SS (RMS) Peveril (I) No. 76307 – the first vessel in the company's history to be so named – was a packet steamer which was operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company until she sank off Douglas following a collision with in 1899.
Construction and dimensions
Constructed in 1884 by the Barrow Shipbuilding Company, Barrow-in-Furness, Peveril was launched on Thursday 24 May 1884. The Barrow Shipbuilding Company also supplied Peveril's engines and boilers. The Peveril was, like , schooner rigged.
The wheelhouse was situated amidships and there was a flying bridge for the captain. Four repeating telegraphs by Chadburn were installed allowing direct communication with the engine room.
Length 207'; beam 26'; depth 13'; with an i.h.p. of 1,200. Peveril had a design speed of 13.5 knots, but is recorded as reaching 15 knots on her acceptance sailing.
Her passenger accommodation was well appointed, with the upholstering carried out by Messers Townsend & Ward, Barrow. Peveril's lower saloon and ladies' cabins were heated by steam.
Passenger capacity is recorded at 559, which was 55 more than her older sister, . Peveril had crew accommodation for 30.
Service life
Sister ship to , Peveril was intended for general cargo work in the main season and for passenger relief service in winter. In addition to this, Peveril also performed numerous summer cruises and excursions between Douglas and Ramsey.
Peveril made her acceptance sailing from Barrow to Douglas on Saturday 21 June 1884, under the command of Capt. Keig. She left the Hilpsford Buoy at Ramsden Dock at 09:49, arriving at Douglas at 12:51, covering the 44 nautical miles at a speed of .
On nearing Douglas a gun was fired from the Peveril, and guns were also fired in celebration from the Fort Anne Hotel, with large cheering crowds reported to have assembled on the Victoria Pier. On board the Peveril were members of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Board and also Mr W. John, manager of the Barrow Shipbuilding Company.
Shortly after 14:00, having embarked a further group of dignitaries, the Peveril departed Douglas Harbour for a trial run to Maughold Head. During the course of the run, luncheon was served, and upon reaching Maughold Head a gun was fired from the Peveril, and she then continued into Ramsey Bay.
On Wednesday 14 December 1887, the body of a woman was discovered between the casing and the boiler of the Peveril's port side. It was believed that the woman secreted herself in the narrow passage for warmth and consequently suffocated.
On the night of Wednesday 13 September 1893, The Peveril was involved in a collision with a small boat as she was making her way from the Victoria Pier to the inner harbour at Douglas. The small boat, named the Daisy, was on its way to put a light on the yacht Vision when she cut across the Peveril's path, and was cut in two. The solitary person on board the Daisy, John "Kitty" O'Neil, jumped clear just before impact and was subsequently picked out of the water by three dockers (David "Dawsey" Kewley, Paul Bridson and another man named Higgin), who took to a small boat in order to carry out the rescue.
On Saturday 12 January 1895, the Peveril sustained damage whilst in the process of docking at Douglas. Under the command of Captain Hill, the Peveril had departed Liverpool on schedule bound for Douglas, but during the course of the passage she encountered severe weather in the form of a south-easterly Gale. Challenging conditions awaited the Peveril as she approached Douglas, and as a consequence of the wind direction coupled to a large swell in the harbour, the decision was made for the Peveril to dock at the Battery Pier as opposed to the Victoria Pier. Although it was low water Captain Hill then decided to proceed to Peel on the west coast of the Isle of Man so as to receive maximum shelter. As she was breaking away from the pier, the Peveril swung round against the pier and broke one of her propellers, so that she then had to be taken into the inner harbour at Douglas for shelter. However, as she again proceeded to break away from the Battery Pier she was involved in another mishap. Being less manoeuvrable because of her disabled propeller, she struck her stern against the pier, with such force that one of the plates on her stern was stove in and two of the piles of the fender of the pier were broken away by the impact. Finally the Peveril was positioned into the inner harbour, where she was moored at the North Quay. The damage sustained was promptly repaired and she was able to resume her schedule on Monday morning with only a minor delay.