The Baltic Triangle - what's Baltic about it?

[julieoapw]

Have you ever thought you knew something then when you sat down and thought about it, realised that you didn't really know much for sure?

I was just about to write a paragraph about the Baltic Triangle when I began to wonder what really gave it its name. I've always thought that Baltic timber yards and shipping lines were based there but now I wonder. Where the timber yards really owned by Baltic companies or just by British ones who imported the wood from Scandinavia? Were there any Scandinavian shipping or fishing companies based there? Or just British ones which traded with the Baltic ports? I seem to remember that the whaling industry was around there - was that controlled by the Scandinavians? I guess I'm wondering if the connection was just through the products that came from the Baltic states (and if so, what were they) or if Baltic companies actually operated from there? I know the Scandinavian church was/is there and I wonder if Scandinavians actually lived in the area or if it was just Baltic seamen who visited the church.

Any help in defining the "Baltic-ness" of the triangle appreciated!

Julie

[PhilipG]

The pub?

[brian daley]

And the docks,a lot of Baltic traders plied those docks carrying the cargoes to and from all of the Baltic countries. Where there are now swish apartments and tourists shops and restaurants there was once merchant ships ,mostly British,that ploughed the northern seas crewed, by men who earned their bread through hard labour. I cannot go to the Albert Dock without recalling the smells and sounds of yesteryear,I'm a sad git really.

[Waterways]

The local Scandinavian Church/seaman's mission may give a clue. Scandinavian ships also were plentiful around those docks. Yes, a lot of trade with the Baltic around there at one time.

[gregs dad]

There was a R M S Baltic which sailed the translantic run from the Liverpool to America from that area of the docks,(Brunswick and Queens) that is why the Coburg pub was originally known as the Translantic hotel,where passengers going to america would stay overnight so I presume they would also stay in the Baltic Fleet. The Baltic was one of the white star line`s largest ships

[Waterways]

Originally Posted by gregs dad

There was a R M S Baltic which sailed the translantic run from the Liverpool to America from that area of the docks,(Brunswick and Queens) that is why the Coburg pub was originally known as the Translantic hotel,where passengers going to america would stay overnight so I presume they would also stay in the Baltic Fleet. The Baltic was one of the white star line`s largest ships

It was the largest ship in the world until SS Kaiserin Auguste Victoria in 1905, which then was eclipsed by RMS Lusitania in 1907. It would have to enter via the Brunswick river locks as the ship was quite long and doing 90 degree turns in the docks would have been difficult to impossible.

[julieoapw]

Thanks guys, interesting replies. The R M S Baltic doesn't seem to have any particular reason for being so named as far as I can find out, other than that all White Star ships ended in -ic. It seems she warned the Titanic of ice ahead before she sank. Ended up scrapped in Osaka - sad.
There seems to have been lots of Scandinavian ships and trade in the area and the surrounding docks - still not too sure if any of the Scandinavians owned any companies, offices etc.on land or whether it was just goods they supplied. I know timber came from the Baltic states and I think we took over coal to them. Not sure if I imagined this, but had a feeling that they also bought over fish oils, whalemeat etc. Surprisingly hard to find out much on Baltic Triangle. Other areas of Liverpool bring up tons of information on-line but not BT. If they succeed in renaming it the "Independent Artists Quarter," I expect there'll be even less!

[Waterways]

It was mainly just trade. The Scandinavians didn't own too much. They had shipping offices, etc. The docks along there in turn dealt with wood imports, so a large Baltic trade. Yes, fish and whale oils were imported by the Scandinavians.

Greenland St was where the short lived Liverpool whaling fleet was based - around the Coburg Dock.

[julieoapw]

Thanks Waterways. I should have realised from the name of the street.

[quincyg]

Originally Posted by gregs dad

There was a R M S Baltic which sailed the translantic run from the Liverpool to America from that area of the docks,(Brunswick and Queens) that is why the Coburg pub was originally known as the Translantic hotel,where passengers going to america would stay overnight so I presume they would also stay in the Baltic Fleet. The Baltic was one of the white star line`s largest ships

found out the other day one of my gt uncles was a steward on The Baltic in the 1920's. he also served on the Mauritania and Scythia.