View source for RMS Cedric

{{Short description|British transatlantic liner}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = RMS Cedric at Sea.jpg
| Ship caption = RMS ''Cedric'' at sea in 1903<ref>{{Cite web |title=Photograph of Cedric, White Star Line |url=https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/photograph-of-cedric-white-star-line-0 |access-date=2022-06-19 |website=National Museums Liverpool}}</ref>
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = 
| Ship name = RMS ''Cedric''
| Ship owner = 
| Ship country = United Kingdom
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|government}}
| Ship operator = [[White Star Line]]
| Ship registry = [[Port of Liverpool|Liverpool]]
| Ship route = Liverpool – New York
| Ship ordered = 
| Ship builder = [[Harland & Wolff]], [[Belfast]]
| Ship original cost = 
| Ship yard number = 337
| Ship laid down = 
| Ship launched = 21 August 1902
| Ship completed = 31 January 1903
| Ship christened = 
| Ship acquired = 
| Ship maiden voyage = 11 February 1903
| Ship in service = 
| Ship out of service = 1931
| Ship identification = *UK [[official number]] 115354
*[[code letters]] TSVB
*{{ICS|Tango}}{{ICS|Sierra}}{{ICS|Victor}}{{ICS|Bravo}}
*by 1913: [[Maritime call sign|call sign]] MDC{{sfn|The Marconi Press Agency Ltd|1913|p=248}}
| Ship fate = [[Ship breaking|scrapped]] in 1932
| Ship notes = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship class = [[Big Four (White Star Line)|Big-Four class]]
| Ship tonnage = {{GRT|21073}}, {{NRT|13520}}
| Ship displacement = 
| Ship length = *{{cvt|700|ft|1|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|overall]]
*{{cvt|680.9|ft|abbr=on}} registered
| Ship beam = {{cvt|75.3|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught = 
| Ship depth = {{cvt|44.1|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship decks = 4
| Ship power = 1,524 [[Horsepower#Nominal horsepower|NHP]]; {{convert|14000|ihp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = *Two four-cylinder [[quadruple expansion]] reciprocating steam engines:
*Two screws
| Ship speed = {{convert|17|kn|mph km/h|lk=in|abbr=on}}
| Ship capacity = As built: 2,875 passengers (365 first, 160 second, 2,350 third)
| Ship crew = 486 officers and crew
| Ship notes = Ship colours: black hull with gold line, red boot-topping, upper works white, funnels: White Star Buff
}}
|}

'''RMS ''Cedric''''' was an [[ocean liner]] owned by the [[White Star Line]]. She was the second of a quartet of ships over 20,000 tons, dubbed the [[Big Four (White Star Line)|Big Four]], and was the largest vessel in the world at the time of her entering service. Her career, peppered with collisions and minor incidents, took place mainly on the route from [[Liverpool]] to [[New York City|New York]].

Requisitioned as an auxiliary cruiser in World War I, ''Cedric'' carried out patrol missions until 1916, but her large size was detrimental to her assigned role. She was then transformed into a troop transport and transported soldiers from [[Kingdom of Egypt|Egypt]] and [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]], then from the United States in the direction of the European fronts. She then resumed civilian service in 1919.

In the 1920s ''Cedric'' faced competition from increasingly modern ships. After having been refitted several times to adapt to new clienteles, she was withdrawn from service in 1931 and scrapped the following year.

==Construction and early career==
[[File:Britannic (13603625213).jpg|thumb|left|''Cedric'' shortly after her launch. {{SS|Britannic|1874|6}} is seen laid up alongside her.]]
At the end of the 19th century, White Star Line decided to build large ships at moderate speed, in order to take advantage of the area of comfort and regularity while achieving fuel economy. The first unit of series known as the "[[Big Four (White Star Line)|Big Four]]" entered service in 1901, {{RMS|Celtic|1901|6}}. A second ship built on the same model was already under construction: ''Cedric''.<ref name=RA89>{{harvnb|Anderson|1964|p=89}}</ref> Built by [[Harland & Wolff]] in Belfast as yard number 337,<ref name=DH57>{{harvnb|Haws|1990|p=57}}</ref> she was launched in Belfast on 21 August 1902, in a private ceremony whose guests included [[William Pirrie, 1st Viscount Pirrie|William Pirrie]], the chairman of Harland & Wolff and [[Bruce Ismay]], chairman of White Star Line.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Launch of the Cedric|date=22 August 1902 |page=5 |issue=36853}}</ref> A month later, a third liner was laid down, the {{RMS|Baltic|1903|2}}.<ref name=RA89/>

==Characteristics==
In 1901, at {{GRT|20904}} and {{NRT|13449}}, {{RMS|Celtic|1901|6}} was the first liner to surpass the size record set in 1860 by {{SS|Great Eastern}}.<ref>{{harvnb|de Kerbrech|2009|p=94}}</ref> ''Cedric''{{'}}s profile and dimensions were similar to ''Celtic''{{'}}s. Her lengths were {{cvt|700|ft|1|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|overall]] and {{cvt|680.9|ft|abbr=on}} registered. Her beam was {{cvt|75.3|ft|abbr=on}} and her depth was {{cvt|44.1|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref name=MNL>{{Cite book |year=1904 |title=Mercantile Navy List |place=London |page=72 |via=Crew List Index Project |url= https://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/viewimages?year=1903&name=Cedric&steamsail=Steam&year=1904+&submit=enter}}</ref> But ''Cedric'' had a few more cabins,<ref name=DH57/> which increased her gross tonnage to 21,073 and her net tonnage to 13,520.<ref name=MNL/> ''Cedric'' had two chamois-colored funnels with a black cuff, the hull being black enhanced by a white superstructure (colors displayed by all the company's ships). The funnels were surrounded by four masts which only served to support the lookout's nest (on the front mast) and the cables of the wireless telegraphy.<ref>{{harvnb|Haws|1990|p=56}}</ref>

Internally, ''Cedric'' was filled with and benefited from many luxury amenities of the time. The ship offered lounge, promenade deck, verandah café, reading and writing lounge decorated with large bay windows, smoking room decorated with stained glass windows and dining room topped with a glass roof. The ship also benefited from her own orchestra.<ref>[https://www.ggarchives.com/OceanTravel/Brochures/WSL-1909-FamousBig4.html ''The famous Big Four of the New York - Liverpool Service - White Star Line - 1909 Brochure''], ''GG Archives''</ref> Finally, comfort was improved by the low extent of the roll. When completed, the ship could accommodate 365 first-class, 160 second-class and 2,350 third-class, for a total capacity of 2,875 passengers.<ref name=RK107/> In 1919, her capacity was reduced and it could carry 347 first-class, 200 second-class and 1,000 third-class passengers. Finally, in 1928, she was again converted to carry 300 cabin class passengers, 385 tourist class, and 530 third-class.<ref name=DH57/>

The ship was propelled by two propellers powered by quadruple expansion machines generating a power of 14,000 horsepowers. She sailed at an average speed of 16 knots, and could reach a maximum speed of 19 knots. At average speed, the engines consumed 260 tonnes of coal per day, which was significantly lower than most of its competitors.<ref>{{harvnb|de Kerbrech|2009|p=96}}</ref> Technically, ''Cedric'' stood out from her sister ships by being equipped with the new Welin-type davits (those which were subsequently fitted to many vessels such as those of the {{sclass|Olympic|ocean liner|1}}s), instead of the swiveling davits.<ref name=RK107/>

==Early career==
[[File:Liverpool Landing Stage, S.S. Cedric.jpg|thumb|Postcard of ''Cedric'' at Liverpool, 1903]]
Delivered on 31 January 1903, ''Cedric'' made her maiden voyage on 11 February between [[Liverpool]] and [[New York City]]; and she was then the largest liner ever built. She quickly became popular, and while the company insisted that her name be pronounced “seedric”, the public called her “sed-ric”.<ref name=DH57/> Her entry into service allowed the company to establish a good service from Liverpool departures on Fridays, and to part ways with its thirty-year-old {{SS|Britannic|1874|2}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Eaton|Haas|1989|p=44}}</ref> Throughout her period of service before World War I, ''Cedric'' was mainly used on the route from Liverpool to New York. From 1906, however, she occasionally made cruises between New York and the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] each winter and sometimes also between January and March.<ref name=DH57/>

Incidents punctuated the start of the ship's career. On 15 March 1905, when a measles epidemic raged aboard, she was caught in a storm that damaged her, took her bell, shook the furniture, causing panic among passengers.<ref>{{harvnb|Eaton|Haas|1989|p=72}}</ref> In 1910, the ship also suffered a fire at the quayside, but the damage was negligible.<ref>{{harvnb|Eaton|Haas|1989|p=119}}</ref> In April 1912, on the other hand, ''Cedric'' was involved in the events following [[sinking of the Titanic|''Titanic''{{'}}s disaster]]. The president of the White Star, Bruce Ismay, asked that the liner be detained in New York so that the surviving crewmembers of {{ship|2=Titanic}} could return to the United Kingdom sailing on her.<ref name=RK107>{{harvnb|de Kerbrech|2009|p=107}}</ref>

==World War I==
[[File:Ss Cedric, White Star Liner, Lying in the Mersey - with the Ferry-boat 'iris' of Zeebrugge fame, on the left Art.IWMART1042.jpg|thumb|Painting of ''Cedric'' as a [[troopship]], on the [[River Mersey]] in [[World War I]], about 1918]]
At the start of the [[World War I]], ''Cedric'' was one of the ships that were requisitioned and converted into [[Armed merchantman#Armed merchant cruisers|armed merchant cruisers]], along with ''Celtic'', {{RMS| Teutonic|3=2}} and {{RMS|Oceanic|1899|2}}. All were assigned to the [[10th Cruiser Squadron]] and sent to patrol between [[Shetland]] and [[Norway]].<ref>{{harvnb|Anderson|1964|p=124}}</ref> ''Cedric'' was assigned from November 1914 to patrol A, along with ''Teutonic''.<ref name=DH57/>

''Cedric''{{'}}s size made her a poor cruiser. In 1916, she was converted into a troop transport, a task more suited to her size. She first transported troops from Egypt and Palestine, then from the United States after their entry into the war. From 20 April 1917 to 18 March 1919, she served under the Liner Requisition Scheme and transported fuel oil for Royal Navy ships in addition to troops.<ref name=RK108>{{harvnb|de Kerbrech|2009|p=108}}</ref>

On 1 July 1917, ''Cedric'' collided with and sank the French schooner ''Yvonne-Odette'' with the latter losing 24 of her crew. On 29 January 1918, ''Cedric'' collided with and sank the [[Canadian Pacific]] ship ''Montreal'' off Morecambe Bay. ''Montreal'' was taken in tow, but she sank the next day {{convert|14|mi|nmi km|lk=on|abbr=on}} from the Mersey Bar [[lightvessel]].<ref>{{harvnb|Eaton|Haas|1989|p=182}}</ref> On 24 July 1919, while the ship was docked in New York, a fire broke out in her No. 6 hold, prompting the intervention of city firefighters who found themselves trapped with crew members. Other teams of police and firefighters were needed to save the victims and bring the blaze under control, while the damage was estimated at $25,000.<ref>{{harvnb|Eaton|Haas|1989|p=197}}</ref>

==Post-war career==
[[File:SSCedric The American Legion.jpg|thumb|upright|Official Plans, Rates, and Information issued by The American Legion in 1927.]]
''Cedric'' was returned to her owner in September 1919 and refitted by [[Harland & Wolff]]. She was refitted to accommodate 347 first-, 250 second- and 1000 third-class passengers.<ref name=DH57/> Immigration laws in the United States no longer allowed as many third-class passengers to be carried as they did at the turn of the century in a cost-effective manner. From 1919 to 1922, ''Cedric'' served from Southampton, pending the arrival of the new main ships of the fleet, {{RMS|Homeric|1913|2}} and {{RMS|Majestic|1914|2}}. She then resumed her service from Liverpool.<ref name=RK109>{{harvnb|de Kerbrech|2009|p=109}}</ref>

On 30 September 1923, ''Cedric'' collided with [[Cunard Line]]{{'}}s {{RMS|Scythia|3=6}} in [[Queenstown, Ireland|Queenstown]] [[harbour]] in dense [[fog]]. Neither vessel was seriously damaged, but ''Scythia'' needed to return to Liverpool to be repaired.<ref>{{harvnb|Eaton|Haas|1989|p=198}}</ref> On 26 December 1924, she was again the victim of a fire affecting a large shipment of Peruvian cotton aboard; the ship was not damaged, but the cargo was lost.<ref>{{harvnb|Eaton|Haas|1989|p=211}}</ref> Finally, while she was in Boston harbor on 12 September 1926, she struck and severely damaged the river vessel ''Van''.<ref>{{harvnb|Eaton|Haas|1989|p=212}}</ref>

She continued her regular service between Liverpool and New York in the 1920s. In 1928, with new ships entering service, her age began to show and her first class became a "cabin class".<ref name=DH57/> Finally, the arrival in 1930 of {{MV|Britannic|1929|6}} and that of {{MV|Georgic|1931|6}}, scheduled for 1932, sealed her fate. Her last Liverpool–New York voyage commenced on 5 September 1931 and she was sold later the same year, for £22,150 to [[Thos. W. Ward]] and scrapped at [[Inverkeithing]] in 1932.<ref name=RK109/>

==Notable passengers==
The leader of the [[Baháʼí Faith]], [[`Abdu'l-Bahá]], travelled aboard ''Cedric'' from Alexandria, Egypt, leaving on 25 March 1912, travelling via Naples, Italy on 28 March<ref name=mahmud>{{cite book | title = Mahmúd's Diary | last = Mahmúd-i-Zarqání | first = Mírzá | author2 = Mohi Sobhani | publisher = George Ronald | url = http://bahai-library.com/books/mahmud/#monday | year = 1997 }}</ref> and arriving in New York City on 11 April 1912.<ref name="Lacroix">{{cite book | last = Lacroix-Hopson | first = Eliane | author2 = `Abdu'l-Bahá | title = 'Abdu'l-Bahá in New York- The City of the Covenant | publisher = NewVistaDesign | year = 1987 | url = http://bahai-library.com/hopson_abdulbaha_new_york | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131216001528/http://bahai-library.com/hopson_abdulbaha_new_york | archive-date = 16 December 2013 }}</ref> On 5 December 1912 he travelled on ''Celtic'' from New York to Liverpool.<ref>{{cite book | last = Effendi | first = Shoghi | title = God Passes By | url = http://www.bahai.org/r/275688974 | publisher = US Baháʼí Publishing Trust | year = 1979 }}</ref> [[Shoghi Effendi]], as a youth 15 years old, accompanied ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from Egypt, disembarking in Italy.<ref name=mahmud/>
{{clear left}} ''Titanic'' survivor [[Robert Williams Daniel]], a banker who frequently travelled to England on business, returned to New York from Liverpool aboard ''Cedric'', arriving on 4 December 1912 to learn of the death that day of his friend and fellow ''Titanic'' survivor [[Archibald Gracie IV]], whom he was to visit while in New York.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/new-entry-19212.html|title = Came to See Col. Gracie|date = 7 December 2012}}</ref>
Future garment industry trade union leader [[Sidney Hillman]] sailed to the United States (his name was spelled ''Sydney Hilman'' on the passenger manifest) as a steerage passenger on ''Cedric'' from Liverpool in August 1907.

Irish author [[Joseph Murphy (author)|Joseph Murphy]] emigrated to the United States aboard ''Cedric'' in 1922.

==References==

===Notes===
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
*{{cite book |last=Anderson |first=Roy Claude |year=1964 |title=White Star |place=Prescot |publisher=T. Stephenson & Sons Ltd |oclc=3134809}}
*{{cite book |last=de Kerbrech |first=Richard |year=2009 |title=Ships of the White Star Line |place=Shepperton |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |isbn=978-0-7110-3366-5 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Eaton |first1=John |last2=Haas |first2=Charles |year=1989 |title=Falling Star, Misadventures of White Star Line Ships |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |isbn=1-85260-084-5}}
*{{cite book |last=Haws |first=Duncan |year=1990 |title=White Star Line |series=Merchant Fleets |volume=17 |place=Hereford |publisher=TCL Publications |isbn=0-946378-16-9 |oclc=50214776}}
*{{cite book |author=The Marconi Press Agency Ltd |author-link=Marconi Company |year=1913 |title=The Year Book of Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony |place=London |publisher=The St Katherine Press}}

==External links==
*{{cite wikisource |title=Across the Atlantic by Wireless |wslink=St. Nicholas/Volume 40/Number 1/Wireless |series=St. Nicholas |volume=40 |date=November 1912 |pages=46-51}}
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=y3EfAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA168-IA7 "New White Star Line Steamship ''Cedric''"] (''Marine Engineering'', April 1903, pp.&nbsp;165–170, feature article with photographs.)
*[http://www.greatships.net/cedric.html RMS ''Cedric'']
*[https://cabinliners.weebly.com/celtic-cedric.html Cabin Liners: ''Celtic / Cedric Interior Tour'']
*[http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?207531 ''Collision with SV Yvonne-Odette'']

{{Big Four (ocean liners)}}
{{White Star Line ships}}
{{Largest passenger ships}}
{{January 1918 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cedric}}

[[Category:1902 ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1918]]
[[Category:Ocean liners of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Ships built in Belfast]]
[[Category:Ships built by Harland and Wolff]]
[[Category:Ships of the White Star Line]]
[[Category:Steamships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Troop ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:World War I Auxiliary cruisers of the Royal Navy]]