Thomas Henry Ismay was born on 7 January 1837 at Ropery House, Ellenborough, a quiet coastal village near Maryport in Cumberland. The son of the esteemed shipbuilder Joseph Ismay, Thomas's destiny seemed intertwined with the sea from the moment he drew his first breath.

Ellenborough, a small but industrious port, was the perfect backdrop for a future maritime magnate. As the eldest son of a shipbuilder, young Thomas was steeped in the traditions of shipbuilding from an early age. The coastal town, with its salt-kissed air and ships that dotted the horizon, became the crucible where his dreams of the sea and the future of ocean liners would take shape.

It was here, in this tranquil corner of England, that Thomas Henry Ismay’s path to greatness began—an unassuming beginning for the man who would go on to found the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company, more famously known as the White Star Line. This company would not only revolutionize the world of ocean travel but also etch its name forever into history.

At the time of his birth in 1837, Ismay's father (also Thomas) ran a timber, shipbuilding and ship brokers business, and his son learned his future trade watching the comings and goings at the port.

Cliff Ismay1, author and great-grand nephew, recounts: "It was his childhood days in Maryport which inspired his later life. He used to go down to the harbour in all his free time, and knew most of the sailors. They nicknamed him 'baccy Ismay' on account of the tobacco he chewed, even at that young age."

At 16, Ismay left the small coastal town of Maryport to further his education in the world of ships. He apprenticed with the Liverpool shipbrokers Imrie & Tomlinson, a move that set him on a path toward greatness. During his time in Liverpool, he struck up a firm friendship with William Imrie, the son of one of the firm’s partners. It was a friendship that would prove crucial in the years to come, as together they would help shape the future of the White Star Line.

In 1859, at the age of 22, Ismay married Margaret Bruce, and together they had three sons and four daughters—a family that would one day play a significant part in his empire. After his apprenticeship ended, Ismay’s wanderlust took him to South America, where he further honed his business skills and expanded his maritime knowledge. By 1866, he had returned to Liverpool, ready to make his mark on the world.

In a bold move, he acquired a fleet of clipper ships, which sailed to Australia, but Ismay’s ambitions didn’t stop there. He saw the future clearly: the wooden vessels of the past were soon to be replaced by the power and strength of iron. Determined to stay ahead of the curve, Ismay began substituting his wood ships with new, more advanced iron ones, setting the stage for what would eventually become a revolution in the world of ocean travel.

The White Star Line was originally founded in 1845 by Henry Threlfall and John Pilkington. The shipping line operated a fleet of sailing clippers, sailing from Britain to Australia.  

In 1867, disaster struck the shipping world when the Bank of Liverpool collapsed, leaving the White Star Line burdened with a crippling debt of £527,000. The company that had once thrived now teetered on the brink of ruin. Faced with bankruptcy, the White Star Line seemed destined for oblivion.

But Thomas Henry Ismay, ever the visionary, saw an opportunity in the wreckage. On 18 January 1868, he made a bold move, purchasing the house flag, the trade name, and the goodwill of the bankrupt White Star Line—for a mere £1,000. This was not just a business transaction; it was the rebirth of a legacy, and a moment that would change the course of maritime history.

At the time, Ismay’s path crossed with two powerful figures from Liverpool's merchant class: Gustav Christian Schwabe and his nephew, Gustav Wilhelm Wolff. While playing a game of billiards, Schwabe and Wolff offered to help finance Ismay’s new venture—but with one condition: that the ships of the resurrected White Star Line would be built exclusively by Wolff’s shipbuilding company, Harland & Wolff, based in Belfast. Ismay, ever pragmatic, agreed, provided Harland & Wolff wouldn’t build ships for the White Star Line’s fierce rival, Cunard. The stage was set for a partnership that would change the world of transatlantic travel.

Harland & Wolff began constructing liners for White Star in 1869, and quickly delivered six legendary ships from the Oceanic class: Oceanic, Atlantic, Baltic, Republic, Celtic, and Adriatic. Each vessel was a marvel of its time, embodying Ismay’s vision of grandeur and excellence. White Star Line was reborn—not just as a shipping company, but as a symbol of elegance, innovation, and progress.

Ismay’s commitment to his roots remained steadfast. In 1869, although he had moved his family away from Maryport, the connection to his birthplace was never severed. When the clock on the spire of Christ Church in Maryport broke, it was Ismay who donated the funds for a new one. He also financed a beautiful stained glass window in St. Mary’s Church, leaving a lasting mark on the town that had nurtured his ambitions.

In partnership with his friend William Imrie, Ismay founded the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company Limited in 1869, initially focusing on the Australian run—the very trade that White Star’s predecessor had once dominated. But Ismay’s gaze was firmly fixed on the future, and in 1871, the company shifted its focus to the transatlantic route to the United States. This move marked the beginning of a new chapter, one in which the White Star Line would become synonymous with luxury, innovation, and the defining ships of the age.

The White Star Line was born from a proud tradition of clipper ships, its iconic red flag with the white star harkening back to the original fleet that had once commanded the waves. But under Thomas Henry Ismay’s stewardship, the company quickly gained a reputation as a force to be reckoned with. He was no mere businessman—he was a visionary who transformed transatlantic travel. Ismay made it his mission to improve the size, speed, comfort, and safety of his vessels, elevating the White Star Line to new heights. His ships quickly became the gold standard of luxury on the Liverpool to New York route, providing a worthy challenge to the established maritime giants of the day, including Cunard, Guion, and Inman Line.

But it wasn’t just the established companies that Ismay had to contend with. The growing competition from German shipping lines, which sought to dominate the transatlantic trade, pushed Ismay and the White Star Line to build ships that would surpass anything the world had ever seen. The rivalry was fierce, but it spurred Ismay to take bold steps—building not just ships, but the largest and most luxurious liners since the ill-fated Great Eastern had once made headlines in 1888.

The first ship to embody Ismay’s new vision was the Oceanic II, launched on January 14, 1899, built by the famed Harland & Wolff shipyard. As the first of her class, she represented a new era for the White Star Line. No one had witnessed such a ship in years, and Oceanic II was a magnificent sight to behold. With two towering funnels painted in the company’s distinctive buff color, a raised forecastle, a sweeping poop deck, and the sleek, clean lines that had become the hallmark of White Star ships, she cut through the waves with an elegance that made her a symbol of grace and power.

Her size and design were awe-inspiring, rekindling memories of the Great Eastern’s earlier grandeur. Oceanic II was a ship ahead of her time—a floating palace, destined to set the stage for even greater innovations to come. As she slid into the water, she was more than just a ship; she was a statement—an announcement that the White Star Line was here to stay and would continue to push the boundaries of what was possible on the high seas.

• Name: Oceanic (II)

• Vessel Type: Passenger ship

• Official No: 110596

• Builder: Harland & Wolff Ltd, Queen's Island, Belfast

• Yard No: 317

• Laid down: 18 March 1897

• Launched: 14 January 1899

• Handed over: 26 August 1899

• Port & Date of Registry: Liverpool, 19 August 1899

• Owner: Oceanic Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. (White Star Line)

• Length: 705 feet (215 m) long

• Width: 68.3 feet (20.85 m) wide

• Tonnage: 17,274 gross tons

• Power: Two triple-expansion engines turning two propellers at 28,000 horsepower

• Speed: 19.5 knot service

The name decided upon was that of the White Star Line’s pioneer vessel. It was considered good luck to name a new ship after an old reliable one, and the second Oceanic was to be the pride of her company. On August 26, she finished her satisfactory sea trials and left Belfast for Liverpool. Here she would be opened up for the press, as was customary with a new ship. When the media departed the ship was prepared for her maiden voyage; after almost a week the Oceanic left Liverpool for the Americas.

The maiden voyage went off without any mishaps and six days, two hours and thirty-seven minutes after the beginning of her premiere trip Oceanic entered the harbor of New York. She had averaged 19.57 knots, which was perfectly adequate. One problem was discovered however, and that was that the stern of the ship vibrated violently at full power.

The new Oceanic continued her service and held the title of the largest ship in the world throughout the century. On the first year of the new century, when anchored in the Mersey, the Oceanic was struck by lightning and lost the top of her main mast. In April, 1901, the Oceanic was not any longer the largest ship in the world. The White Star Line then launched the Celtic at 21,000 tons. The Celtic was the first ship to surpass the Great Eastern in tonnage as well as length. The same year was to become somewhat sad for the Oceanic in another way as well. In September she accidentally rammed and sank the small Waterford S.S. Co. steamer Kincora in heavy fog just outside Tuskar Rock. Seven people perished as a result of the collision.

Ever since her launch, the Oceanic had patiently waited for her sister, the Olympic, to be born. But after Thomas Ismay had died in 1899, the order was cancelled. This was in order to gather strength to produce what was to be called the ‘Big Four’ class (Celtic, Cedric, Baltic and Adriatic), all over 20,000 tons.

In 1907, the White Star Line changed their main homeport to Southampton, and on May 22, that year Oceanic made her last sailing from Liverpool. The first departure from her new homeport was done twenty-eight days later. Her running mates on the Southampton-New York run were the Teutonic, Majestic and the new Adriatic.

In 1914, war was declared between Britain and Germany, and the Admiralty required merchant vessels to participate in the hostilities. The Oceanic, who had made her last voyage to New York in July, was commissioned as an ‘Armed Merchant Cruiser’. The Admiralty, with no experience in handling such large ships as the Oceanic, appointed the Royal Naval Captain W. F. Slayter to command the ship. As some sort of precaution, Oceanic’s own captain Henry Smith was present on the ship. To have an inexperienced captain proved to be foolish. On September 8, when the Oceanic was three miles off Foula Island (twenty miles west of the Shetland Islands) Captain Smith told Captain Slayter that he had moved the ship too close to land, when trying to pass the island, and was risking to ground her as the current was moving rapidly. Captain Smith was overruled by the naval captain, who insisted on a tight schedule. As a result, the ship was taken off course by Mother Nature and grounded on the Hoevdi Rocks in the Shaalds. Since the people on board the Oceanic were stuck on the ship, help was called for and the small trawler Glenogil came to assist and transferred some 400 men to other ships now present. Attempts to pull the ship off the rocks failed, and two weeks later the sea began to handle the Oceanic badly. She was declared a total loss, and all salvage thoughts were abandoned. No one of the two captains was blamed, but D. Blair, the ship’s navigator, was held responsible for the sad event. After this accident, the Admiralty changed their procedures so that the merchant fleet would have their own captains when in the Admiralty’s service, and that no ship should never have two captains.

Ten years went on, and the Oceanic remained where she had once grounded. Not being in the way for shipping traffic, no one made any moves towards removal. But the vessel was perfect material for scrappers, and in March, 1924, all above the waterline level was removed from the scene. The rest stayed until the 1970s, when work commenced to take away the last remains of the old Oceanic. Not until 1979 was the last worthwhile pieces removed. The Oceanic had finally, after 65 years as a wreck, been laid to rest.

Ismay remained president of White Star Line until 1899, while active control of the firm passed to his son Joseph Bruce Ismay. Shortly after the launch of Oceanic he complained of chest pains. Despite two operations Ismay suffered a heart attack and died at Dawpool near Birkenhead on 23 November 1899 and was buried in the Thurstanton Churchyard2.

During his lifetime he had created a unique partnership with shipbuilders Harland and Wolff, where all White Star Line vessels would be built, and Oceanic was to be joined by many more ships and it soon become one of the most powerful shipping lines in the world.   

Upon his father’s death, J. Bruce Ismay assumed control of the company and the Ismay family were the owners of the line until its sale to J. P. Morgan in 1902. A new chapter began and Ismay eventually oversaw the creation of three luxurious Olympic class cruise liners: Olympic, Titanic and Britannic.

003.1 Thomas Henry Ismay, shipbuilder (January 7, 1837 - November 23,1899). Founder of the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company, more commonly known as the White Star Line.

003.2 Ship No. 317, Oceanic, port stern view immediately prior to launch. Photo by Robert John Welch3 (1859–1936). © Ulster Transport Museum

Video: Launching of the RMS Oceanic on January 14, 1899. The first film of an ocean liner ever taken was only two years prior to this, it is indeed a very interesting and rare find. Along with the fact that it’s nitrate film, which very commonly breaks down into dust, makes this even more rare. Note that Harland & Wolff stopped launching ships with propellers installed as the spinning blades created a violent chop. © Museum of Modern Art.

003.3 RMS Oceanic entering New York harbor circa 1910. White Star Line’s second ‘Oceanic’ (1899–1914 ) intentionally left the race for the Blue Riband4 to others, and set a company standard of aiming for size and comfort instead. Having run aground in 1914, the ship was declared a total loss and was subsequently dismantled on the spot.

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