PS Scotia (1847)

History
Name	1847–1863: Scotia 1863: General Banks 1863–1864: Fanny and Jenny
Owner	1847–1859: Chester and Holyhead Railway 1859–1861: London and North Western Railway 1861–1864: Unknown
Operator	1847–1858: Chester and Holyhead Railway 1858–1859: Scilly Isles Steam Navigation Company 1859–1861: London and North Western Railway 1861–1864: Unknown
Port of registry
Route	Holyhead-Kingstown
Ordered	January 1847
Builder	Money Wigram, Blackwall Yard
Launched	14 September 1847
Out of service	1864

PS Scotia was a steam paddle passenger vessel that ran between Wales and Ireland from 1847 to 1861, and then became an American Civil War blockade runner. Renamed General Banks, then Fanny and Jenny, she ran agound in February 1864 attempting to reach Wilmington, North Carolina.

History

In January 1847, the Chester & Holyhead Railway Company ordered four steamers, from four different shipbuilders, to commence an Irish Sea service between Holyhead, Anglesey and Kingstown, near Dublin. Scotia was launched by Money Wigram & Sons at their Blackwall Yard, London on 14 September 1847, and engined by Maudslay, Sons and Field of Lambeth.

From 1858 to 1859 she was loaned to the Scilly Isles Steam Navigation Company until their new ship the Little Western was ready.

She was transferred in 1859 to the London & North Western Railway Company.

American Civil War

At Liverpool in December 1861, she was sold as a blockade runner and she made four runs and on the fifth attempting to reach Charleston she was captured by the Federals on 24 October 1862 at Bull's Bay, South Carolina.

By 23 January 1863, she had been sold and was registered at New York as General Banks. By then end of 1863 she had again been sold a number of times and ended up registered at Nassau as Fanny and Jenny.

She made two more runs against the Blockade but was driven ashore by the USS Florida on Wrightsville Beach, Masonboro Inlet, North Carolina on 10 February 1864.