Two brothers, Robert (a Ship Master) and John (an accountant), started tentatively in business by purchasing a second-hand wooden-barque named Majestic (launched at Greenock in 1846). By fits and starts the ‘private’ firm of “R&J Craig” grew by acquiring new bigger ships trading initially to Bombay, and onto Calcutta in India. The growth of these Indian cities was matched by Cardiff and Dundee in the Great Britain, when Glasgow was the prosperous ‘Second City of the Empire’.
List of early R&J Craig ships: from 564 – 1,700 GRT (with registration numbers), built by Charles Connell, Scotstoun Yard, River Clyde, Glasgow:
- Three-mast County of Ayr, launched 1863 (Ship No.45977)
- Iron, 3-masted sailing ship County of Lanark, launched 1863 (Ship No.44815)
- Iron, 3-masted sailing ship County of Renfrew, launched 1864 (Ship No.48949)
- Iron 3-masted sailing ship County of Argyle, launched 1865 (Ship No. 53370)
- Composite, 3-masted sailing ship County of Bute, launched 1866 (Ship No.53400)
- Composite, 3-masted sailing ship County of Elgin, launched 1867 (Ship No.56184)
- Composite, 3-masted sailing ship County of Stirling, launched 1868 (Ship No.60334)
- Composite, 3-masted sailing ship County of Berwick, launched 1868 (Ship No.60386)
- Composite, 3-masted sailing ship County of Forfar, launched 1869 (Ship No.60409)
- Composite, 3-masted sailing ship County of Nairn, launched 1869 (Ship No.60425)
- Composite, 3-masted sailing ship County of Lancaster, launched 1870 (Ship No.63740)
- Iron screw-steamer County of Sutherland (untypically a steam ship!) launched 1873 (Ship No.68049)
- Iron 3-amast ship County of Perth, launched 1874 (Ship No.68118)
Then R&J Craig make a major, high-risk, investment: they decided to launch another square rigged ‘ship’, considered at the time ideal for long haul voyages. But this latest design was to mount four masts, rather than the conventional three. This somewhat revolutionary step went against the prevailing wisdom of shipbuilders. It was felt that anymore than three masts would clutter a square rig ship, and could cause operating difficulties. However, with careful design, adopting a then ‘large’ hull of over 1,600 GRT, and using the latest experience of similar length hulls, the County of Peebles (shipbuilder’s design No 252) was launched into the River Clyde on Monday 5th July 1875.
sv “County of Peebles” – extract of Barclay Curle drawings (dated 1874)
County of Peebles (Registered No.71742) proved to be a remarkable success, and was a major milestone in maritime history – being the first iron 4-masted merchant ship. It was followed by a series of further highly successful iron clippers launched from the Barclay Curle Whiteinch shipyard on the River Clyde.
List of later R&J Craig ships; all over 1,600 GRT, (with registration numbers), built by Barclay Curle & Co Shipbuilders, Whiteholm(e) Yard Partick, Glasgow:
- Full-rig, iron, 4-mast ship County of Caithness, launched 1876 (Ship No.73862)
- Full-rig, iron, 4-mast ship County of Inverness, launched 1877 (Ship (No.76733); these were followed by a further almost identical three,
- Full-rig, iron, 4-mast ship County of Kinross, launched 1878 (Ship No.78570)
- Full-rig, iron, 4-mast ship County of Cromarty, launched 1878 (Ship (No.78577)
- Full-rig, iron, 4-mast ship County of Dumfries, launched 1878 (Ship No.78585); in view of the success of the above vessels, a clutch of three more were constructed with marginally larger capacity
- Full-rig, iron, 4-mast ship County of Selkirk, launched 1878 (Ship No.80419)
- Full-rig, iron, 4-mast ship County of Haddington, launched 1878 (Ship No.80432)
- Full-rig, iron, 4-mast ship County of Aberdeen, launched 1879 (Ship No.80446); eventually another three were built with further state-of-the-art improvements,
- Full-rig, iron, 4-mast ship County of Edinburgh, launched 1885 (Ship No.90060)
- Full-rig, iron, 4-mast ship County of Roxburgh, launched 1886 (Ship No.93277)
- Full-rig, iron, 4-mast ship County of Linlithgow, launched 1887 (Ship No.93380).
The fate of each of Craig’s once glorious 4-masters has been re-discovered and graphically described in “GONE” the book. Further details of some of these ships is still coming to light.
sv County of Caithness was a close successor to the sv County of Peebles, being of similar specification. It carried large cargoes of jute from East India to the UK for over 15 years until general cargo demands overtook the jute trade. The vessel had a working life (in one form or another) of 57 years and was disposed of, surplus to requirements, by scuttling with explosives – off Rottnest Island, west of Perth, Australia in 1933. Divers have located its position on the ‘medium-deep’ sea floor.