Builders: William Allsup, Preston 1873
Propulsion type: Paddle simple diagonal oscillating
Owner: West Cornwall Railway and the Dock Company, Great Western Railway, Joseph Costant, Cosens & Co, Alderney Steam Packet Co.
Service dates: 1873 - 1926
Tonnage: Gross 173
Comments:
Built as Sir Francis Drake and owned originally by the West Cornwall Railway and the Dock Company, this steamer was one of the first to operate passenger tender services to liners lying off Plymouth, when the Millbay Docks were opened in Plymouth. In 1875 she was transferred to the joint ownership of the Great Western Railway, Bristol & Exeter Railway and the South Devon Railway Co. These companies were aborbed into the GWR who renamed her Helper in 1908 when a new Sir Francis Drake was introduced. In 1919 Helper was sold to Cosens & Co for operation out of Weymouth for seasonal excursions to Lulworth Cove and Lyme Bay. During First War used for ferrying service personnel to Portland Naval Base. In 1920 Helper was sold again, this time to the Alderney Steam Packet Co of Guernsey for inter-island excursion work, where she was notable as the last paddle steamer employed on the inter island services. Helper was withdrawn in 1926 and broken up for scrap.
My thanks go to Richard Cox for the use of this lovely picture and to George Robinson for help with the above narrative.