The next steamers acquired by the company were the Alliance in 1855, Havre, Normandy, and Southampton in 1860, and Brittany in 1864. Until she was outclassed by larger and faster ships the Alliance was on the Havre route. She was afterwards transferred to the service between Jersey and St. Malo, and was sold in 1900.
The Havre ran alternately to her name-port and the Channel Islands until her career was ended on February 16, 1875, by the Platte Boue, a sunken rock in the Russel Passage near Guernsey. There was no loss of life and the mails were also saved.
Equal ill-fortune attended the Normandy. This boat, which was employed almost exclusively on the Channel Islands service, was sunk on March 17, 1870, in collision with the screw steamer Mary while on the outward passage, some twenty-five of the passengers and crew being drowned. The Southampton, built by Palmer in 1860, was reckoned the strongest vessel of her tonnage at that time. In 1880 she was lengthened and given new engines and boilers by Day, Summers and Co., and was engaged in the Channel Islands trade until 1880, when the service was entirely performed by screw steamers. She was then transferred to the Havre route and continued running there until the present twin-screw steamers, Columbia and Alma, came out and superseded her. Her last piece of active service was to make a trip round the fleet at Spithead on the occasion of the Jubilee Naval Review in 1897. The Brittany, built at Cubitt Town in 1864, was also employed in the Channel Islands trade until 1880, when, like the Southampton, she was transferred to the Havre route until 1894. Her last appearance was at the same review. She was lengthened thirty feet and given new engines and boilers in 1883. The company in 1868 purchased for their Channel Islands service the Waverley, a paddle-steamer of about fifteen knots, which had been employed running from Silloth to Dublin. She was the finest ship which had yet been employed on that service. She came to grief on June 5, 1873, when she struck upon the Platte Boue rock. The whole of the passengers, mails, and baggage were brought off in safety.
The Turbine Steamer “St. Patrick” (G.W. Railway).
The outbreak of hostilities between France and Germany in 1870 brought about the purchase by the company of the paddle-steamers Alice and Fannie. These each had a speed of fifteen knots, and were placed on the Southampton-St. Malo route and conveyed horses and provisions for the French. Both ships ran backwards and forwards for some months at their highest possible speed, only remaining at the quay side just long enough to load and discharge cargo.
The Waverley was also employed during that period running to and from Havre taking British provisions for the French, and conveying to England fugitive French families and all the valuables they could bring with them. These valuables were transhipped in Southampton Water to a steamer of the French Transatlantique Company, which was moored there for that purpose.
The Fannie and Alice ran alternately upon the Havre and Channel Islands stations until 1887, when they were sold out of commission. They were always favourites owing to their speed and spacious deck and cabin accommodation.
In 1871 the company purchased the paddle-steamer Wolf, which had been sunk for some time in Belfast Lough. She was employed, until sold in 1900, on the Havre route.
The first screw steamer to be employed in the Channel Islands mail and passenger service was the steam yacht Griffin, purchased in 1865 from a Mr. Beard, a Scotch iron-master.