PRETORIA was built in 1878 by Wm. Denny & Bros. at Dumbarton with a tonnage of 3199grt, a length of 350ft, a beam of 39ft 6in and a service speed of 13.5 knots.

Completed within six months of the keel laying and two months ahead of contract she cost £70,055 and was built for the mail service.

In May 1879 she was used as a troopship during the Zulu War and following the defeat of the British at Isandhlwana carried the 91st Highland Regiment consisting of 942 men non-stop to Durban in a then record time of 24 days 8 hrs. Together with the Asiatic and the Moor she was present at Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee Spithead review in 1887.

In 1888 she was equipped with a triple expansion engine and transferred to the Intermediate service.

She was sold to The Quebec Steam Ship Company of Southampton, a Furness Withy company, in 1897 without a change of name.

Master

From

To

G Larmer

1879

12/1881

H Owen

12/1884


F J Symons

2/1889

6/1889

R Reynolds

4/1890

6/1893

W H Smyth

8/1893

6/1895

G W Armstrong

7/1895

2/1896

J W Hague

6/1896

2/1897

Vessel

Built

Tonnage

Official No

Ship Builder

Engine Builder

Engine Type

HP

Screws

Pretoria

1878

3199

76844

Wm Denny

Dumbarton

Wm Denny

Dumbarton

Compound Steam

500 NHP

1

Career Summary

In 1902, following a fire, she was abandoned at sea but subsequently salvaged and repaired.

Sold to Khedivial Mail & Graving Dock Steam Ship Co. in 1907 she was renamed Saidieh.

On 1st June 1915 she was torpedoed by U-6 6 miles north east of the Elbow buoy in the English Channel with the loss of 8 lives.

Pretoria

SDQP

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