In 1828,
William Fawcett of
Liverpool and Joseph Robinson Pim of
Dublin commissioned the construction of a paddle steamer named
William Fawcett. The ship was built by Caleb and James Smith at the
Queen's Dock, Port of Liverpool. Initially, the vessel measured 130 feet (40 m) in length and had a cargo capacity of 185
tons. However, in 1835, its length was recorded as 44.42 meters (145.7 ft), with a
gross register tonnage of 206. The steam engines, rated at 130
horsepower, were provided by the firm of Fawcett, Preston, and Company, of which William Fawcett was a co-owner and manager. The ship operated in the
packet trade, serving the routes between
London,
Cork and Dublin. In 1832, the vessel was sold to Richard Bourne and his associates for service with the Dublin and London Steam Packet Company. In 1835, Bourne partnered with
Brodie McGhie Willcox and
Arthur Anderson to charter the
William Fawcett for five voyages between London and the
Iberian Peninsula. This service marks the inception of the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company, which eventually became P&O. In 1835, the
William Fawcett made its initial four voyages for the Peninsular company, all of which turned around at Lisbon. The fifth trip reached
Gibraltar. In 1837 and again in early 1838, the ship was chartered by the Peninsular company for a trip from London to northern Spain and return. The ship was refitted later in 1838, and afterwards chartered by the Peninsular company for two trips between London and
Madeira. The
William Fawcett had been
broken up by April 1845. == 1829 ship ==