Allan Line advertising card showing the S/S parisian The Allan Line steamship Circassian Map issued by the Allan Line general agent in Sweden 1869 Allan Line office in Trondheim 1903 Allan Line passenger contract, 1902 Allan Line wharf, Montreal Allan Line advertising card S/S Tunisian The Allan Line steamship Virginian

Information & Advice for Emigrants, 1883 Information & advice for emigrants issued by the Allan Line in 1883. The line was then under contract with the Canadian Government for conveyance of Assisted Passengers. THE "ALLAN" STEAMSHIP CO., IS UNDER CONTRACT WITH THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF ASSISTED PASSENGERS. EMIGRATION TO CANADA. The Dominion of Canada comprises a Territory of 3,528,705 Square Miles. The Population numbers about 4,000,000 souls. The Climate is particularly healthy, the proportion of deaths to the population, according to a recent return, being only 1 in 98, as compared with 1 in 74 in the United States, 1 in 46 in England, 1 in 42 in France, and 1 in 40 in Germany. Nearly 6,000 miles of Railway are already in operation, and 2,000 miles are in course of construction. Extensive additional Canal Works are also in course of construction, affording the prospect of a large demand for NAVVIES, MECHANICS, and LABOURERS. THE ROUTE FROM Great Britain to Canada, Manitoba, AND THE GREAT NORTH-WEST. Passengers bound to any part of CANADA or the GREAT CANADIAN NORTH-WEST should, in the first place, take care to secure their Passage in a Steamer bound direct for QUEBEC or HALIFAX. ALLAN STEAMSHIP COMPANY is under Contract with the Government of Canada for conveyance of the Mails between the two Countries. The splendid Steamers of this Line LEAVE LIVERPOOL TWICE A-WEEK, and afford most eligible conveyance for all classes of Passengers at as Low Rates as by any first-class Line crossing the Atlantic. The voyage to Quebec has distinguished recommendations. From land to land the average passage is not more than six days. Once within the Straits of Belle Isle, ocean travelling is over, and for hundreds of miles the steamer proceeds, first through the Gulf, and then through the magnificent River St. Lawrence. This is an immense advantage. The Quickest Passage on record from Liverpool to Quebec was made in June, 1879, by the "SARDINIAN" of this Line, and is quite an event in the annals of the Atlantic steamship trade. She left Moville at 5 15 P.M. on June 6th, and landed her Mails at Rimouski at noon on the 13th, being 6 days 23 hours and 30 minutes, allowing for difference of time. The passage from Moville to Belle Isle was accomplished in 5 days 20 minutes, and land was only lost sight of for 4 days 19 hours. Every person who has crossed the Atlantic knows how welcome the sight of land is to passengers, even on a voyage of eight or nine days. The journey to any part of the West is easily accomplished by this route, and the traveller can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the River St. Lawrence, Lake Ontario with its famous Thousand Islands, and the Falls of Niagara by the way.

The Allan Line was founded in 1854 as the "Montreal Ocean Steamship Company". The company was later known as the Allan Line after one of its founders, Hugh Allan. In 1891 the company absorbed the State Line (founded 1872). After this the company was often referred to as the Allan & State Line.


The announcement above was printed in a Trondheim newspaper by the Line's agent in 1869. It reads: The steamship Norway and Sweden will maintain a weekly service between this place and England, in the way that Norway will sail from here to Liverpool May 14th and Sweden May 21st, Norway to Newcastle (from Trondheim) on May 28th, and Sweden on June 4th, where after the route will continue in the same order, twice for Liverpool and twice for Newcastle, calling at Bergen to take on passengers.

The Allan Line (Montreal Ocean Steamship Company) opened a route between Norwegian ports and Britain in 1869. For this service they had purchased the S/S Norway and the S/S Sweden. The service was intended as a feeder service for the company's ocean liners departing from Liverpool and Glasgow. The S/S Damascus was also used in the service. The Norwegian route had it's ending point in Trondheim, and the ships took on pyrites from the mines at Ytterøy a little further in the fjord. This was a lucrative trade combined with the transportation of passengers. The company also conveyed passengers of other lines from norway to UK, but this was not always a smooth cooperation. In 1870 there was quite a newspaper campaign between the agent of the Anchor Line and the Allan Line. The company discontinued it's feeder service in 1872, due to the decreasing number of emigrants.


Allan Line announcement 1883:
"The steamers of this line are commanded by navigators of acknowledged ability, who have by long and faithful service proved themselves worthy of the confidence and esteem of their employers, and they are assisted in the navigation of the ships by throughly trained and experienced officers."

Trondheim - Christiansund - Aalesund - Bergen - Newcastle route 1869
Trondheim - Christiansund - Aalesund - Bergen - Leith route 1870
Christiania - Christiansand - Leith route 1870
Trondheim - Christiansund - Aalesund - Bergen - Newcastle route 1871
Trondheim - Christiansund - Aalesund - Bergen - Newcastle route 1872


The picture of the Allan Line office shown to the left was taken in 1903. It showns the exterior of the office of the Allan Line agent in Trondhjem, Richard Solem. This office was located in Søndre gate 25, near the railway station and the Trondheim harbor. Richard Solem was the head agent for the Allan Line in the North of Dovre regions of Norway (and Jemtland in Sweden) from August 1893 till the line was absorbed by CPR in 1917.
The Allan Line was one of the first transatlantic steamship companies to establish a network of agents in Norway. For many years it had a leading position in the transportation of emigrants from Norway to America. Most of the Norwegian emigrants crossing on the Allan Line ships went from Liverpool to Quebec, but there were also a number of Norwegians going on the Glasgow - Boston and New York routes. The company also maintained other routes, but the above mentioned were the most used routes for Norwegians. You will find more information about the routes and agents by searching our Lines and Agents database.

All the emigrants traveling on the Allan Line ships had to travel via UK, the majority via Hull on the Wilson Line ships and from Hull by train to Liverpool. In 1917 the Allan Line was absorbed by the Canadian Pacific Railroad. The Allan Line ships from then of were integrated with the Canadian Pacific Line.



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