Guion

GUION LINE

In July of 1879, Great Britain's Guion Line, or Liverpool & Great Western Steamship Co., Ltd., launched its ``Arizona" which steamed from Queenstown, Ireland to New York City, New York in approximately seven days and ten hours--a new world record. This trip surpassed the records set by White Star's ``Britannic" and ``Germanic" times, as well as Inman's ``City of Berlin". Later that year, ``Arizona" hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic but did not sink. The ship docked at St. Johns, Newfoundland where it was repaired and soon put back into service.

Below are two advertisements showing ticket rates aboard Guion steamers in February 1875 and January 1880. Steerage ticket prices from Queenstown to New York increased from $18 to $26, nearly forty-five percent.




The advertisement to the right, dated 10 January 1880, testifies to the astounding fact that ``Arizona" was indeed fully operational a mere three months after a collision with an iceberg had demolished its bow.

Below are portions of Guion Line ticket Number 1820, signed and dated by Ticket Agent Gibson from Guion & Co.'s British offices in Liverpool.

The name/s of the passenger/s traveling to New York are not listed but the ticket is dated 1860.

Below is Prepaid Notification Certificate. Emigrants received prepaid certificates from relations in the United States along with the Prepaid Notification Certificate that is displayed below. Emigrants consulted a schedule of sailings, chose a vessel and departure date, then mailed the Prepaid Notification Certificate to the liner's office alerting the agent to the booking. Prepaid certificates were issued by passenger steamship lines and could include a return trip or any necessary railroad fares.

To the left is a receipt for passage on a Guion steamer, dated 25 January 1868. The tickets are for five adults and one child, totaling $126.50--obviously steerage rate. They were paid for by Bridget Kelly, yet this name does not appear on the list of those scheduled to travel. Though it is not known where the tickets were sold and what was the destination of the Kelly family, it is highly possible that Bridget Kelly bought them in order to bring the rest of her family to America.

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