In 1846 prosperity continued to reward the efforts put forth by the authorities of the young haven. Twelve vessels arrived from America with timber, and nine similarly laden from the Baltic; tobacco, sugar, and other commodities were imported in two ships from the Indies; but the event which kindled the brightest anticipations in the breasts of the inhabitants and others interested in the success of the port was the arrival of the barque “Diogenes,” chartered by Mr. Evans, of Chipping, with the first cargo of cotton ever landed at Fleetwood. In it was welcomed an introduction to the chief trade of the county, and a happy augury of future activity in an import which would not only of itself materially assist the financial condition of the harbour, but would also be the means of spreading its reputation throughout the commercial world, and extending its field of action to a degree which could scarcely be foretold. How these pleasant visions have been fulfilled the reader is perhaps aware, but if not a glance at the tables of coasting and foreign trade, given a little later, will furnish the necessary information. On the 12th of February, immediately the novel consignment just referred to, which “afforded a suitable opportunity,” had come to hand, a public dinner was given by their fellow-townsmen to Frederick Kemp and John Laidlay, esqrs., as a mark of respect for their assiduous efforts to develope the mercantile resources of the place. During the evening Mr. Laidlay remarked that “within a short period the trading intercourse of the port had extended to various and distant portions of the world, the products of Africa, the West Indies, and North America having been imported; and stretching our arm still further, a cargo from the East Indies may be stated as almost within our grasp.” Mr. Evans, in alluding to his transatlantic shipment, affirmed that in bringing it by way of Fleetwood, he had effected a saving of at least a farthing per pound; and continued,—“When the order was given, it could not have been imported into Liverpool without loss.”

In the latter part of the year a testimonial was presented by the inhabitants of the town to Henry Smith, esq., of Fleetwood, manager of the North Lancashire Steam Navigation Company, as a tribute to his untiring and successful attempts to promote steamship traffic and advance the interests of the place, and in the course of a speech made on the occasion, Mr. Smith said:—“In 1842 I first visited Fleetwood at the request of the London board of directors, it then presented a most gloomy aspect—a splendid modern ruin, no shipping, no steamers, no passengers for the trains, and yet it required no very keen discernment to learn that all the facilities for trade and commerce existed here, but life was wanting; here was one of the finest and safest harbours, certainly the best lighted and marked port on the west coast, being as easily made by night as by day, with that wonderful natural phenomenon, the Lune Deep, making it a safety port to take in fog by sounding—a thing having no parallel in England.... What changes have we witnessed here since 1842? I have seen your population without employment, and now there is more work than there are hands to perform—the wages from one shilling a day have advanced to two shillings and sixpence and three shillings; then indeed was your port without a ship, now there is a general demand for more quay room, although since then upwards of 1,000 feet have been added to the wharfage; then your railway receipts were £100, this year they have attained £1,500 per week.” This unfortunate gentleman was killed in the June following, through a collision on the London and North Western Railway; and there can be no hesitation in affirming that, had his career of usefulness and activity not been thus prematurely cut short, the trade of Fleetwood would have developed, in the long period which has elapsed since his death, into something more important than it presents to day.

The following authentic returns of the whole business of the port in 1846 forms a favourable comparison with those of 1840, the year in which the railway was opened, when they amounted to 57,051 tons of imports, the exports being proportionately small:—

COASTING.

Imports.Exports.
1846.January59ships11,564tons.59ships11,875tons.
”February60”11,251”62”11,208”
”March72”11,252”70”11,289”
”April63”10,971”66”11,098”
”May61”11,539”121”11,790”
”June61”10,637”97”14,715”
”July81”13,413”94”14,274”
”August80”13,194”93”16,042”
”September94”13,515”65”11,609”
”October64”11,472”71”13,158”
”November63”11,094”51”8,619”
”December41”7,785”not obtained.
799ships137,687tons.849ships135,677tons.
Foreign24”6,935”13”2,703”
Total823ships144,622tons.862ships138,380tons.

The animated appearance of the harbour was described in 1846 by a gentleman connected with the town, as here quoted:—“With two Indiamen at their berths, the splendid steamers alongside, schooners, small craft innumerable dotting the river, wharfmen, porters, etc., removing merchandise from vessel to wagon, and vice versa, the cranes in constant operation, goods-trains arriving and preparing for departure, give the pier-head and harbour an air of bustle and activity, and are themselves a pleasing indication of what our commerce may become; of the trade which vigilance, patience, and effort, may secure to the harbour and railway.”

The twelve months of 1847 proved anything but a re-assuring time. The foreign imports suddenly fell off to six cargoes, four of which were timber from America, the two remaining being guano and timber from Hamburg. One left for Mexico and Hong Kong, laden with British goods, silk, wine, and spirits from the bonding warehouses. The coasting returns also showed a diminution of almost fifty discharges at the quay, as compared with the previous year, and a corresponding decrease in the exports; but in spite of the sudden dispiriting experience, we find from the annexed extract out of the annual official report concerning the harbour, that the future was regarded hopefully:—“There is every probability of the business increasing at this Port, as an extensive trade with the Baltic is expected, and most of the goods now in warehouse under bond will no doubt be taken out for home consumption during the present year.” 1848 was marked by an increase of nine in the number of foreign importations; and of the fifteen large vessels which arrived, one was from France with wines and spirits for re-exportation to Mexico, two were from the Baltic and Hamburg with timber, eleven from Canada with timber, and one from Russia with flax. The importers of timber carried on, and used sedulous efforts to extend, a healthy retail trade in the adjoining districts and in the west of Yorkshire. The export trade was still inconsiderable, although gradually increasing, but it was expected, from the convenient situation of the harbour to the manufacturing towns, and the local dues upon vessels and goods being much lower than at other ports, that both it and the imports would, before many years had passed over, become very extensive, more especially as the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company had recently acquired a right to the line between Fleetwood and Preston, and were offering every facility and inducement to shippers and manufacturers, with the view of making this haven the inlet and outlet for goods to and from the towns and villages on their several lines. During the twelve months eighteen small importations of paper from the Isle of Man took place, and it was necessary for the officers connected with the customs to keep a strict guard upon the wharf to prevent the smuggling of that and other dutiable articles by the numerous passenger and coasting vessels from the above island, as well as from Scotland and Ireland.

In 1849 the foreign imports were more than doubled, the excess being chiefly due to the increase of timber-laden vessels. Six of the total number sailed outwards with cargoes of warehoused goods, and nine with coal and salt. The coasting trade underwent a most remarkable rise of about four hundred cargoes inwards, and two hundred outwards, the principal of the former being iron ore, pig iron, and, more occasionally, grain; and of the latter, coal. The barque “Isabella” discharged 609 bales of cotton at Fleetwood from America in July, 1850, being the second cargo landed here, and later in the year another consignment of 400 bales was brought by the same vessel. In 1851 the only novel feature was the arrival of a large shipload of currants; the value of British goods exported amounted to £90,000, besides which there were considerable quantities of merchandise sent outwards from bond. The main foreign business in 1852 was in timber and dried fruits, but such importations were seriously diminished during the ensuing year by the high price of the latter and by a temporary misunderstanding between the railway company and one of the chief timber merchants, through which several consignments intended for the Wyre were diverted elsewhere; in addition five large cargoes were lost at sea and not replaced. The coasting trade continued to expand until 1856, when its zenith was reached, since when it has been characterised by a gradual decline, and the last report, that of 1875, is as little encouraging as any, with one exception, of its degenerate predecessors. The fourth freight of cotton, consisting of 1,327 bales, made its appearance in the ship “Cleopatra,” in the spring of 1857, and was consigned to Messrs. Benjamin Whitworth and Brothers, of Manchester, etc. Shortly afterwards, barely two weeks, the “Favourite” arrived with a further consignment for the same firm, and gave the signal for the real commencement of a prosperous trade in that commodity with America, which rapidly developed until the outbreak of civil war in the transatlantic continent brought it somewhat abruptly to a close in 1862. In a comparative statement of charges between Liverpool and Fleetwood, issued during that flourishing time, it was demonstrated that on a vessel of 500 tons, cotton in and coals out, the following saving in favour of this port could be effected:—

£s.d.
Charges on Ship6600
” on Cargo inwards9684
” on Cargo outwards868
Total saving£170150

Supposing the cargo to have been consigned to parties in Preston, a further advantage, amounted to £230 0s. 0d. in carriage would be gained, raising the entire saving to £400 15s. 0d.