In 1858 the famous explorer Dr Livingstone came to Birkenhead to view the trials of a small paddle vessel built by Lairds. It was the first vessel ever built in the new material used for shipbuilding., that material being Steel. The vessel named MA ROBERT, the African name for Mrs Livingstone. The MA ROBERT was used for his expedition to the Zambesi in the same year.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
The first programme in a new series called The Last Explorers was shown on BBC-2 last Sunday (January 21). I taped it and have only just watched it – hence this late heads-up.
It’s worth seeing for anyone interested in the history of Laird’s, telling the story of the missionary David Livingstone’s expedition in the Ma Robert - a vessel specially built for him by John Laird at the Birkenhead yard in 1858.
An experimental craft, it was the first steel-hulled paddle-wheel steamer and was shipped to Africa in prefabricated sections in the hold of a larger ship to be assembled on the Zambesi.
However, it was not a success. The Ma Robert drew a draught of only 3ft, but even that proved too deep for some sections of the river. It also turned out to be badly underpowered and was dubbed The Asthmatic.
I seem to remember reading that David Livingstone came to Birkenhead to take delivery of the ship and that Livingstone Street was so named in commemoration of his visit.
The programme, presented by Neil Oliver, does not mention that the ship was built at Laird's.
If anyone wants to catch it, this episode of The Last Explorers can be seen on BBC’s iPlayer until Sunday night.
It's something my husband would love to watch as his Dad worked for many years at Laird's but sadly because we live in USA we wouldn't be able to see it on BBC iplayer. I've never understood why just because you don't live in a country you can't watch something on the internet from there. I've tried to listen to various UK radio stations online too but get the same message all the time saying I can't due to location
The naming of the vessel Ma Robert may have had more to do with Scottish tradition rather than any African influence. It was named in honour of Mary (Livingstone's wife) mother of their first born son 'Robert'.
There's some great info and further photographs on the following link:
The account of the origins of the name of Livingstone's steam launch come from his own writings where he records: "Those who speak this language [Sichuana or Bechuana, now called Tswana] have a curious custom of putting 'Ma' and 'Ra' before the name of the eldest son, and of calling his parents by these newly compounded names respectively. Thus they call Mrs Livingstone Ma-Robert, ie the mother of Robert..."
