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British shipping companies (S)

Last modified: 2005-07-16 by rob raeside
Keywords: saint line | scottish shire line | scottish tanker co | shaw savill & albion | sheaf steam | shell mex | shell tankers | ship towage | shipwrecked fishermen | silver line | sloan & co | smith | william reardon smith |
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Saint Line Ltd.

Saint Line Ltd. Had its origins with Pollok, Gilmour & Co. of 1804 with their shipping interests in 1861 being placed under Rankin, Gilmour & Co. using a "Saint" nomenclature and operating as the British & Foreign S.S. Co. Ltd. which was replaced in 1919 by the Saint Line Ltd. which continued to operate after Rankin, Gilmour ceased c.1929-1930 shifting from Liverpool to London in 1934 and shortly afterwards coming under Mitchell Cotts & Co. Ltd. [or Mitchell, Cotts & Co. Ltd. as sources differ as to whether "Mitchell" was a 1st or surname] though it is not clear whether this was as owners as well as operators. The two flags shown by Scott are in theory for the manager and the owner.

[Saint Line Ltd. houseflag] by António Martins-Tuvālkin

The blue flag with map of Africa is that of Mitchell, Cotts & Co. Ltd. with the letters being "M" over "C". Although they had a long involvement with shipping this with Saint Line Ltd. is the only recorded use of their flag that I have come across and according to an article in the December 1969 Marine News its use did not occur until well after WW2 keeping in mind that Saint Line ceased as a shipowner in 1962. Mitchell Cotts was itself an international conglomerate based in London with later the UK parent being bought out and the group becoming localized [still operating especially in South Africa and Kenya] with the fate of the flag unknown.

[Saint Line Ltd. houseflag] by António Martins-Tuvālkin

The 2nd flag shown by Scott is that of Rankin, Gilmour & Co. and whilst it is correct in design [give or take a dot after the "G"] it is incorrect in that the company no longer existed but it is possible that Saint Line Ltd. continued to fly it as I have seen this done in a similar case. The Rankin flag itself developed from its forerunner Pollok, Gilmore & Co. white used white with the blue letters "P.G" [see image here] being in the first instance the red-white-red as shown but with the red letters "P.G." although the LJC chart of 1885 shows a 2nd version where all is blue instead of red without explanation, whilst the final version with "R.G." [sources vary as to whether there were dots] is shown by the 1912 books i.e. prior to the formation of Saint Line.
Neale Rosanoski, 15 March 2005

Scottish Shire Line Co.

[Scottish Shire Line Co. houseflag] by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum. 

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, the house flag of Turnbull Martin and Co. Ltd, London. A blue swallow-tailed burgee bearing a white saltire and a red diamond in the centre. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn."
Brown (1951) lists this too as Scottish Shire Line Co. Ltd., London (Turnbull, Martin & Co., London)

Scottish Shire Line. Turnbull Martin & Co. began shipping between UK and New Zealand in 1884 and operated as the Scottish Shire Line (also known as Shire Line), with their ships being so named, from 1893, becoming part of Clan Line in 1918 but continuing to operate independently adopting the Clan Line funnel in the 1930s but retaining its own flag. This lasted probably until the sale of its last ship "Argyllshire" about the mid 1970s with the company name used for a few years more as the registered owner of the "Encounter Bay". According to Talbot-Booth (1942) this flag was flown from the mainmast whilst from 1935 the Clan line flag was flown from the foremast though in his 1944 book he both states this and then elsewhere reverses the order.
Neale Rosanoski, 15 March 2005

Scottish Tanker Co. Ltd.

[Scottish Tanker Co. Ltd. houseflag] by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum. 

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, the house flag of Scottish Tanker Co. Ltd., London. A pale blue rectangular flag with a white saltire. In the centre is a white diamond with a red rampant lion. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. The lion on the flag is printed."
Jarig Bakker, 27 August 2004

 

Shamrock Shipping Company, Limited

[Shamrock Shipping Company, Ltd. houseflag] by Jarig Bakker

Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels [Wedge 1926]

Shamrock Shipping Company, Limited, Larne Harbour - blue burgee, red cross, in the center white "S". Larne is a town just north of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Jarig Bakker, 31 January 2005

Shamrock Shipping Co. Ltd. The company traded from 1897 to 1976. A 1967 book describes a flag of blue with a white "S" so it may have changed towards the end but it is quite possible that the flag has been assumed on the basis of the funnel band as sources up to 1966 were still showing the pennant with cross and "S".
Neale Rosanoski, 17 March 2005

Shaw Savill and Albion Co. Ltd

Shaw Savill and Albion houseflag