The Alphabet Fleet was a fleet of vessels owned and operated by the

Reid Newfoundland Company The Reid Newfoundland Company was incorporated in September 1901 and was the operator of the Newfoundland Railway across the island from 1901 to 1923. For a time it was the largest landowner in the Dominion of Newfoundland, today the modern Canad ...

as part of the provisioning of the 1898 Railway contract between the Dominion of Newfoundland and the Reid Newfoundland Company. The vessels were named after places in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, the native homeland of Sir

Robert Gillespie Reid Sir Robert Gillespie Reid (12 October 1842 – 3 June 1908) was a Scottish railway contractor most famous for building large railway bridges in Canada and the United States. Founder of Reid Newfoundland Company, from 1889 until his death ...

, founder of the Reid Newfoundland Company.

Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador ''Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador'' is an Encyclopedia commissioned by Joey Smallwood to capture the people, places, events and history of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Smallwood's view on the purpose of the encyclopedia wa ...

, Volume one, page 39 The ships were employed as coastal vessels to service the remote communities of the Newfoundland and the coast of

Labrador , nickname = "The Big Land" , etymology = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 ...

to operate a mail and passenger service to those communities. These vessels became the lifeline to these communities and were depicted in many paintings and folk songs of the country, even long after it became a province of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Fleet

A
Alphabetically, the first on the list of vessels of the Reid Newfoundland Company was SS ''Argyle'', built by A. & J. Inglis in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

in 1900. Launched on 19 December 1899, she was long with a gross register tonnage of 439. This vessel mainly visited communities in the

Placentia Bay Placentia Bay (french: Baie de Plaisance) is a body of water on the southeast coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It is formed by Burin Peninsula on the west and Avalon Peninsula on the east. Fishing grounds in the bay were used by native people lo ...

area. She was sold in 1941 to the S.S. Argyle Steamship Company of St. John's, Newfoundland. While bound from

Baracoa Baracoa, whose full original name is: ''Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa'' (“Our Lady of the Assumption of Baracoa”), is a municipality and city in Guantánamo Province near the eastern tip of Cuba. It was visited by Admiral Christop ...

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

with bananas, she was lost near Punta Gorda,

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

on July 14, 1946. ''Argyle'' took her name from the Scottish region of

Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland. Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...

. B

SS ''Bruce'' was built by A. & J. Inglis in 1897 in Glasgow for service between

Port aux Basques Channel-Port aux Basques is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of Newfoundland fronting on the western end of the Cabot Strait. A Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in the town which is the primary entry point onto the island of Newfou ...

and North Sydney. Launched on 12 August 1897, she was long and registered at 1,154 gross tons. This vessel was lost on March 24, 1911, on the Main-a-Dieu rocks, seven miles from Louisburg, Nova Scotia; two lives were lost. A second vessel commissioned under the name ''Bruce'' was built in 1912 Napier & Miller in

Old Kilpatrick Old Kilpatrick ( sco, Auld Kilpaitrick, gd, Cille Phàdraig meaning "Patrick's church"), is a village in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It has an estimated population of 4,820. It belonged to the parish of Old Kilpatrick which itself was only a f ...

, Scotland. Launched on 9 December 1911, she was long and 1,553 gross register tons. Together with ''Beothic'', ''Earl Grey'' and ''Lintrose'', ''Bruce'' was sold to the

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

n government in 1915 and renamed ''Solovey Budimirovich''. Renamed ''Malygin'' in 1921, she was lost with all hands (98) off Cape Nizhny, Kamchatka, on 27/28 October 1940.

, Volume one, page 279 C
A and J Inglis SS Clyde

SS ''Clyde'' was built by A. & J. Inglis in 1900 at Glasgow and was long; 439 gross register tons. She was launched on 10 January 1900. ''Clyde'' plied the waters of

Notre Dame Bay Notre Dame Bay is a large bay in Newfoundland, Canada. To the south it adjoins the Bay of Exploits. The name, French for '' Our Lady Bay'', dates to at least 1550, and is possibly a French translation of an earlier Portuguese name. Trump Islan ...

from

Lewisporte Lewisporte is a town in central Newfoundland, Canada, with a population of 3,288. It is situated in Burnt Bay which opens on to the Bay of Exploits. Lewisporte has a deep water port and related facilities that serve many communities in the r ...

, delivering passengers and mail to the various communities in that area. In 1948 she was sold to Crosbie and Company; her last duty was to provide standby power for the whaling station at Williamsport on White Bay. While in layup at Williamsport, she was driven ashore in a storm and wrecked on December 17, 1951. D
SS ''Dundee'' was built in 1900, also by A. & J. Inglis at Glasgow, and launched on 4 June 1900; long and 439 gross register tons. She operated in the

Bonavista Bay Bonavista Bay (BB) is a large bay located on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. It opens directly onto the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is demarcated by Cape Freels to the nor ...

area from

Port Blandford Port Blandford is a town in eastern Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is in Division No. 7 on Clode Sound. The population in 1940 was 539, and increased to 631 by 1956. Climate Port Blandford has a humid continental climate ...

and was lost on Christmas Day, 1919 on Noggin Island, near Carmanville. The Passengers and crew were rescued by ''Clyde '' on 27 December.

, Volume one, page 654 E
A and J Inglis SS Ethie

SS ''Ethie'' was built at Glasgow by A. & J. Inglis in 1900. Launched on 20 June 1900, she was long with a gross register tonnage of 440. The ship was used on Conception and Trinity bays, coaling at Carmanville and

Carbonear Carbonear is a town on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It overlooks the west side of Conception Bay and had a history long tied to fishing and shipbuilding. Since the late 20th century, its economy has changed to emphasiz ...

. later she was placed on the

Bonne Bay Bonne Bay is a bay in Newfoundland, Canada. It is located on the western coast of Newfoundland and separates the Great Northern Peninsula from the rest of the island. It is a part of Gros Morne National Park. It is separated into two sections: ...

Battle Harbour Battle Harbour (Inuttitut: ''Putlavak'') is a summer fishing station, formerly a permanent settlement, located on the Labrador coast in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Battle Harbour was for two centuries the economic and soci ...

run. On December 11, 1919, while carrying a cargo of codfish and herring from Battle Harbour, she was wrecked at Martin's Point, about from

. Captain Edward English saw that all passengers and crew were rescued by means of a boatswain's chair and a line sent ashore.

, Volume one, page 782 F
SS ''Fife'' was built at Glasgow by A. & J. Inglis in 1900. Launched on 14 August 1900, she was long and 439 gross register tons. The ship was lost on 17 November 1900 when she was wrecked at Twin Rocks in the

Strait of Belle Isle The Strait of Belle Isle (; french: Détroit de Belle Isle ) is a waterway in eastern Canada that separates the Labrador Peninsula from the island of Newfoundland, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Location The strait is the northern o ...

. G
SS ''Glencoe'' was built at Glasgow by A. & J. Inglis in 1899. She was launched on 31 October 1899 and was long and 767 gross register tons. The ship was used on Placentia and Fortune Bays, and later on the South Coast run. ''Glencoe'' survived and was eventually sold for scrapping at Sorel, Quebec in June 1959. H
SS ''Home'' built by A. & J. Inglis at Glasgow, Scotland in 1900. Launched on 8 September 1900, she was long and 439 gross register tons. Her route was between Trepassy, Newfoundland and Hopedale, Labrador. Sold in 1948 to the Home Steamship Company, Ltd., she was lost when she broke her moorings on 18 November 1952, stranding at Jerseyman Harbour in

Fortune Bay Fortune Bay () is a fairly large natural bay located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the south coast of Newfoundland, Canada.SS ''Invermore'' was built by Barclay Curle and Co. of

, Scotland in 1881. Originally named ''Dromedary'' and launched on 15 February 1881, she was 250 long and 922 gross register tons. She was originally owned by John Burns (from 1905 by G. & J. Burns) and operated between

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

and Glasgow. In 1909 she was acquired by the Reid Newfoundland Company and renamed ''Invermore''. Under the Alphabet Fleet she served on the Labrador service, carrying passengers and mail to remote communities. While northbound with provisions and fishery supplies, she was lost at Brig Harbour Point, Labrador on July 10, 1914.

, Volume three, page 65 J
The criteria for naming his ships was that the first letter of each ship's name had to depict a place from Reid's homeland Scotland, they were also to end in "e". For this reason the letter "J" was not used, as no suitable candidate could be found. K
Sskyle

SS ''Kyle'' was built by Swan, Hunter and Co. at

Wallsend Wallsend is a town in North Tyneside, England, at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 43,842 and lies east of Newcastle upon Tyne. History Roman Wallsend In Roman times, this was the site of the fort of Segedunum. This f ...

Tyne and Wear Tyne and Wear () is a metropolitan county in North East England, situated around the mouths of the rivers Tyne and Wear. It was created in 1974, by the Local Government Act 1972, along with five metropolitan boroughs of Gateshead, Newc ...

, England in 1913. Launched on 7 April 1913, she was long and 1,055 gross register tons. She began service in Newfoundland in 1913 for the Labrador route. In 1915 ''Kyle'' was shifted to the

-North Sydney service until 1926 when she once again returned to the Labrador service. Sold in 1959 to Arctic Shipping Ltd. and renamed ''Arctic Eagle'', she was acquired by Kyle Shipping Ltd. in 1961, reverting to her original name. While working as a sealer, in 1965 ''Kyle'' was damaged beyond economic repair by heavy ice. Driven aground by a storm while idle at Harbour Grace on 4 February 1967, the vessel was sold to Dominion Metals Salvage Company but was deemed to expensive to scrap. Left ''in situ'', ''Kyle'' was purchased by the Government of Newfoundland in 1973. She remains there today. ''Kyle'' is noteworthy for a number of rescues she had participated in; such as the search and recovery of the downed American plane

Old Glory Old Glory is a nickname for the flag of the United States. The original "Old Glory" was a flag owned by the 19th-century American sea captain William Driver (March 17, 1803 – March 3, 1886), who flew the flag during his career at sea an ...

in 1927. She had also aided in the rescue of the sailors during the USS ''Pollux'' and USS ''Truxton'' disaster at Chambers Cove near

St. Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roma ...

on February 18, 1942.

, Volume three, page 193 L
SS ''Lintrose'' was built by Swan, Hunter and Co. at

, England in 1913. Launched on 21 January 1913, she was long and 1,616 gross register tons. In 1915 the ship was sold to the

n government and renamed ''Sadko'', where she operated as an ice breaking vessel in the

White Sea The White Sea (russian: Белое море, ''Béloye móre''; Karelian and fi, Vienanmeri, lit. Dvina Sea; yrk, Сэрако ямʼ, ''Serako yam'') is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is s ...

. She sank on 20 June 1916 and was refloated in 1933. Restored to service as an icebreaker, she was again lost on 11 September 1941.

, Volume three, page 307 M
Alphabetically, the last of the Alphabet Fleet was SS ''Meigle'', built in

, Scotland in 1881 as ''Solway'' by the firm Barclay Curle and Co. and launched on 20 September 1881. She was and iron vessel of 783 gross register tons and long. Originally owned by William Sloan & Company of Glasgow, ''Solway'' was sold to George Bazeley & Company of Penzance in 1907. Acquired by the Reid interests in 1911 and renamed ''Meigle'', the vessel served as a passenger and cargo ferry until going into layup in 1931. She was used as an auxiliary jail at St. John's from 29 October 1932 to 30 June 1933, after which she became a salt storage vessel. In 1936 she was sold to the Shaw Steamship Co. Limited. She was pressed into war service and was part of a convoy that was attacked by German

U-boats U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare rol ...

. On 19 July 1947 she was wrecked at Marines Cove, near St. Shotts.

, Volume three, page 501 ''Meigle'' was one of the vessels that responded to the 1929 tsunami on the

Burin Peninsula The Burin Peninsula ( ) is a peninsula located on the south coast of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Marystown is the largest population centre on the peninsula.Statistics Canada. 2017. Marystown, T ensu ...

assisting in bringing supplies for victim relief. The song '' Twenty-One years'' a popular Newfoundland folk

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

Joseph Summers Captain Joseph "Mutt" Summers, (10 March 1904 – 16 March 1954) was chief test pilot at Vickers-Armstrongs and Supermarine. During his career, Summers flew many first flights on prototype aircraft, (a record of 54 by a test pilot), from the Su ...

was written at the time the vessel served as a prison ship. Parts of the vessel are on display at the Meigle Lounge in Seal Cove,

Conception Bay South Conception Bay South is a town located on the southern shore of Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland, Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The town is commonly called C.B.S. Conception Bay South is the ...

Other Ships

Two ships in the Reid Newfoundland fleet did not adhere to the Alphabet Fleet naming system: ''Virginia Lake'', acquired after the loss of ''Fife'', and ''Sagona'', acquired in 1914.

SS ''Virginia Lake'' was originally named ''Conscript'' and was built in 1888 by A. McMillian & Company,

Dumbarton Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990. Dumbarton was the ca ...

, Scotland. Launched on 10 March 1888, she was 180 feet long with a gross register tonnage of 760. A vessel of composite construction (iron frame with wood planking), she sailed from Glasgow on April 13, 1888, bound for St. John's on a charter to the

Allan Line The Allan Shipping Line was started in 1819, by Captain Alexander Allan of Saltcoats, Ayrshire, trading and transporting between Scotland and Montreal, a route which quickly became synonymous with the Allan Line. By the 1830s the company had off ...

. She then went into service between St. John's and St. Anthony for her original owner, A. Harvey & Company. Renamed ''Virginia Lake'' in 1892, she was acquired by Robert Gillespie Reid in 1901. Besides passenger and freight service, she engaged in sealing seasonally from 1901 until her loss on 6 April 1909. Badly damaged by ice, she was set on fire and abandoned to sink; 110 of her crew were picked up by the steamer ''Bellaventure'', while another 50 walked seven miles to shore on one of the Funk Islands. SS ''Sagona'' was built in 1912 by the Dundee Shipbuilding Company at Dundee, Scotland. She was 175 feet long and registered at a gross tonnage of 808. Launched on 19 January 1912, she was originally managed by John C. Crosbie's firm, Crosbie and Company, for the Newfoundland Produce Company. In 1914 she was acquired by the Reid Newfoundland Company for passenger and freight service. She also engaged in sealing from 1912 to 1938; during the latter part of that period, her summer service was between Bonne Bay and Battle Harbour. Sold in 1941 to the Colliford Clark Company of

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, she was acquired in 1944 by the Zarati Steamship Company Ltd. and registered in

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

. While bound from

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

, she sank on 21 November 1945 after striking a mine five miles southeast of

Porquerolles Porquerolles (; oc, Porcairòlas), also known as the Île de Porquerolles, is an island in the Îles d'Hyères, Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. Its land area is and in 2004, its population has benn about 200. Porquerolles, the larg ...

Island.

References

{{reflist

External links

Newfoundland Railway - Newfoundland & Labrador Heritage

2009-10-25) Ferries of Newfoundland and Labrador Pre-Confederation Newfoundland Steamships of Canada Water transport in Newfoundland and Labrador Transport companies established in 1898 1898 establishments in Newfoundland

Fleet

Other Ships

See also

References

External links