Port of Manchester
Encyclopedia
The Port of Manchester in North West England was created as a customs port on 1 January 1894, four months before the opening of the Manchester Ship Canal
. It extended along the whole 36 miles (57.9 km) length of the canal, from Eastham
in the west to Manchester in the east, absorbing the Port of Runcorn
, which had been created in 1862. The creation of the new port moved the Port of Liverpool
's boundary 11 miles (17.7 km) to the west. The Ship Canal transformed Manchester
from a landlocked city into a major sea port, at its height the third-busiest port in the United Kingdom. Once delivered to the port goods could be transported to other parts of the country such as Leeds
to the east, and up to 100 miles (160.9 km) south as far as Birmingham
.
, claiming the honour of being the first merchant vessel to be registered in the Port of Manchester. Initially, the port struggled to compete with the more established ports, partly because of the inertia of the influential shipping conferences (cartels). In 1908, although Manchester had about 75% of the mule spindles
in the United Kingdom, only 14% of the raw material used in cotton spinning passed through the Port of Manchester. Despite the competition, trade grew steadily. Between 1895 and 1896, 121,336 bales of cotton were imported from America, the main source of cotton; this increased to 377,264 bales in 1907–1908. The Port of Manchester was not the major destination for American cotton in the early 20th century, but it was for Egyptian cotton. In 1907–1908 about half of the cotton used in Lancashire cotton mills passed through the port, about 216,570 bales. In the early-20th century, the main produce travelling through the port was timber, grain, and cotton. The grain trade expanded more than tenfold, increasing from 35000 LT in 1895 to 406000 LT in 1907.
Based on value of import and export trade, between 1904 and 1964 the Port of Manchester was in the top five most important custom ports in the UK for 39 out of the 55 years for which figures exist. The peak year for tonnage was 1959, but the port declined in the 1960s because of the increasing size of ocean going vessels, most of which could not enter the canal.
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
. It extended along the whole 36 miles (57.9 km) length of the canal, from Eastham
Eastham, Merseyside
Eastham is a village and an electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the Wirral Peninsula, to the south of Bromborough...
in the west to Manchester in the east, absorbing the Port of Runcorn
Port of Runcorn
The Port of Runcorn is in the town of Runcorn, Cheshire, England. It is situated to the west of a point where the River Mersey narrows, known as Runcorn Gap. Originally opening directly into the Mersey, with the building of the Manchester Ship Canal, it now links with this canal.-Early...
, which had been created in 1862. The creation of the new port moved the Port of Liverpool
Port of Liverpool
The Port of Liverpool is the name for the enclosed 7.5 mile dock system that runs from Brunswick Dock in Liverpool to Seaforth Dock, Seaforth, on the east side of the River Mersey and the Birkenhead Docks between Birkenhead and Wallasey on the west side of the river...
's boundary 11 miles (17.7 km) to the west. The Ship Canal transformed Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
from a landlocked city into a major sea port, at its height the third-busiest port in the United Kingdom. Once delivered to the port goods could be transported to other parts of the country such as Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
to the east, and up to 100 miles (160.9 km) south as far as Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
History
On 1 January 1894 a steamer owned by the Cooperative Wholesale Society, named the 'Pioneer', unloaded its cargo of sugar from RouenRouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, claiming the honour of being the first merchant vessel to be registered in the Port of Manchester. Initially, the port struggled to compete with the more established ports, partly because of the inertia of the influential shipping conferences (cartels). In 1908, although Manchester had about 75% of the mule spindles
Spinning mule
The spinning mule was a machine used to spin cotton and other fibres in the mills of Lancashire and elsewhere from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century. Mules were worked in pairs by a minder, with the help of two boys: the little piecer and the big or side piecer...
in the United Kingdom, only 14% of the raw material used in cotton spinning passed through the Port of Manchester. Despite the competition, trade grew steadily. Between 1895 and 1896, 121,336 bales of cotton were imported from America, the main source of cotton; this increased to 377,264 bales in 1907–1908. The Port of Manchester was not the major destination for American cotton in the early 20th century, but it was for Egyptian cotton. In 1907–1908 about half of the cotton used in Lancashire cotton mills passed through the port, about 216,570 bales. In the early-20th century, the main produce travelling through the port was timber, grain, and cotton. The grain trade expanded more than tenfold, increasing from 35000 LT in 1895 to 406000 LT in 1907.
Based on value of import and export trade, between 1904 and 1964 the Port of Manchester was in the top five most important custom ports in the UK for 39 out of the 55 years for which figures exist. The peak year for tonnage was 1959, but the port declined in the 1960s because of the increasing size of ocean going vessels, most of which could not enter the canal.