Cunard was formed in 1840 by Samuel Cunard after he decided to start a company that would carry mail from England to the United States. England paid for the costs of this service, since the country wanted a more regular service than the sailing ships of the time could do. Cunard started with four steam ships that made crossings of the Atlantic Ocean once a week. The company became known for its record of good safety–while ships of other companies often sank, killing many people, these sorts of things rarely happened to Cunard.