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143-625: In 1827 the Amsterdamsche Stoomboot Maatschappij (ASM) had tried to establish a steamship line from Amsterdam to London, but the line proved economically unviable. A few decades later, the general economic circumstances had changed: In 1846, the Corn Laws had been cancelled. It was also known that the Navigation Acts would be cancelled in 1849. Furthermore, the railroad from Amsterdam had finally reached

286-594: A royal burgh ; its ownership went from Scottish to English and back again. The castle was an important place during the Wars of Independence and was used to imprison William Wallace for a short time after his capture by the English. It was from here that Mary, Queen of Scots , was conveyed to France for safety as a child. Mary was trying to reach Dumbarton Castle when she suffered her final defeat at Langside . In later times, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II visited

429-542: A brochure. He noted that the Netherlands had only a small part of the Transatlantic trade, even while the big rivers made the country very suitable for this trade. Jansen wanted to establish a line from Vlissingen (the best Dutch harbor at the time) to Norfolk, Virginia . The choice of Norfolk was due to the influence of Jansen's friend Matthew Fontaine Maury . Jansen proposed that the government would subsidize

572-547: A competing line from Amsterdam, and so KNSM' New York line ended 1882 with a loss of 300,000 guilders. KNSM then agreed with the NASM, and ceased its New York operations. After some relatively good years, the affairs of KNSM took a turn for the worse after the 1884 cholera outbreak in Marseille. The outbreak led to many KNSM ships spending considerable time lying idle in quarantine while cost continued. Over 1884 and 1885, there

715-540: A dividend of 20%. However, it soon became clear that way too many ships were getting built post war. As a result, freights plummeted. Over 1920 dividend was lower, but still high at 10%. Dutch shipping companies suffered disproportionally, because of the collapse of the German economy due to the Treaty of Versailles . Over 1921, the operational profit was 3,569,815 guilders, as opposed to 12,166,162 over 1920. After deprecations,

858-513: A facility in the town since the 1970s, in 2012 it opened a new, larger facility at the former J&B plant. Dumbarton is situated on the main A82 road , linking Glasgow to the western Scottish Highlands . Dumbarton is a short distance from Balloch pier, where cruises can be taken on Loch Lomond . Dumbarton is also served by three railway stations: Dumbarton Central , Dumbarton East and Dalreoch railway station . All three stations are situated on

1001-452: A failing English shipping company. After this transaction, the only change in the fleet was the disappearance of Rubbens , which sank near Jutland in 1869. Even with this expansion of its fleet, the KNSM often had to charter other ships in order to handle the cargo that it was to transport. While Dutch steam navigation soundly developed after 1850, this did not apply to steam navigation across

1144-497: A financial restructuring of the company if it wanted to get support in 1936. By that time, staff had been reduced from 5,500 to 4,100, and the number of ships had gone down from 89 to 72. In late May 1936 the bond holders then agreed to a cash payment of 400 guilders for each 1,000 guilder bond together with a 500 guilder share in the new N.V. Nationaal Bezit van Aandelen Kon. Ned. Stoombootmij, which would hold all shares. The old shareholders would lose their shares. The recovery of KNSM

1287-501: A football pitch, clay moulding beds for casting wax model ship hulls and the original Victorian machinery used for shaping models. During the Second World War Blackburn Aircraft were to produce Sunderland flying boats from a factory adjacent to Denny's shipyard. There is still a shipyard on the river Leven, Sandpoint Marina. A statue of the shipbuilder and shipowner, Peter Denny , stands outside

1430-608: A hat shop at 145 High Street. Dumbarton is the birthplace of David Byrne , a Grammy Award , Academy Award and Golden Globe -winning musician best known as the founding member and principal songwriter of new wave band Talking Heads . Held in Dumbarton since 2000, the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Championships sees over 140 bands enter yearly, including representatives from Sweden , Denmark , Netherlands and Ireland . The championships

1573-476: A large flock of white Chinese geese that were first introduced in 1959. Starting with just six individuals, this has risen to close to 100 birds today. They have the nickname 'The Scotch watch ' and have been widely used in promotional material for the Ballantine's blended whisky . The geese are part of the tradition of the facility, and are both a tourist attraction and advertising icon. The Goosekeeper at

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1716-471: A letter written on 7 July 1787. Dumbarton is also immortalised in the traditional Scottish song " Dumbarton's Drums ". The song was recorded by the internationally renowned Midgies Ceilidh Band at a live concert in Saint Augustine's Church in the town's High Street, the chorus being sung by the audience of local people. Novelist A. J. Cronin 's maternal grandfather, Archibald Montgomerie, owned

1859-405: A line between Ostend and Margate . In the end, this line was not successful, but De Onderneming still earned 8,000 guilders in 1827. The smaller boats all led to losses. Over 1827, the total operational profit of 10,588 guilders was cancelled by 'administrative costs' of 18,492 guilders. The salary for the directors had been fixed at 6% of revenue . On 26 December 1827 ASM again applied to

2002-707: A line from Amsterdam to Hamburg. In March 1849 the Stoomschroefschooner Reederij got its concession. The Gouverneur van Ewijck , built by Van Vlissingen en Dudok van Heel, was one of the ships used on the London line in 1849. The line to England was not profitable. For ASM the result was disastrous, because the St Petersburg Steamship Company indeed opened a line between Amsterdam and Hamburg, driving freight prices to an all-time low. The result of Van Vlissingen's action

2145-634: A long distance for their own burial. From 1975 Dumbarton lent its name to a local government district in the Strathclyde region of Scotland . In 1996 the administrative functions of this district transferred to the West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute unitary councils (see Subdivisions of Scotland ). West Dunbartonshire Council is based in modern offices within the old Dumbarton Burgh Hall in Church Street. There

2288-503: A new shipping line. ASM would manage it, and take shares for 24,000 guilders. A personal profit for Van Vlissingen was that it ordered a new steamboat at Van Vlissingen and Dudok van Heel. The final peace with Belgium, concluded in the Treaty of London (1839) , was not good for ASM. The line to Dunkirk, serviced by Prinses van Oranje , quickly became unprofitable. Prinses van Oranje was then sent to Hull, but proved too weak to operate on that line. Prins Frederik would also fail to make

2431-533: A paddle steamer of the same size. Furthermore, the screw steamship was a much better sailing ship than the paddle steamer. All this meant that a lot more goods became eligible for profitable transport by steamships. In the Netherlands the Stoomschroefschooner Reederij (Steam screw schooner line)) was founded in the late 1840s. The British St Petersburg Steamship Company opened a line between London and Amsterdam in October 1847, and these were not all. On 31 March 1854

2574-517: A powerful development of KNSM's Mediterranean trade. In January 1870 M.H. Jansen applied to the finance ministry for a 10 year subsidy of 624,000 guilders a year for a steam line from Vlissingen to New York, which he would found. When this was declined, he went to the House of Representatives. In February 1871 this led to an initiative for law by several representatives. The proposal was defeated with 22 votes in favor, and 44 against. With it, KNSM had lost

2717-529: A problematic competitor for the investor's money. In April 1873 the board of KNSM proposed to the shareholders to sell 3,000,000 guilders in shares, and to sell bonds for 2,000,000. With the money two ocean liners would be ordered. Meanwhile, the North Sea Canal was close to completion, so that after using Nieuwediep for a few years, the line could leave from Amsterdam. The proposal led to the sale of only 872 shares, and of only 1,189 bonds at 95%, but it

2860-405: A profit there. In 1849 she was turned into a dumb barge. In 1846 Beurs van Amsterdam and Willem I were plying the route to Hamburg. The line to Dunkirk had been reopened by Prinses van Oranje , and the line to Zaandam was serviced by a new, iron Mercurius . Accounting had been improved allowing for reserves to renew the fleet. In 1848 a new iron ship De Stoomvaart had been built with use of

3003-451: A reminder that the earliest historical inhabitants of Clydesdale spoke an early form of the Welsh language. Alexander II granted the status of royal burgh in 1222. In September 1605 Chancellor Dunfermline reported to King James VI that inundations of the sea were likely to destroy and take away the whole town. It was estimated that the flood defences would cost 30,000 pounds Scots,

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3146-468: A share capital of 682,500 guilders and four steamships sailing to Marseille, Bristol and Cardiff. It had been a successful company, paying an average dividend of over 4.5%. However, in the Mediterranean it felt the competition of the KNSM. De Maas also lacked some of the advantages that larger shipping companies enjoyed. One of these was the ability to exchange ships, so the company could both provide

3289-420: A specific service and could employ most of its ships where they were most profitable. KNSM therefore thought of merging with De Maas. This would also give KNSM the benefit of using the harbor of Rotterdam, especially for the trade with England. The KNSM therefore proposed to buy De Maas for 500,000 guilders in new KNSM shares. One director, and three supervisors from Rotterdam would join the board of KNSM. In 1865

3432-456: A speed of 11 knots. She was renamed Ondine , and would ply the route to Bordeaux. Four more ships were ordered at William Denny and Brothers in Dumbarton , Scotland. These were three screw ships of 450 ton capacity and 10 feet draft for 37,894 GBP total, and one ship of 300 ton for 9,500 GBP. The three 450 ton ships were named Berenice , Willem III and Anna Paulowna . The 300 ton vessel

3575-570: Is a Dumbarton constituency of the Scottish Parliament and a former Dumbarton constituency of the House of Commons . There are a number of distinct areas within the town: Two secondary schools are located in Dumbarton, namely Dumbarton Academy and Our Lady & St Patrick's High School . The town is also served by eight primary schools; Aitkenbar Primary, St. Michael's Primary, Knoxland Primary, Braehead Primary, St. Peter's Primary, St. Patrick's Primary and Dalreoch Primary. From

3718-612: Is explained by that it threatened the vested interests of the Amsterdam merchants. There were however also genuine concerns about the net price for transport getting higher, and about the continuity of service. People in Rotterdam and in the national government did see opportunities, and so the predecessor of the Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij (NSM) was founded in Rotterdam in 1822. In

3861-539: Is one of the biggest and most prestigious pipe band events in the world. Besides the pipe band championships there is a funfair and Highland dancing competitions. The Denny Civic Theatre is used by a number of local groups, including the Dumbarton People's Theatre . Overtoun House is a mansion in the Scots Baronial style built on an estate in the hills overlooking the town between 1859–1862 for

4004-596: Is presently included in the Misplaced Pages article for Milton Island . Dumbarton Castle sits on Dumbarton Rock , a volcanic plug dating back 334 million years, at the east bank mouth of the River Leven , where it flows into the Clyde estuary. The Castle has an illustrious history and many well-known figures from Scottish and British history have visited it. The castle was a royal fortress long before Dumbarton became

4147-656: Is still called the Scheepvaarthuis ( Shipping House ) and is now a hotel. The Geschiedenis der Amsterdamsche stoomvaart was written on demand for several Amsterdam steam navigation comapanies. It should therefore be used with caution. Amsterdamsche Stoomboot Maatschappij Amsterdamsche Stoomboot Maatschappij was an early Dutch steam shipping company. In September 1816 the British steamboat Defiance visited Amsterdam, but met little local enthusiasm. The lack of support for steam navigation in Amsterdam

4290-644: Is the birthplace of the motor-racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart OBE . He competed in Formula One between 1965 and 1973, winning three World Drivers' Championships . The Stewart Family owned and ran the garage at Dumbuck in Milton to the East of the town, the Garage later being taken over by Jackie's close friend John Lindsay. Scottish poet Robert Burns was made freeman of Dumbarton. He refers to Dumbarton in

4433-722: The Fonds der Nationale Nijverheid , a foundation for the development of Dutch industry, had been disbanded. The finance ministry had been ordered to liquidate its assets, amongst these the 300,000 guilder share in ASM. In December 1854, this finally led to the sale of these shares to Paul van Vlissingen for 120,000 guilders, or 40% of their nominal value. In 1855 the deal led to a new financial structure of ASM. New preference shares were created for 100,000 guilders. These would receive 5% dividend, and not more, before others. ASM also placed bonds for 250,000 guilders at 4.5%. With this money she acquired

Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij - Misplaced Pages Continue

4576-503: The 1882–83 Scottish Cup and are five times runners-up. The Scottish League was formed in 1890 with Dumbarton as founding members. The first championship was shared between Dumbarton and Rangers , in the absence of a goal-difference rule to act as a tiebreaker. There are seven bowling clubs in Dumbarton: Brock Bowling Club, Dixon BC, Dumbarton BC, Dumbuck BC, Eastfield BC, Rock BC and Townend BC. The town

4719-570: The Britons ' ) 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 capital of the ancient Kingdom of Strathclyde , and later the county town of Dunbartonshire . Dumbarton Castle , on top of Dumbarton Rock, dominates the area. Dumbarton

4862-633: The Iron Age and probably much earlier. It has been suggested that in Roman times Dumbarton was the "place of importance" named as Alauna in Ptolemy 's historic map. Dumbarton is also sometimes associated with the little-known, and hard to place, Roman province of Valentia . However, more recent studies favour locations in England or Wales for this province. In post-Roman times the settlement at Dumbarton

5005-622: The Municipal Buildings . Whisky production also grew to become a major industry in the town. In 1936 Canadian distilling company Hiram Walker bought over the Glasgow-based distiller George Ballantine & Son Ltd . In 1938 they built a large whisky distillery on the river Leven (on the site of the Archibald McMillan shipyard). As a result, the town became known as a major centre of the whisky industry in

5148-550: The Netherlands Trading Society then offered KNSM some guarantees against losses, if it would start a line from Amsterdam to New York. This happened when on 3 March 1881 KNSM sent Pollux to New York. Castor , Stella and Jason followed. In 1882 KNSM chartered Surrey and Nemesis of 4,000 ton each. The year started successfully, but then a deadly disease killed 13 babies on board Nemesis , which turned migrants away from KNSM. Meanwhile NASM had started

5291-631: The North Clyde Line , which provides a direct link from Helensburgh in the west, through Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley in the east. Nation Radio Scotland , the local commercial radio station for West Dunbartonshire is based in the town, having moved from Clydebank in 2016. It formerly was named Dumbarton Festival Radio , Castle Rock FM until 2003, and then Your Radio until 2020. The town has two local weekly newspapers, The Lennox Herald and The Dumbarton Reporter . There were at one stage two league football clubs from

5434-618: The Senate ; H. Croockewit of De Nederlandsche Bank ; J. van Heukelom (Stadnitski & van Heukelom); R.J. Schimmelpenninck (municipality of Amsterdam); and H. Willink (Simon Thomas & Willink). The Directors would be: C.A. von Hemert (Alstorphius & von Hemert); W. Ramann; and C.A. Müller (both of the Harburg company). The share capital of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij

5577-647: The 1832 Anglo-French blockade of the Dutch coast was lifted, the operations of the ASM got a more regular character. In 1833 a new contract with the Zaandam skippers finally made the Zaandam line profitable. The engines of IJssel were sold to the NSM for 19,000 guilders, and the vessel itself was changed into a barge. However, the Beurs van Amsterdam suffered a costly disaster when she was stranded and recovered. In 1836 Willem I

5720-440: The 1870s. However that might be, the steady improvement of the company's position led to a share price that was way above nominal value. In 1900 this led to a restructuring which sold 300,000 guilders of new nominal shares for 450,000 and reduced the 2,500,000 guilder 1886 loan to only 529,000 guilders. In 1900 the KNSM was a modest company. It paid a steady dividend, but had suffered from high debts for many years. Its buildings on

5863-446: The 5,000,000 guilders loan. Four steamers for the Mediterranean would cost 1,550,000 and call at Nieuwediep. Three ocean liners would cost 2,225,000 and call at Vlissingen. The KNSM plan failed, because only about 2,000,000 guilders in bonds were sold. However, KNSM made good use of the money by ordering Castor , Pollux and Stella of about 1,800 ton each. Other ships were bought, lengthened, and given compound steam engines. It led to

Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij - Misplaced Pages Continue

6006-545: The ASM decided to employ the Beurs van Amsterdam to extend the line from Amsterdam to Hamburg to Petersburg. After the Belgian Revolution , the Beurs van Amsterdam wanted to steam to Petersburg again, but now the Russian government had given a monopoly to a Russian company. The Beurs van Amsterdam was then used to operate a line from Rotterdam to Dunkirk . This made sense, because the Dutch - Belgian border

6149-653: The Amsterdam-Harburger Stoomboot Maatschappij (Amsterdam Harburg Steamship Company) was founded by C.W.J. Ramann and C.A. Müller. This company bought two steamships, which sailed from Amsterdam to Harburg in the Kingdom of Hanover and Altona in (Danish) Holstein . The Harburg company had a share capital of 185,600 guilders. Due to fierce competition with the ASM and other problems, the Harburg company lost about 50,000 guilders in its first two years of operation. In order to prevent

6292-574: The Amsterdamsche Beurtvaart Maatschappij, which opened lines to Cologne (1893), Frankfurt (1894) and Strasbourg (1897). In the late 1880s overall trading conditions began to improve. Over 1887 5% dividend was paid, which increased to 10% over 1888. In the 1890s the KNSM continued to be very profitable. However, apart from replacing old ships with new ones, there was little entrepreneurship in these years. Both directors and supervisors were paralyzed by their memories of

6435-528: The Atlantic. Here British and German companies expanded and made excellent profits, while Dutch exports to North America declined by 31% from 1857 to 1867. This was especially true for migrants to North America, who no longer travelled via Rotterdam, but chose to travel via Hamburg and Bremen. In 1869 the navy officer Marin Henry Jansen brought the Transatlantic trade situation to the public attention in

6578-746: The Baltic. She was replaced by buying the 800 ton Bonita , which was bought in Liverpool, and renamed Cycloop . Meanwhile the Irene of 1,000 ton was ordered in Dumbarton for 22,000 GBP (264,000 guilders). These transactions were made possible by placing almost 500,000 guilders of 5% bonds. In 1863 KNSM and ASM came to another agreement. KNSM would not sail to Hamburg, and ASM would not sail directly to Stettin. The line to Königsberg would be shared. The next few years were very profitable. The Rotterdamsche Stoomboot Reederij De Maas had also been founded in 1856. It had

6721-613: The British power base led to the emergence of the new kingdom of Strathclyde , or Cumbria, with a major centre at Govan. The title "king of the Britons of Srath Clúade" was first used in 872. Dumbarton was later the county town of the county of Dunbartonshire , formerly known as Dumbartonshire . The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic Dùn Breatainn meaning "fort of the Brythons (Britons)", and serves as

6864-770: The Denny D2 Hoverbus. A film clip of this vessel on its maiden trip to Oban exists in the Scottish Film Archive. The last surviving part of the Denny's shipbuilding company is the Denny Ship Model Experiment Tank which forms part of the Scottish Maritime Museum . This was the first commercial ship model testing tank built in the world and it retains many original features today: a water tank as long as

7007-474: The Dutch market for steamboats. When Mercurius proved unsuitable for use on canals, she was put to use on a line between Amsterdam and Zaandam . A plan that did get the immediate support of the Amsterdam municipality was that for a towing service on the Noordhollandsch Kanaal . Thomas Zurmühlen and Diederik Liedermooy wanted to build and operate two steam tugs for this purpose. This plan

7150-645: The English steamer Auguste Louise in June, and the West Friesland from Kampen in August 1856. Both ships led to some losses. Just after the Crimean War (1853 - March 1856) steamships were still very expensive. However, in August 1856 KNSM succeeded in buying the small iron screw vessel Nina for 8,500 GBP, or about 102,000 guilders. She had 300 tons cargo capacity, could accommodate 30 passengers and had

7293-516: The German aircraft away from the shipyards, decoy lights were routinely placed on the Kilpatrick hills above the town, lights were set out on reservoirs to mimic those of the shipyards reflecting on the waters of the Leven and Clyde. The ploy was sometimes successful in diverting the bombers and many bombs fell harmlessly onto the moors and lochs. The Auchenreoch Muir ' Starfish ' site above Dumbarton

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7436-455: The KNSM lines strongly increased, freight prices did not. There was a pattern that as soon as prices increased, some laid up ships were commissioned again, and so freight prices and consequently profitability, remained very low. In 1925 KNSM transported about the same amount of goods as in 1924 and on paper it made a comparable profit. However, over 1925 it deprecated its assets for about 3,300,000 guilders and did not use reserves before determining

7579-645: The KNSM succeeded in ending its failed Transatlantic adventure. Stad Amsterdam was sold to the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique in Spring and was renamed. Somewhat later, the Stad Haarlem was sold to the same company. The price was less than half of that for which they had been built. The company took the loss by reducing the share capital by 50%. At the same time, the board accepted a drastic reduction in its rewards. Meanwhile,

7722-441: The KNSM was very successful in trading with Russia via Tallinn up to 1879. Shortly after the sale of the two 3,500 ton ocean liners, the transatlantic shipping market turned around. The Rotterdam NASM had lost half its capital, but made solid profits in 1879 and 1880. In 1880 it even chartered KNSM's Pollux and Castor for its trade to New York, even though these ships were too small in an economic sense. Some merchants, and also

7865-597: The Keulsche Waag in Amsterdam for the ASM pier in Zaandam. By the request of the Amsterdam municipality, an agreement had been reached with the Zaandam skippers for a combined service. This agreement would turn this profitable line into one that would steadily loose money for some years. In November 1826 IJssel opened a line to Harderwijk across the Zuiderzee. It would later be expanded to Kampen . In November 1826 ASM's two steamships were finished. Willem I

8008-539: The Levantkade, later part of the KNSM Island . The Levantkade (Levant quay), hired by KNSM, got electric cranes, and was taken into use in June 1903. It led to very big cost reductions, and by 1906, the company's debt had disappeared. In 1900 KNSM had 30 ships, of these 17 measured 1,000 tons or smaller. By 1914 KNSM had 50 ships, only two of these were smaller than 1,000 tons. KNSM now expanded its activities in

8151-479: The London line. The commissioning of the steamships left De Onderneming without a fixed purpose. ASM then tried to sell her to the government for 80,000 guilders, but a government report valued her at no more than 25,000 guilders. By the end of 1826 ASM proved to have been mistaken in the costs of her operations. De Onderneming , Mercurius and IJssel together cost 200,000 guilders to acquire. Another 100,000 guilders were tied up in stores. However, in view of

8294-418: The Mediterranean trade, and plans for Transatlantic shipping. It led to a plan to sell bonds for 5,000,000 guilders, which would have to be repaid in 25 years. In order to influence public opinion, the board published its views. The KNSM stated that the line would require ships so big that Amsterdam and Rotterdam could not be used as harbors. Vlissingen was preferable over Nieuwediep , but KNSM did not agree with

8437-753: The Mediterranean. 1857 ended with a positive result of about 70,000 guilders. A mishap was that the Willem III was sunk in a collision with the French steamer Normandie in December 1857. The French courts ruled in favor of the KNSM, and the owners of the Normandie than abandoned her to the KNSM. She proved a good ship with 700 ton capacity and 180 hp engines, and was renamed Willem III . Even while freight prices were low, KNSM made solid profits in 1858 and 1859. The Amsterdam Harburger Stoomboot Maatschappij

8580-418: The Mediterranean. In December 1905 it joined an agreement between two lines sailing from Antwerp to Alexandria. It brought KNSM into conflict with the Bremen Atlas line. When other German lines began to support the Atlas line, KNSM joined the Nationale Stoomboot Maatschappij (National steam navigation company), a company founded to defend Dutch shipping companies against aggressive foreign shipping lines. After

8723-413: The Netherlands were invaded, the steamer Bodegraven was last to leave IJmuiden on 14 May 1940. On board were 73 Jewish children from Germany. During World War II 230 KNSM crew and 48 ships were lost. In 1972 the company changed its name to KNSM BV , part of the parent company KNSM Group NV . In 1981, they merged into Nedlloyd . The company headquarters building on the Prins Hendrikkade in Amsterdam

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8866-447: The Netherlands. The attempts to found a steamboat company in Amsterdam received more support when a foreign (i.e. Rotterdam) company tried to establish lines from Amsterdam. In June 1824 the NSM decided to open a line from Amsterdam to Hamburg. In May 1825 the steamship De Batavier was laid down by Fop Smit for this line. This obviously threatened the control of the Amsterdam merchants over local shipping. The much larger scale of

9009-446: The Nieuwe Vaart were outdated and the Oosterdok Lock led to many delays. Both the Oosterdok Lock and the Kattenburg Bridge seriously limited the size of some of the KNSM ships, and led to many delays. That same year the KNSM suddenly expanded again, probably due to an improved financial situation and a rejuvenated board. The first acts consisted of ordering two big ships when prices were low. More ships followed, as well as new facilities on

9152-445: The Rhine became more important in the nineteenth century, Amsterdam's part in this traffic had decreased from 25% in 1850 to about 5% in 1870. This decrease had to do with the increasing size of inland navigation vessels, which the canals leading to Amsterdam could not handle. The government then invested to improve the route from Amsterdam to the Rhine, leading to the opening of the Merwede Canal in 1891. The KNSM reacted by taking part in

9295-405: The Rhine. Also in the 1840s, some technological innovations changed the conditions for steam navigation. In the Netherlands, iron hulls were introduced for sailing ships when L. Smit en Zoon launched the iron schooner Industrie in 1847. The screw as a means of propelling ships also broke through in the 1840s. Both developments meant that an iron screw ship could transport much more cargo than

9438-469: The Zuiderzee to Harlingen . From there the boats went to the North Sea crossing between Vlieland and Terschelling. The passenger fares were high: First class rate was 60 guilders, second class 35. Freight was carries at 60 guilders for about 2 tons. It was also possible to just go to Harlingen for 7 guilders. The first directors of the company were the two Van Vlissingen brothers and Mr. Liedermoooy. Apart from buying De Onderneming , one of their first acts

9581-419: The boundary of Dumbarton, while the remaining portion comprising the associated Dumbuck Hill and its large incorporated quarry (Dumbuck Quarry) are treated here together with the neighbouring village of Milton , as the next adjacent generally recognised locality today. In the Dumbarton portion, the Category B-listed Dumbuck House, originally constructed for Colonel Andrew Geils , was the original estate house and

9724-409: The canal, because the authorities did not want them to damage the canal dykes. Another problem was the construction of the machines. Cockerill was totally occupied with orders by NSM. Therefore, some of the engines were ordered in Couvin , near the French border. In July 1826 Mercurius started a line between Amsterdam and Zaandam. She had obviously been acquired by the ASM. Twice a day she left from

9867-402: The castle. Today, Dumbarton Rock is a Scheduled Ancient Monument ; it has legal protection in order to maintain and conserve the site for the future. As such any sort of work on the rock is strictly regulated by the Scottish Government and activities such as climbing on the rock are forbidden. From the top of the castle can be seen both the River Clyde and Leven Grove Park. Levengrove Park

10010-409: The chamber saw, was a line to Hull. In 1835, Prins Frederik was bought from the Harlingen Line for 85,000 guilders, and this simply stopped to operate. Prins Frederik was then used to open a line from Lübeck to Stockholm. However, an English competitor was immediately dispatched, and so freight was lowered by half, making the line unprofitable. Also in 1835 Graaf Cancrin returned to Amsterdam and

10153-594: The contract for the foundation of the KNSM was finalized. The first list of shareholders shows that 813,000 guilders worth of shares were sold. It also shows that the Amsterdam merchants were rather reluctant to participate. The KNSM appointed several agents in the harbors were her ships were destined: Fauré Frères in Bordeaux; Fiedler & Co. in Copenhagen; Schröder en Co. in Riga; R. Kleyenstüber in Königsberg; and Kapherr in Saint Petersburg. In Amsterdam 8 companies were appointed as cargadoor s (Cargo broker?). In order to start operations as quickly as possible, KNSM hired

10296-469: The cost being levied nationwide. A bridge over the River Leven had been proposed in 1682. The Old Dumbarton Bridge was eventually built in 1765 by John Brown of Dumbarton, at the site of a ferry crossing. It was constructed at the behest of the Duke of Argyll , who was anxious to obtain access to Glasgow from his estate at Rosneath . The bridge, with five segmental arches with rounded cutwaters, resulted in

10439-529: The deal succeeded. The merger with De Maas proved very successful. The bigger ships were especially successful. In her first two years of operation Irene , which had cost 264,000 guilders, earned 71,000 guilders and 73,000 guilders. It led to placing more shares, and to the order for Jason , a ship even bigger than Irene . In 1867 KNSM organized the foundation of the Amsterdamsche Rijn Stoomvaart Maatschappij. The idea

10582-570: The direction of Paul van Vlissingen (1797-1876) and his brother Frits. In February 1825 the Van Vlissingen brothers, as directors of the Harlingen Steamboat Company asked permission to create many local steam shipping lines, and two lines to Hamburg and London. The latter lines required more costly, sea going ships. In May 1825, the permission came in. It had the usual requirement that the steam engines had to be made in

10725-415: The end of the year the operating result had improved to minus 200,000 guilders, but the loss was still in the millions. The big losses, and the exhaustion of KNSM's reserves would lead to a technical bankruptcy of KNSM in 1936. In 1935 it had made an operational profit of about 1 million guilders, but this was due to government subsidies. The net loss was still in the millions, and so the government demanded

10868-403: The end of the year, KNSM was obliged to decrease its reserves with about one million guilders. In 1931 revenue decreased by 7.5 million guilders, while cost decreased with only 3.5 million. It resulted in a loss of about 10 million guilders, which was covered by decreasing the general and pension reserves by 6.5 and 3.5 million. In 1932 revenue decreased by another 8 million guilders. The net result

11011-514: The end, ASM would be forced to sell at any price. After the failure to sell the smaller vessels, Van Vlissingen again appealed to the government in May 1829. He noted that the line to Hamburg had become even more profitable in 1828. After a lot of haggling, the government helped ASN by taking shares for 150,000 guilders, and by converting the 150,000 guilders loan in shares, making her the biggest shareholder, with shares worth 300,000 guilders. In 1830

11154-495: The engines of Beurs van Amsterdam . In 1848 Paul van Vlissingen made a new attempt to found a shipping line to England. There were multiple reasons for this new attempt. In 1846, the Corn Laws had been cancelled. It was also known that the Navigation Acts would be cancelled in 1849. Furthermore, the railroad from Amsterdam had finally reached the Rhine. Another reason was the introduction of iron hulls for sea-going ships and of

11297-508: The extension of Dumbarton to West Bridgend. The bridge was substantially developed in 1884 and 1934. It is now B-listed and was refurbished in 2006. Hartfield House was completed in 1853. During World War II Dumbarton was heavily bombed by the German air force . The Germans were targeting the shipyards, and the area in the vicinity of the yards was consequently hit, with Clyde and Leven Street being severely damaged. In an attempt to lure

11440-521: The extra 200,000 guilders that had been raised, the expansion of the ASM plans was more or less covered. The real problem was that the construction and operation of the steamships that were getting finished. Their cost had been grossly underestimated. They had to be coppered, and proved to require heavier engines. The shipyard Van Swieten had also miscalculated, and got in financial trouble. ASM then had to finish these ships under her own direction. By October 1826 ASM had only 47,000 guilders left, and applied to

11583-509: The first year to 331,982 ton in 1913. The Koninklijke West-Indische Maildienst (KWIM) was a shipping company that sailed to Suriname and Curaçao . It was small and therefore vulnerable to competition. In June 1912 a plan for takeover by KNSM succeeded. This allowed KNSM to expand to the Caribbean, and gave KWIM the means to acquire bigger ships. In World War I the Dutch overseas import and export were severely limited. However, because of

11726-795: The four steamships, a barge, and a warehouse in Dunkirk. In turn P.A. van Es sold Prins van Oranje and the line to Dunkirk to Joh. Ooms Jzn., who was already active in the area. P.A. van Es and Co. then came in very serious competition with the KNSM, but managed to hold on to part of the Hamburg operation. Of the old ships, Willem I was sold in 1885, Amsterdam in 1893, and De Stoomvaart in 1898. Dumbarton Dumbarton ( / d ʌ m ˈ b ɑːr t ən / ; Scots : Dumbairton , Dumbartoun or Dumbertan ; Scottish Gaelic : Dùn Breatann [t̪um ˈpɾʲɛht̪ən̪ˠ] or Dùn Breatainn [t̪um ˈpɾʲɛht̪ɪɲ] , meaning 'fort of

11869-435: The government for help. It met with a negative response, because ASM had not repaid the first installment of the previous loan, and lacked capital. The company then took a private loan of 80,000 guilders at very disadvantageous terms. In 1828 both steamships were used on the line to Hamburg. In 1828 an attempt was made to use De Onderneming from Amsterdam to Harlingen via Enkhuizen, but this was not successful. The Hamburg line

12012-452: The government for support. It got a loan of 150,000 guilders at 3%, probably because NSM had also received support. This had to be repaid in 6 years. In 1827, its first year of operation, the line to Hamburg was profitable and brought in a gross profit of 20,000 guilders. The line to London plied by Beurs van Amsterdam , cost about as much as it brought in. It would be terminated after only one year. In 1827 De Onderneming would be used for

12155-563: The government having sold too cheap. In December 1857 Van Vlissingen argued that if the government had continued as a 300,000 guilder shareholder with a special commissioner, the sudden growth would not have taken place. However that might be, in June 1860, the general shareholders meeting decided to half the nominal value of the 862 shares of 1,000 guilders each. The management of the ASM would gradually come to Van Vlissingen's son in law C. Gilhuys. In 1853 he first acted as his delegate. Van Vlissingen's interest in Van Vlissingen en Dudok van Heel

12298-419: The high demand for shipping for the allied war effort, freights were high. Furthermore, the absence of competitors opened many possibilities. In 1914 and 1915 KNSM expanded to North- and South America and to Africa. The situation became less favorable when the government started to intervene in 1916. The reasons to do so were the sale of Dutch ships and the many that were sunk, endangering vital imports. In 1917

12441-454: The idea to sail to Norfolk instead of New York. KNSM also thought a state subsidy unnecessary. In October 1869 Jansen presided a congress about transatlantic navigation in Utrecht. One of its goals was to establish a single company for this purpose. The attempt failed, mainly because the need for very large ships was not understood. KNSM then asked her shareholders for authorization to take up

12584-553: The line with 662.400 guilders a year. Meanwhile the Rotterdam shipping line owner Antoine Plate also started an initiative. This would later lead to the foundation of the Nederlandsch-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Maatschappij (NASM), later Holland America Line . Plate thought that a subsidy was not necessary for the project. In September 1869 the board of KNSM discussed the acquisition of four very large ships of almost 2,000 ton for

12727-494: The loss of many jobs. The estate has also been the home of Polaroid UK since 1965. This was the largest Polaroid plant outside the US and at its peak it employed about 1800 people. Failing to recognise the impact of digital photography was its downfall and while they still have a presence in Dumbarton, fewer than 100 people are now employed there (mainly in the manufacture of sunglass lenses). The generator supplier Aggreko plc has had

12870-477: The mid 18th century to the early 19th century Dumbarton's main industry was glassmaking . As the glass industry declined the town became a major centre for shipbuilding and remained so well into the 20th century. There were many shipbuilding yards, although a number of them were later absorbed by larger yards. A great many ships were built in the town, the most famous of which is probably the Cutty Sark which

13013-580: The mid to late 20th century. Hiram Walker itself was acquired by Allied Breweries in 1988 to form Allied Distillers, itself becoming part of Allied Domecq before eventually being taken over in 2005 by the French-based alcohol giant Pernod Ricard . The large Dumbarton distillery had been mothballed since 2002 and not long after the Pernod-Ricard takeover the giant red-brick buildings of the Dumbarton ' Ballantine's ' distillery which had dominated

13156-442: The net profit . Meanwhile the other directors had resigned. The government then agreed to help ASM again, or at least not to require repayment of the loans. In exchange, the government required that a government commissioner would see to the proper management of ASM. In March 1829 ASM then tried to sell De Onderneming , IJssel and Mercurius . The attempt to sell these ships failed, probably in part because people thought that in

13299-422: The net profit was negligible, and no dividend was paid. The profit over 1922 was also negligible, with no dividend being paid. However, this was an administrative reality. By using 7,600,000 guilders of reserves for depreciations, the real loss, which amounted to about this sum was concealed. Over 1923, profit was again negligible, and reserves decreased by 3,000,000 guilders. 1924 was about as bad. While transport on

13442-544: The new plans required the foundation of a new company. Paul van Vlissingen contacted Diederik Bernard Liedermooy to help him establish this new company. Together they got the support of many Amsterdam merchants, and succeeded in establishing the Amsterdamsche Stoomboot Maatschappij (ASM) in late April 1825. The new Amsterdamsche Stoomboot Maatschappij even acquired a capital of 500,000 instead of only 300,000 guilders. This allowed ASM to expand

13585-466: The north of the town have contributed to the decline in Dumbarton's importance to the drink industry. However, part of the J&;B bond has found a new life as a film set for television productions such as ' River City , Still Game and Two Doors Down . Ballantine's Whisky became well known for the rather unusual 'security' guards used at their bonded warehouse complex at Dumbuck in Dumbarton; these are

13728-399: The old ones continued to serve. By 1877 all that was left were two screw ships ( Stoomvaart and Amsterdam ), and two paddle steamers ( Willem I and Prins van Oranje ). The first three ships serviced an ever less frequent line to Hamburg. The Prins van Oranje served on the Dunkirk line, which continued to be profitable till the 1870s. After Paul van Vlissingen's death in 1876, C. Gilhuys

13871-559: The opening of the Merwede Canal, the services of the Amsterdamsche Beurtvaart Maatschappij, that was supported by KNSM, were still not satisfactory. KNSM then founded the Nieuwe Rijnvaart Maatschappij (NRM) in 1903. NRM started its operations with four 650 ton steam vessels. The NRM became an immediate success. It expanded its fleet to 26 ships in 1914. The freight that it transported grew from 47,931 ton in

14014-495: The profit. In 1926 there was a big increase in transported freight and freight prices increased a bit. KNSM ordered some new ships, and bought almost 8 ships second hand. On 1 February 1927 a process to liquidate the Koninklijke West-Indische Maildienst (KWIM) and to integrate its business into KNSM started. For KNSM, the year 1927 put an end to the post war shipping crisis, and a dividend of 3%

14157-429: The sale of the Harburg company's ships, Paul van Vlissingen bought new shares for 100,000 guilders and took control of the company. In April 1856 a committee of influential people announced their intention to found a public company for steam navigation. The company would have to open lines from Amsterdam to Saint Petersburg, Bordeaux and Königsberg . The supervisory board would consist of: Frederic van der Oudermeulen of

14300-408: The sale of the engines was booked as a profit, and used to pay a dividend. When Willem I was sold, this practice led to a sudden drop in the equity of the company from 732,000 to 695,000 guilders, because the book value of Willem I was much higher than the price for which she was sold. The practice to nevertheless pay a small dividend was also continued. This practice to pay a dividend from capital

14443-531: The same meeting, the KNSM decided to get involved in founding the Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland , which would have a very difficult start. Of its share capital, only 160,000 guilders were taken by the public, while Prince Henry and KSNM each took 320,000 guilders of shares. The KNSM now experienced some very rough years. Apart from very low freights, many of her ships met with disasters that put them out of action for many months. Of

14586-522: The scope of its operations. Instead of only operating from Amsterdam to Hamburg and London, it now also immediately opened some local lines in the Netherlands. The statute of the ASM got approved on 18 May 1825. Only a few months after her foundation, ASM sent the steamboat De Onderneming (enterprise) from Amsterdam to Hamburg on 25 July 1825. This was the ex English steamboat Monarch of 76 net tons and 36 hp, which had been acquired by ASM for 75,753 guilders. These trips first went from Amsterdam over

14729-452: The screw as a means propulsion. In the Netherlands this happened when L. Smit en Zoon launched the iron screw schooner Industrie in 1847. Paul van Vlissingen thus founded the Stoomschroefschooner Reederij (Steam screw schooner line)) to operate a line to London. The British St Petersburg Steamship Company had opened a line between London and Amsterdam in October 1847. When it heard about Van Vlissingen's plans it threatened that it would open

14872-460: The situation became a crisis due to the start of the unrestricted submarine warfare on 1 February. This severely limited shipping, and brought traffic on the Rhine to a standstill. On 21 March 1918 the alliance then seized 22 ships of the KNSM and KWIM. Many of these had been cleverly held up in allied ports on the pretext of checking cargo. It was a blatant infringement on neutrality, but the Netherlands could not do much. The profits of KNSM during

15015-475: The small ships Amsterdam, Harburg, Jonge Paul, and Jonge Marie. In 1857, 384,000 guilders of shares were sold. With this, ASM acquired the steamer Kroonprinses Louise and 3/4 of the Screw Schooner Company. In 1857, the ASM had lines to Saint Petersburg, Hamburg, Harburg , Stettin , Dunkirk, Zaandam, Stockholm, and Hull. The sudden and unexpected growth of the ASM raised some suspicions about

15158-693: The summer of 1823 Eduard Taylor living at Ridderoord in Lage Vuursche asked Amsterdam for a concession for two shipping lines. One from Amsterdam to Utrecht, and one from Amsterdam to Lemmer across the Zuiderzee in Friesland . In June 1824 Taylor's first steamboat Mercurius was launched by the Hollandia shipyard of Van Swieten. The engines were constructed from British parts put together in Amsterdam, because NSM and Cockerill tried to monopolize

15301-518: The time (as of 1996) was Arthur Carroll, but as of 1997 they have been replaced by CCTV cameras. With the decline of the whisky industry, Dumbarton is becoming more a commuter town for those who work in nearby Glasgow and other locations. The Faslane naval base is a major employer for the area. The Strathleven Industrial Estate near Dumbarton was once the location of several major manufacturers such as Burroughs (Adding Machines) and Westclox . Technology overtook these companies and they closed down with

15444-424: The time. It stated that the higher cost of steamships compared to sailing ships, meant that the former were suitable only where there was a high passenger traffic, or much traffic in high value or urgent shipments. Therefore, Rotterdam - London, and Amsterdam - Hamburg were profitable lines. Lines from Amsterdam to the south were practically impossible, because of the long detour over the Zuiderzee. The only option that

15587-540: The town for over sixty years were earmarked for demolition and redevelopment, the remains of the distillery were demolished throughout January and February 2017. The large bonded warehouse complex to the east of the town and the bottling complex to the north-west were retained. Other whisky-related site closures such as the Inverleven distillery which closed in 1991 and the J&;B Scotch Whisky bottling plant and bond in

15730-709: The town, Dumbarton Harp F.C and Dumbarton F.C (Also known as 'Sons of the Rock'). Dumbarton F.C. are the only league club in Dumbarton still in operation, playing in the Scottish Professional Football League at Scottish League Two level. Dumbarton F.C play home games at the Dumbarton Football Stadium (known since 2018 as the C&;G Systems Stadium for sponsorship reasons ) adjacent to Dumbarton Rock . They won

15873-616: The two ocean liners, Stad Amsterdam twice sailed to the East Indies, but proved unsuitable for the climate. Stad Haarlem was chartered for a trip to New Zealand, but that resulted in even more losses. On the other hand, the opening of the North Sea Canal in 1876, and that of the Amsterdam–Zutphen railway led to great cost reductions. In 1877, the liquidation of the ASM led KNSM to expand its activity to Hamburg. In 1879

16016-718: The war were high. Over 1914 it paid 6% divided, over 1915 15%, over 1916 20%, over 1917 10%. Over 1918 15% was paid, but this was due to the money that the allied powers paid for using the ships they had seized. The KNSM fleet measured 135,650 tons on 1 January 1914, and 199,000 tons on 31 December 1918, the latter including ships under construction. Over the same period, the surface of the KNSM warehouses expanded from 16,545 m to 63,564 m After World War I, many felt that shipping would rebound. It led to huge investments in ships. KNSM and its daughter KWIM had 21 steamships under construction in November 1919. Over 1919 KNSM indeed paid

16159-400: Was 150 feet long, measured 595 tons, and had 120 hp machines by Maudslay. She could transport 70 lasts and 70 passengers. The Beurs van Amsterdam was somewhat smaller, measured 528 tons, and had equally powerful engines. The two steamships had size comparable to the size of De Batavier of 600 tons. In 1827 Willem I was used on the route to Hamburg. Beurs van Amsterdam was used for

16302-462: Was a royal burgh between 1222 and 1975. Dumbarton emerged from the 19th century as a centre for shipbuilding , glassmaking , and whisky production. However, these industries have since declined, and Dumbarton today is increasingly a commuter town for Glasgow 13 miles (21 km) east-southeast of it. Dumbarton F.C. is the local football club. Dumbarton is home to BBC Scotland 's drama studio. Dumbarton history goes back at least as far as

16445-425: Was again profitable, but overall profit was only 4,000 guilders. This was not sufficient to repay the installment of the government loan of 25,000 guilders and that of the private loan at 27,000 guilders. In 1829 Paul van Vlissingen proposed that ASM would concentrate on the Hamburg line, and sell the smaller vessels. Administrative costs would be limited to 4,000 guilders, and his own salary would be limited to 8% of

16588-409: Was brought back to 10,000,000 guilders. KNSM kept its promise to the old shareholders and gave them an equal claim with regard to buying the new shares, making that both the old shareholders and bond holders were the main purchasers. Over 1937 results were good and a 7% dividend was paid. In 1938 results were also good, but KNSM still had to assign profits to reserves, because the book value of many ships

16731-495: Was built by Scott & Linton , she was one of the final Tea Clippers to be built, and one of the fastest. The ship is the last survivor of its type and can be seen today at dry dock in Greenwich, London . The last major Dumbarton shipyard was William Denny and Brothers which closed in 1963, and the remaining smaller yards followed over the next few decades. Until recently, the old Denny's shipyard tender The Second Snark

16874-404: Was closed. De De Onderneming , renamed Graaf Cancrin was also busy in the Baltic for some years. As most other early steam shipping companies, ASM wanted to have its own repair shop. This was founded by Paul van Vlissingen by his own means in late 1826. He offered the workshop to the ASM, but its shareholders declined the offer in 1828. Their reasoning was that the existence of the repair shop

17017-412: Was comparable, but KNSM nevertheless started to modernize her fleet by ordering a motor ship . in 1933 losses were still 5.5 million guilders, and while interest on bonds was still paid, installments were no longer met. The government now started to support KNSM. In 1934 the volume of cargo and passenger traffic increased, but the devaluation of the British pound meant that KNSM did not profit that much. At

17160-469: Was converted into a hotel in the 20th century; more recently it has been permitted to fall into disrepair and its future is currently uncertain. For additional information regarding the Dumbuck estate, including mention of the somewhat bizarre Kosmoid Company that occupied the estate for a short while, refer the article on Andrew Geils. Information on the well known "Dumbuck Crannog" archaeological feature

17303-540: Was developed in 1885 on grounds of the former Levengrove Estate by the Denny and McMillan families who owned shipbuilding companies with yards located adjacent to the Castle, and gifted to the town. A grave site in the park sits as the resting place for the viscera of former Scottish king Robert the Bruce . Removal of these "viscera" for local burial was commonplace at the time, when a person's remains were to be transported

17446-585: Was enough to order two 3,500 ton ships and 200 hp. These were the Stad Amsterdam and Stad Haarlem . 1873 was a good year for the KNSM. However, just when the ocean liners where getting ready, the big Panic of 1873 brought migrant traffic to the USA to a halt. The situation was so bad that in February 1875 the KNSM board was authorized by the shareholders to not commission the new ocean liners. During

17589-454: Was formally appointed as chairman of ASM. On 10 March 1877 a general shareholders meeting was held, with 216 shares represented. The new director proposed to take a loan of 150,000 guilders, but the shareholders rejected this plan. They then decided to liquidate the company. The assets of ASM were bought by the Rotterdam company P.A. van Es and Co., which in March 1877 paid 135,000 guilders for

17732-527: Was generally forbidden, because creditors doing business with a public company had to rely on that company having assets. The government was not amused by the practices of the ASM, and constantly protested, but equity of the ASM was nevertheless reduced to 539,790 by 1854. In 1834 the Dutch government urged the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce to further steam navigation. The answer of the chamber gives some explanation about why this did not happen at

17875-659: Was in big trouble by late 1859. Its management then made an attempt to restructure it by exchanging debt for shares. However, KNSM succeeded in buying so much of its debts, that it could thwart these plans. It next bought the Königin Maria of 300 ton for 33,000 guilders, and the George V of 200 ton for 28,000 guilders. However, both required serious repairs. Königin Maria was renamed Medea . The Van Vlissingen en Dudok van Heel shipyard then lengthened George V by 22 feet, and she

18018-563: Was known as Alcluith, there is a record in Irish chronicles of the death of Guret, rex Alo Cluathe ("king of Clyde Rock"), in AD 658. The fortress of Dumbarton was the stronghold of the kingdom of Alclud, and the centre of Breton power in northern Britain, for more than two centuries from the mid-seventh century, until the Vikings destroyed the fortress after a four-month siege in 870. The loss of

18161-537: Was lengthened and renamed Prinses van Oranje . As such, she did well. In 1839, a new Willem I was completed. People from Harlingen reacted to the closure of the Harlingen line by making plans to create their own shipping line to Amsterdam. The ASM then asked for permission to use Prins Frederik for an ASM line to Harlingen. The government gave this permission in May 1837, and that year ASM operated her line to Harlingen. The people from Harlingen then agreed to found

18304-446: Was less threatening to vested interests, and ensured that ships sailing to far off destinations would loose less time on the canal. Also in the summer of 1823, Leonard de Vijver requested permission for a steam shipping line between Amsterdam and Harlingen . He died before his plans could be executed, but it led to the foundation of the shipping company Harlinger Stoomboot Reederij (Harlingen Steamboat Company). This company came under

18447-584: Was managed by his son Paul C. van Vlissingen. In 1856 the Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij (KNSM) was founded. KNSM was not a prestigious company, but is soon put immense pressure on ASM. In 1857 AMS had to agree on freight prices to Saint Petersburg. In 1863 ASM negotiated for KNSM to leave the Hamburg line, but had to leave that to Stettin , and had to share the line to Königsberg with KNSM. ASM now slowly faded, as no new ships were ordered, and

18590-468: Was named Rembrandt . A sixth vessel, the 300 ton Urania was ordered at Earle's Shipbuilding in Hull . Two barges were bought for (un)loading the ships, for which there were no quays in Amsterdam. In the Spring of 1857 the vessels built in Dumbarton were delivered. In the Baltic, the KNSM came to an agreement with the ASM about shipping to Saint Petersburg in November 1857. KNSM then also started to sail to

18733-511: Was necessary for ASM, but that owning it would hinder the workshop in working for third parties, which would in turn force ASM to maintain it. It then became owned by a partnership between Paul van Vlissingen and Mr. Dudok van Heel, and was named Van Vlissingen en Dudok van Heel . It would develop into a shipbuilding company that would operate with much more success than the ASM itself. It later became known as Koninklijke Fabriek van Stoom- en andere Werktuigen, and still later as Werkspoor . After

18876-412: Was no dividend and over 1886 only 2%. In 1886 steps were taken to restructure the 1869 5% bonds. With support of the banks, these were either repaid or replaced with 4% bonds, saving the company 45,000 guilders a year. The harbor of Amsterdam had always relied on the transshipment of goods. In time, this had shifted from coastal traffic to inland navigation and rail transport. While inland navigation on

19019-486: Was paid. In 1928 results seemed comparable to 1927, but now over 1,000,000 guilders went to reserves before a 5% dividend was paid. The Great Depression started with the October 1929 Wall Street Crash . As shown above KNSM had suffered from an economic crisis for some time by then. Over the whole 1929, KNSM results were comparable to 1928, with again a 5% dividend. In 1930 KNSM lost money, with 15 ships being idle in July. At

19162-475: Was part of a system of decoy fires operated by the RAF that used pyrotechnics to simulate the appearance of the incendiaries dropped by the German pathfinder aircraft, thereby diverting the bombers from their intended targets. 23 bomb craters are still identifiable in the area around the surviving control bunker as evidence of the success of the diversion. The one time village and estate of Dumbuck now lie partly within

19305-535: Was quite sudden. In September 1936, only a few months after the reorganization of KNSM, the Dutch government was forced to devaluate the guilder. This immediately improved profitability of KNSM, because many freight contracts were made in English pounds. KNSM therefore got more guilders for the same offer in GBP. In November the whole freight market then started to rise. The year ended with a 3 percent dividend. KNSM then emitted new shares for 5,556,500 guilders, so share capital

19448-525: Was renamed Rubbens. Another major asset of the Harburg company was a building on the pier before the West-Indische Huis in the Oosterdok . KNSM bought it for 80,000 guilders, and so got a covered quay, where her ships could discharge without transloading on barges, like the competition had to do. 1862 was a bad year. Freight prices were very low. The Cycloop (ex- Charles l'Marc ) was lost in

19591-559: Was sold to the government. Soon after, she was lost near the Lucipara Islands in the Dutch East Indies. ASM applied some rather dubious accounting practices. Ships were kept on the balance sheet for their cost price, and no depreciation was applied. Therefore, when the engines of IJssel were sold, the equity of the company, based on a share capital of 800,000 guilders, decreased to 732,656 guilders. Meanwhile

19734-429: Was still higher than their replacement value. Over 1939 net profit was 6,132,728 a number very close to the share capital itself. Nevertheless, divided was still only 8%. because the renewal of the fleet would require huge sums. Even before the Netherlands entered World War II, KNSM lost its first ship. On 17 November 1939 Simon Bolivar hit two mines near Harwich. As a result, 102 of 397 people on board were killed. When

19877-451: Was still in use on the Firth of Clyde as a passenger ferry and cruise boat. Denny's was an innovative company that had a reputation for research and development; high-pressure turbines and hull stabilisation were two areas where they were highly respected. They even built an early design of helicopter in 1909 and in their final years they were involved in hovercraft development in the form of

20020-432: Was that ASM had to pay the Stoomschroefschooner Reederij to move her ships away from the London line, so the St Petersburg Steamship Company would remove her ships from the Hamburg line. The deal made ASM profitable again. It allowed her to replace the old Prinses van Oranje with an iron Prins van Oranje . A few years later, the Stoomschroefschooner Reederij would operate a line to Hull. It was dissolved in 1862. In 1846

20163-416: Was to consist of 2,000,000 guilders in shares of 1,000 guilders each. By early July 1856 800,000 guilders of shares had been sold, and the company was constituted. By then M.H. Insinger had joined the directors, and C.A. Müller had stepped back to become only a deputy director. The new company immediately got the label koninklijk (royal), probably due to the influence of Prince Henry . On 1 October 1856

20306-411: Was to improve the connections from Amsterdam to Germany and further up the Rhine. In January 1867 the board proposed to place new bonds, expanding the company's debt from 250,000 to 500,000 guilders. The justification was that KNSM needed new ships, and these could now be bought cheaply, because too many had been built. The bonds were indeed used to acquire Orion of 800 ton and Astrea of 700 ton from

20449-483: Was to order two steamboats and two steamships, all of them paddle steamers , at the Hollandia shipyard of Mr. van Swieten, who was already constructing the steamboat Prins Frederik for the Harlingen Steamboat Line. At the time, one of the challenges for these ships was that their draft had to be limited. While they could pass the Noordhollandsch Kanaal , they were not allowed to make regular use of

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