The iron paddle steamer Royal Consort was built by Tod & McGregor at Glasgow in 1844. Registered at 796 tons gross (394 net), she measured 215½ feet in length with a 29 foot beam and whilst her original motive power appears unrecorded, she was later fitted with a 300nhp. oscillating 2-cylinder engine by J. Jack & Co. of Liverpool. Although intended for the new North Lancashire Steam Navigation Company's Fleetwood to Ardrossan service, she was also used on their Fleetwood to Belfast run and, briefly, on her owner's Glasgow to Londonderry route during 1851-52. In the main however, she spent most of her early years operating out of Fleetwood accross the Irish Sea and, towards the end of her career, even set a new record time of 8 hours 9 minutes for the crossing to Belfast. Subsequently sold to A. & B. Stewart of Birkenhead, she was still operating as late as 1889 but disappears from records after 1891, presumably scrapped.