The Belgian Consul Orders Some Wine

April 25th, 1867 stampless folded letter from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Bordeaux, France. Addressed to Messieurs C. Clark & Co., Bordeaux, France. Manuscript "brg Asia" on front. Backstamp Halifax, Nova Scotia AP 25 67. Red oval "PD" (paid to destination) on front. "ANGL./AMB. CALAIS C 7 MAI 67" on front. Additional backstamps Paris 7 MAI 67, Bordeaux, 8 MAI. Manuscript "R(eceived) 8 May, Ansd ___" inside flap. Additional manuscript notation inside second flap "1867, Ch. E. Ronne, Halifax 25 April"

The sender is Christian Emil Marcus Clodsen Ronne, born 15 Apr 1818 in Kristiansand, Vest-Agder, Norway, the son of Marcus Clod Ronne and Friderke Cathrine Schleisnerand. He served as the Belgian consul in Halifax for many years until his death on 20 Jun 1898 (aged 80). He is buried in Camp Hill Cemetery, Halifax. McAlpine’s Halifax City Directory, 1883-1884, lists Christian E Ronne, Belgian Consul, h 11 Annandale.

The letter is addressed to Charles Clark & Co. who were Bordeaux vintners. Château Clarke is a wine property of 54 hectares (130 acres) based in the Listrac-Médoc AOC and classified as Cru Bourgeois. In the 12th century, the Cistercian monks of the Vertheuil Abbey established the first grapevine. The estate would permanently bear Tobie Clarke’s name when, in 1771, the Irish family purchased the land.  The vineyard has only changed hands two more times over the centuries. In 1820, the St. Guirons family bought the property and it remained in their hands until 1973 when Chateau Clarke was purchased by Baron Edmond de Rothschild.

R.M.S. Asia

The letter made the transatlantic trip on the Cunard Line's America class ship "Asia". The America class was the replacement for the Britannia class, the Cunard Line's initial fleet of wooden paddle steamers. Entering service starting in 1848, these six vessels permitted Cunard to double its schedule to weekly departures from Liverpool, with alternating sailings to New York. The new ships were also designed to meet new competition from the United States.

Larger and more powerful than the Britannias they replaced, the initial America quartette proved to be steady performers. In 1849, they averaged 13 days 1 hour to New York via Halifax and 12 days 2 hours homeward. Two upgraded units, Asia and Africa, were ordered for delivery in 1850. However, the new Cunard liners were quickly eclipsed by the Collins Atlantic class in both luxury and speed.

All six Americas had long careers with Cunard. The initial units completed about 100 round trips and Europa lasted in the fleet for nineteen years. The final two ships, Asia and Africa, completed 120 round trip voyages, the record for wooden steamships on the Atlantic route, and were not sold until 1868.

By 1845, steamships carried half of the transatlantic saloon passengers and Cunard dominated this business. While the Great Western Steamship Company failed the next year, Samuel Cunard learned that the United States Congress enacted a subsidy of $400,000 to establish a new American steamship line for the Atlantic passenger trade. At that time, Cunard was receiving a mail subsidy from the Admiralty of £85,000 per year to operate five steamers on a fortnightly service from Liverpool to Halifax and then onto Boston. Cunard argued that to meet the new competition, service must be increased to weekly, with alternative sailings to New York. This required the construction of four new ships that were larger than the Britannia class. The Admiralty agreed and increased the subsidy by £60,000 per year to help finance the expanded venture.

The first four units of the new America class were 60% larger than the original Britannias and 90% more powerful. Coal consumption was 60 tons per day, an increase of 50% from the earlier class. The engines and related machinery cost £50,000 of the total price of £90,000 per ship. Fitted for 140 saloon passengers, accommodations were still sparse. America and Niagara represented additions to the fleet while Europa and Canada replaced Britannia and Acadia, which were then sold to the North German Confederation Navy.

The final two units were commissioned in 1850 and were another 20% larger with 40% more power. Fitted for 10 additional passengers, Asia replaced Caledonia and Africa replaced Hibernia. Asia Took the Blue Riband in May 1850 with a Liverpool–Halifax run of 8 days 14 hours 50 minutes, an average of 12.25 knots (22.69 km/h; 14.10 mph). Asia also remained on the Halifax route during the Crimean War. Gibbs reports that she may have grounded near Cape Race and beached at St Johns in a sinking condition. Asia was sold in 1868 and converted to sail. She was finally broken up in 1883.