Leonard Bentley
Charing Cross Pier
This is an anonymously published divided back colourised postcard with “Printed at the works in Germany” on the reverse. The view is looking downstream from Hungerford Bridge showing the Hotel Cecil, the Savoy Hotel and Cleopatra’s needle. Also shown is the Thames Steamboat Company’s paddle steamer, “Princess Beatrice” heading downstream from Charing Cross Pier. The paddle steamer was built in 1888 at Jarrow for the River Thames Steamboat Company and was subsequently owned by the Victoria Steamboat Association. It was while it was owned by the VSA that the boat’s Master was summoned to appear before Mr. Kennedy, the Greenwich Magistrate, on Monday 4th April 1892 for overcrowding the vessel. The Master, Thomas Rush appeared before Mr. Kennedy who heard that on 20th March there were 664 passengers on the vessel which was only licensed for 473 persons. At Greenwich Pier Inspector Plummer and two constables of the Metropolitan Police had counted the passengers as they disembarked from the boat. Counsel for Mr. Rush claimed that it was impossible, without the assistance of the Police, to keep people off the boats. Mr. Rush was fined £20.00, with one shilling for each passenger over the licensed number and two shillings costs, a total of £29-12-00.
Charing Cross Pier
This is an anonymously published divided back colourised postcard with “Printed at the works in Germany” on the reverse. The view is looking downstream from Hungerford Bridge showing the Hotel Cecil, the Savoy Hotel and Cleopatra’s needle. Also shown is the Thames Steamboat Company’s paddle steamer, “Princess Beatrice” heading downstream from Charing Cross Pier. The paddle steamer was built in 1888 at Jarrow for the River Thames Steamboat Company and was subsequently owned by the Victoria Steamboat Association. It was while it was owned by the VSA that the boat’s Master was summoned to appear before Mr. Kennedy, the Greenwich Magistrate, on Monday 4th April 1892 for overcrowding the vessel. The Master, Thomas Rush appeared before Mr. Kennedy who heard that on 20th March there were 664 passengers on the vessel which was only licensed for 473 persons. At Greenwich Pier Inspector Plummer and two constables of the Metropolitan Police had counted the passengers as they disembarked from the boat. Counsel for Mr. Rush claimed that it was impossible, without the assistance of the Police, to keep people off the boats. Mr. Rush was fined £20.00, with one shilling for each passenger over the licensed number and two shillings costs, a total of £29-12-00.