest the following year (1857). At this time the Greek Steamship Company possessed three ships: "Hydra", "Queen of Greece" and "Panhellenion". The early routes went to Greek shores, notably to the Piraeus (near Athens) and the Peloponnesos (the Peloponesian peninsula). In 1858 two more ships were added to the original three and the routes were lengthened to go to Thessalonika and Crete. By 1862 there were eleven ships making regular voyages to Smyrna, Constantinople (Istanbul) and ports along the Turkish coast. The company was enormously successful from 1857 until a decline occurred in the late 1880s.
The driving force behind the company was Ilias Kehayas from its founding until his death in December 1885.
Contents |
[edit] The Greek Steamship Company's steam-operated ironworks
The steam-operated ironworks established by the Greek Steamship Company was the first large factory building in Hermoupolis (also known as "Ermoupoli"). At the time it was the only building of its kind not only in the eastern Mediterranean, but in the entire Middle East. The design was produced in western Europe and the work was carried out by Mr. Sampo, the municipal architect in Hermoupolis. The ironworks were established in order to facilitate the building, repair and maintenance of ships. The building still plays a significant part in the modern Syros Shipyard, though there have been a few alterations to the building over the many decades. Nonetheless the rectangular building still retains its original shape.
The steam-operated ironworks began work in April 1861. David Smith, an Englishman, was the engineer in charge. Countless ships were repaired in the factory (and work still goes on there at the present time -- 2006). They also built steamships, as well as providing a school for educating Greeks who desired to become mechanical engineers or to work in shipping.
David Smith probably continued to live in Syra (Syros) for a very long time looking after the ironworks. "D. L. Smith" is one of the leading signatories to a letter sent to British Consul W. P. Binney on 9th January 1881 (most of the signatories were members of the British community in Syros). [Letter to Consul William Pryor Binney, found in the Foreign Office volumes of the British Consuls in Greece, 1881; National Archive, Kew, London, UK; National Archive reference number: FO 32/534 pp. 130 - 131].
[edit] The steamship company's new "convention" of 1881
The following statement appears in a letter from British Consul William Pryor Binney (Syra), in amongst his Foreign Office correspondence (i.e. consul private reports to Earl Granville, Foreign Secretary in London). The letter is dated 19th May 1881:
British Screw Steamer "Truthful" of Liverpool Official Number 78740 J.O'Keefe Master, which vessel arrived here from Liverpool on the 15th instant and was delivered to the Hellenic Steam Navigation Company at this Port in persuance of instructions and a Bill of Sale from her owner Mr. Basilio Papayanni [or "Papaquami"?] of Liverpool....first of three steamers which the Hellenic Steam Navigation Company are bound to add to their fleet in accordance with the terms of their new Convention with the Hellenic Government.
[Letter found at the National Archive, Kew, London U.K. in the 1881 Foreign Office volume with correspondence to and from the British consuls in Greece. The volume's National Archive reference number is: FO 32/534]
The second of the three steamers, the "Wicklow" ("of Glasgow Official Number 60460 William Perfect Lapage Master") arrived in Syros from Cardiff (Wales) on 8th August 1881 [Letter from British Consul W. P. Binney dated 11th Aug. 1881, found in 1881 Foreign Office volume in the National Archive at Kew, London: National Archive ref. no. FO 32/534, p. 149].
The Hellenic Steam Navigation Company purchased its third ship of 1881, the British Screw Steamer "Raven" "of Glasgow Off. No. 60393" on 16th October 1881 [Letter from British Consul W. P. Binney dated 18th October 1881, found in 1881 Foreign Office volume in the National Archive at Kew, London: National Archive ref. no. FO 32/534, p. 162].
Though the new 1881 "Convention" appears to have required the company to purchase three steamships, there was in fact a fourth vessel purchased. This was the Screw Steamer "Portland" "of Liverpool Official Number 76725 Frank Boyce Dobson Master" which arrived from Liverpool in Syros on 12th September 1882 [Letter from British Consul W. P. Binney dated 18th August 1882, found in 1882 Foreign Office volume in the National Archive at Kew, London: National Archive ref. no. FO 32/546, p. 127].
The picture which emerges from 1881 - 1882 is that of a still vigourous steamship company in Syros, with four newly added screw steamers providing daily connections and daily post between Hermoupolis and the surrounding Aegean to mainland Greece and beyond. A later letter from Consul Cottrell in 1893 (see below) leads one to the conclusion that ten or more steamships were operating on numerous routes linking Syra with the outside world in the 1880s. Meanwhile the Piraeus (the port of Athens) was annually becoming larger and larger, and competing with Syra all the more.
[edit] Late 1880s Decline
Sometime towards the end of the 1880s decline became apparent at the Greek Steamship Company. One factor was the opening of the Corinthian Canal in 1882 which meant that much shipping travelled by a more direct route rather than going round by Syros. Another factor was the expansion of railways, offering alternative methods for getting goods between destinations. A third factor was the growth of Piraeus, the port of Athens, which had evolved into the primary port in Greece (Athens in the meantime had overtaken Hermoupolis as the chief centre of Greek trade). The decline in ship building and repair on Syros was further accelerated following the Balkan Wars of 1912 when centres such as Crete, Chios, Samos, Epiros and southern Macedonia were united into Greece -- each of these became important commercial centres.
As he sensed the competition coming from Piraeus and Athens (and other locations), Mr. S. Skouloudis led strenuous campaigns in both 1881 and 1890 to seek to forge a large "Greek National Steamship Company" (which would have included the Greek Steamship Company), but these efforts eventually failed to keep steamship firms based in Syros (Syra). In 1892 the company found itself compelled into bankruptcy. John MacDowell and Barber Co. (owners of the "Hephaistos" shipyard at Piraeus) rented the ships and factory.
Sadly, in a letter dated 12th April 1893 British Consul William Henry Cottrell (who lived in Hermoupolis) stated that "ten steamers belonging to the Hellenic Steam Navigation Company were sold off" and that the company had gone bankrupt. One consequece of this which Cottrell highlighted (in the same letter) was the disruption of the postal service to and from Syros. The loss of the ten steamships was more than a loss of ships, it was a major body blow to the retreating economy of Syros (Syra) which had been the economic centre of Greece throughout the mid-19th century. [Letter written by British Consul Cottrell found in Foreign Office volume for Consuls in Greece, 1893, National Archive (Kew, London, UK) reference number: FO 32/653.]
Significant effort went into launching the "New Greek Steamship Company" later in the 1890s, but this was shortlived and in 1905 was declared bankrupt.
As a hotelier in Athens stated in 2006, Syros (Syra) is a wonderful place full of "faded glory", full of fine 19th century architecture, the home of the once mighty Greek Steamship Company.
[edit] Sources
HERMOUPOLIS: THE CREATION OF A NEW CITY ON SYROS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 19TH CENTURY written by John Travlos and Angeliki Kokkou (English language work published by the Commercial Bank of Greece, Athens, 1984)
PANDORA No. 16 (Greek language periodical, 1866)
KUKLADIKA, B issue 7, 1957-58 (this Greek language periodical contains a major article on the Greek Steamship Company with bibliography)
FOREIGN OFFICE Volumes of the British Consuls in Greece: 1881 FO 32/534; 1882 FO 32/546; 1892 FO 32/644; 1893 FO 32/653, all found in the National Archive, Kew, London, U.K. Acknowledgements to National Archive Researchers: Randall Barlow and Pauline Barlow.
ERMOUPOLI - SYROS: A HISTORICAL TOUR written by Christina Agriantoni, Angeliki Fenerli and Ioakeim Karakoulidis (an English language guidebook sponsored by Ermoupoli Municipal Development Enterprise, published by Olkos Publications, 1999)
Non print sources include the various museums and archives on the island of Syros, particularly the Industrial Museum in Hermoupolis.
Historical footnote: The British Consuls in Syros (Syra) from 1874 - 1893 were:
William Pryor Binney (5th September 1874 - 12th March 1888; Consul Binney died suddenly, whilst active);
James Anderson (10th July 1888 - 19th October 1892);
William Henry Cottrell became Consul on 19th October 1892.
All three consuls were also head of the Eastern Telegraph Company offices in Syros during their respective tenures. Syros (Syra) was the headquarters of the Eastern Telegraph Company in Greece until October 1992 when the head office was moved to Athens. James Anderson was Manager of the company in Greece and had to reliquish his post as British Consul in Syra due to the move. The move of the Eastern Telegraph Co. head office is symptomatic of the decline in the fortunes of Hermoupolis (Ermoupoli).
British Vice-Consul in Syra was John Quintana (from 27th February 1875 to 20th August 1892); Mr. Quintana, a British Subject, originated from Malta and was James Anderson's assistant in the office of Eastern Telegraph Company; in August 1892 John Quintana was made Superintendent of the Eastern Telegraph Company's offices at Canae on the island of Crete and departed Syra after 18 years of service to the British Foreign Office [see FO 32/644, p. 229 at the National Archive, Kew, London, U.K.].
