SS Derbyshire (1897)

The SS Derbyshire (1897) was a British passenger and cargo steamship built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast for the Bibby Line. Launched in 1897, she primarily operated on routes between the United Kingdom and the Far East, particularly Rangoon, Burma. She was one of a series of similar ships built for Bibby Line service in the late 19th century, designed to carry both passengers and cargo, including textiles and raw materials. The Derbyshire (1897) served in this role for several years, contributing to the trade and transportation networks of the British Empire before being sold out of Bibby Line service. Her subsequent name and ultimate fate are less well-documented, highlighting the commonplace nature of such vessels in that era and the gradual loss of their individual histories as they changed ownership and roles. She should not be confused with the much later and more well-known SS Derbyshire, a much larger bulk carrier which was lost at sea in 1980.