Samuel Cunard was born in 1787 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the son of a carpenter and timber merchant. As a boy, he sold goods on the streets and ran errands, showing an early talent for business. He grew up to build a thriving enterprise in shipping, timber, coal, and whaling, and he won contracts to carry mail between Halifax, Boston, and Newfoundland. By middle age, he was one of the wealthiest men in Halifax.
Cunard saw earlier than most that steam would replace sail on the open ocean. Sailing ships were at the mercy of the wind, and mail could take weeks longer than expected. Cunard believed steamships could run like a railway, leaving and arriving on schedule. In 1839, he won the British government’s contract to carry transatlantic mail by steam. Partnering with engineer Robert Napier and Glasgow shipping men George Burns and David MacIver, he founded the company that would become the Cunard Line.
In July 1840, the steamship Britannia set out from Liverpool, reaching Halifax and then Boston in about two weeks. Cunard’s instructions to his captains put safety above everything, including speed. That discipline paid off. The line became known for its outstanding safety record and dependable schedules, and passengers and governments came to trust the Cunard name. Reliability, repeated voyage after voyage, compounded into one of the most famous brands in ocean travel.
Cunard was made a baronet by Queen Victoria in 1859 and died in London in 1865. The company he founded still sails today.
Samuel Cunard’s story is covered in Deeply Driven Episode #15.
Source Book
Steam Lion : A Biography of Samuel Cunard
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