Devitt and Moore


Devitt and Moore was a British shipping company formed by Thomas Henry Devitt and Joseph Moore in 1836. They became shipowners and entered the passenger and cargo trade to Australia managing and owning many clipper ships such as the City of Adelaide and the South Australian. With the advent of steam, they developed a training scheme for cadets and formed Pangbourne College.

Devitt and Moore fleet

In purchasing their first two full-rigged ships from Duncan Dunbar in 1863, Devitt and Moore started their long connection with Australia as shipowners. Over the next fifty-five years until the end of the First World War when they finally conceded to the competition from steamships, at various times the Devitt and Moore fleet comprised twenty-nine square-rigged sailing ships and two steamships carrying passengers, wool, copper and general cargo between Great Britain and Australia. Thomas Henry Devitt's grandson Howson Foulger Devitt went on to establish the insurance broker Devitt Insurance in 1936.
The following list of ships owned by Devitt and Moore was adapted from a book by Captain A G Course.
Vessel NameOriginal RigMaterialBuildersDate BuiltPeriod OwnedGross TonnageNet TonnageLength Overall Breadth Depth
ShipWoodJames Laing, Sunderland18511863-1872967925165.73322.9
ShipWoodJames Laing, Sunderland18551863-18861331-2263522.9
ShipCompositeWilliam Pile, Sunderland18641864-1887791696176.833.218.8
Barque 3-mastedWood-, Sunderland18581864-1868441-128.527.518
Barque 3-mastedWoodG. Gardner, Sunderland18651865-1883465-14228.517.5
ShipWoodSmith, Aberdeen18651865-1880770-17730.618.4
St VincentShipCompositeWilliam Pile & Co., Sunderland18651865-1887892-1903518.9
ShipWoodJames Laing, Sunderland18661866-18871521-23138.222.8
ShipWoodJames Laing, Sunderland18641866-1881925-182.733.921.5
South AustralianShipCompositeWilliam Pile & Co., Sunderland18681868-1887107810492013620.1
ShipCompositeWilliam Pile & Co., Sunderland18681868-18881179112020336.221.5
ShipWoodA. Hall & Co., Aberdeen18601868-187459555017029.118.1
ShipIronWilliam Pile & Co., Sunderland18691871-1881717676187.730.618
Barque 3-mastedIronMcMillan, Dumbarton18691871-1884739698184.629.618
ShipIronJ. & G. Rennie, London18631872-1890848-17732.620
ShipIronW. Hood & Co., Aberdeen18721872-189310641015211.134.821
ShipCompositeA. Hall & Co., Aberdeen18661872-18892130-2724027
RodneyShipIronWilliam Pile & Co., Sunderland18741874-189615191447235.638.422
SteamerIronSamuda, Blackwall, London18731875-18801316-249.732.822.3
ShipIronDenny & Rankin, Dumbarton18651880-1889963-199.233.220.9
ShipIronDobie & Co., Glasgow18811881-190719631887269.140.624
Barque 4-mastedIronTod & McGregor, Glasgow18541882-188322882172330.239.826.7
ShipIronMcMillan, Dumbarton18841884-19041970189027540.223.7
ShipIronR. & H. Green Blackwall, London18751887-190419651857269.840.123.7
ShipSteelNapier, Shanks & Bell, Dumbarton18891889-190021152048286.842.524
ShipIronR. Steele & Co., Port Glasgow18761890-189815851506253.537.622.4
HesperusShipIronR. Steele & Co., Port Glasgow18731890-189918591777262.239.723.5
ShipIronW. Doxford & Son, Pallion Sunderland18671899-1901673655170.629.519.1
Barque 4-mastedIronA. Hall & Co., Aberdeen18821906-191622121994286.241.125.2
Barque 4-mastedSteelA. McMillan & Son, Dumbarton19021910-19182516229830043.224.8
BarquentineIron and teak sheathingRamage & Ferguson, Leith18901919-1921694-19132.117.8
BarquentineCompositeBowdler, Chaffer & Co., Seacombe18741920-1922 did not sail334-17027.513.8

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