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British shipping companies (C)

Last modified: 2021-05-29 by rob raeside
Keywords: clyde-mallory | lion (red) | lighthouse | csc | clan line | clarkson | clyde shipping co. |
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• Clan Line Steamers
  • Commodore
• Clanrye Steamship Co., Ltd.
• Clapham Steamship Co., Ltd.
• Clark & Service
• H. Clarkson & Co., Ltd.
• Clarksons Shipbrokers
• Claymore Shipping Company, Limited
• Cleethorpes Steam Trawling Co, Ltd.
• Cleeves Anthracite Collieries, Ltd
• Clevedon Steam Fishing Co., Ltd.
• Clyde Marine Services
• Clyde Shipping Company

• House flags of British shipping companies
• House flags of shipping companies
• United Kingdom

Clan Line Steamers

(Cayzer, Irvine & Co., Ltd.)

by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, "the house flag of Clan Line Steamers Ltd (Cayzer, Irvine & Co., Ltd), London and Glasgow. A rectangular red flag bearing a white diamond with a red rampant diamond in the centre. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting with a linen hoist. It is machine sewn and the design is printed. A rope and two Inglefield clips is attached.

The shipping line was founded in 1878 by Charles Cayzer to run direct passenger steam services between Bombay and the UK via the Suez Canal as Cayzer, Irvine & Co., Liverpool. The company vessels all had names with the prefix 'Clan'. Services were extended to South Africa in 1881 and in the same year the company opened a larger office in Glasgow. Clan Line Steamers Ltd was launched in 1890 and the company extended its routes in the Persian Gulf and to North America - it was by now also carrying cargo. Cayzer Irvine & Co. was incorporated in 1907 but remained in the hands of the Cayzer family.

After the death of Charles Cayzer in 1916, the business was continued by his sons. By the late 1930s it was the biggest cargo carrying concern in the world. The fleet inevitably sustained losses in both world wars. The Thompson Steam Shipping Co. was acquired in 1952. The company changed over to motor ships in the 1950s. With the advent of containerization, the company ran down the shipping side of the business in the early 1980s, having diversified into other business ventures. 'Clan Macgregor' made the final Clan Line voyage in 1981."
Jarig Bakker, 9 August 2004

Larousse Commercial Illustré (1930) shows Clan Line, London: red, a white diamond with a red lion rampant. The diamond's points are about one fifth of flag height away from the flag's edges. The illustration here shows a smaller diamond.
Evans (1959) in 'The Observer's Book of Flags' mentions on p. 188 the "*Clan Line*, whose ships also wear Jacks displaying the respective tartans after which they have been named". Compare, however, with G.H. Watt's comments under 'British and Commonwealth Shipping Co., Ltd.' In any case both agree on a very large diamond, Evans by showing one and Watt in his comments. A similar version here: http://www.merseysideviews.com/Merchant%20Vessels/Clan/index.htm
Jan Mertens, 28 May 2004

image by Ivan Sache, 27 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#804, p. 75) with a broader lozenge and a bigger lion.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/40/
Ivan Sache, 27 April 2021

Commodore

image by Russell Crowe, 30 March 2014

I purchased a very old ensign flag and all that is written on it is "commodore", it is very well made and very old and smells very musty. I purchased it on the south coast near Portsmouth in the UK.
Russell Crowe, 30 March 2014

This flag has the same pattern as the Clan Line. Could it be swallow-tailed to indicate a commodore, if shipping lines have commodores?
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 18 February 2016

Clanrye Steamship Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
Clanrye Steamship Co., Ltd. (#446, p. 58), a Newry-based company as white with a red "C".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#23
Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Clapham Steamship Co., Ltd

image by Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Clapham Steamship Co., Ltd. (Henry Clapham & Co.) (#887, p. 79), a Newcastle-based company, as swallow-tailed, red with the white letters "H.C & C°.".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/44/
Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021

Clark & Service

(Ardan Steamship Co., Ltd)

image by Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
Clark & Service (Ardan Steamship Co., Ltd) (#172, p. 45), a Glasgow-based company, as blue with a white lozenge inscribing a red key placed in bend.

https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#10
Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021

H. Clarkson & Co. Ltd. The flag, as shown by Stewart 1963 and Loughran 1979 is blue with a white saltire surmounted by a red shield edged white and bearing a yellow "C" [see below].
Neale Rosanoski, 15 June 2004

Clarksons was established in the 19th century during the era of sailing ships. Its rise began, when the company became exclusive broker for ESSO/Standard Oil Co.
Description of new flag:
It is a 43-stripes flag with alternating dark blue (B+) and white horizontal stripes. Furthermore the flag is divided by a white saltire superimposed by a right rectangle which contains a white, serifed capital “C”. Though the stripes might be all of equal width, sometimes it seems, that the blue stripes are slightly wider.
Source: I spotted this flag on 12 April 2009 at Johannisbollwerk in Hamburg on top of the company’s HQ.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 15 May 2009

by Rob Raeside

From http://www.clarksons.co.uk/history.html, "Since its foundation in 1852 the Clarkson PLC Group ("Clarksons") has grown into one of the world’s largest shipping services groups, employing nearly 300 people including 200 in London.
(.....)
In recent years the group has expanded from its ship-broking origins into a fully integrated shipping services provider covering such activities as research and consultancy, shipping publications, the provision of shipping finance, ship valuations and ship owning activities."

A photo of an actual flag turned up on e-bay in 2005, showing slight difference from the rendering above. I think I've seen the multi-striped flag on the net before, but nowadays the firm's website shows another variant.
Jan Mertens, 11 July 2005

Claymore Shipping Company, Limited

Based on Wedge 1926 Claymore Shipping Company, Limited, Cardiff - a red burgee; in the center a blue sword (?) passing through white letters "CSC".
Jarig Bakker, 13 December 2004

Cleethorpes Steam Trawling Co, Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Cleethorpes Steam Trawling Co, Ltd. (#1690, p. 117), a Grimsby-based fishing company, as red, charged in the center with a disc inscribing three owls.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#82
Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

Cleeves Anthracite Collieries, Ltd.

by Jarig Bakker

Cleeves Anthracite Collieries, Limited, Cardiff - white flag, blue "C.W.V."
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies [Wedge 1926]
Jarig Bakker, 20 February 2005

Cleeves Anthracite Collieries Ltd. Full name Cleeves' Western Vallies Anthracite Collieries Ltd. hence the initials. Became shipowners in 1916 being taken in 1927 by Amalgamated Anthracite Collieries Ltd.
Neale Rosanoski, 14 April 2005

Clevedon Steam Fishing Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Clevedon Steam Fishing Co., Ltd. (#1723, p. 119), a Fleetwood-based shipping company, as white with two blue horizontal stripes at the top and the bottom of the flag, in the center, a red "C".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#84
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Clyde Marine Services

image by Rob Raeside, 6 June 2011

Clyde Marine Services Ltd of Greenock, on the namesake river leading to Glasgow, is a maritime service provider. Website, showing the house flag – a pennant, really: http://www.clyde-marine.net.

Quoting from the ‘About Us’ section (upper menu):
“The company was established in 1913 to provide a 24 hour reliable, efficient and all-weather ship/shore service for the many shipping and shipbuilding industries based upon or visiting the Clyde for ship trials. (...) Four generations of Munro family have steadily directed and expanded the business into tugs, ferries, passenger tenders, charter cruise vessels, and provide the vital harbour services of boatmen and riggers. Our fleet of vessels provide mooring, boarding and towing services around the clock, assisting ship movements within the Clyde area. The main focus of operations covers the river from Glasgow to the Firth of Clyde although contracts frequently extend to the islands, lochs and harbours on the West Coast of Scotland."

CMS operates six harbour and two coastal tugs, five personnel tenders of various sizes, and four mooring launches – see ‘Our Fleet & Equipment’ (upper menu) for additional details.

The house pennant is divided per saltire: black (hoist), yellow (top), blue (fly), and red (bottom).

This pennant is prominently shown over the site and is also painted on some vessels.
Jan Mertens, 22 May 2011

Clyde Shipping Company

by Jarig Bakker

A blue pennon with a lighthouse to hoist and the letters CSC in one line to fly. The lighthouse and letters appear to be white.
James Dignan, 15 October 2003

image by Eugene Ipavec, 10 August 2008, with Scottish lion by Graham Bartram, and Maid of Erin by António Martins-Tuválkin

image by Eugene Ipavec, 10 August 2008, with Scottish lion by Graham Bartram, and Maid of Erin by António Martins-Tuválkin

Clyde Shipping Co. Dating from 1815 it originally used a double pennant of [1] yellow edged red except at hoist and bearing a red lion rampant and [2] green edged red except at hoist and bearing a yellow Irish harp though some sources do not show the edgings. The change to the blue pennant with lighthouse and letters is noted by Brown 1926 onwards whilst Brown 1982 and 1995 show it without any lettering indicating a change towards the end of its shipping interests which became towage only which was acquired by Cory Towage in 1995. By 1998 the company had become Clyde Marine plc and today is mainly involved in manufacturing gear for leisure marine craft.
Neale Rosanoski, 14 April 2005

"Flags and Funnels of the British and Commonwealth Merchant Fleets" shows this flag.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 16 June 2006

Two merchants from Glasgow and Greenock formed the Clyde Shipping Co in 1815. The company acquired two paddle steamers, "Industry" and "Trusty", to sail the river Clyde as luggage boats and lighter tugs. In 1856, the partnership was dissolved and sold to a new partnership formed mainly of the Kidston family, who were ship owners and steel stockholders in Glasgow. The new firm acquired several new vessels including two tugs, "Flying Childers" and the "Duke of Northumberland", and two coasters, "Vivandiere" and "Killarney". With the latter, a regular service to Ireland was initiated and soon after the firm sold its luggage boats to the previous firm's agent and manager in Port Glasgow, James Steel, who went on to form Steel & Bennie, tug owners. An additional partnership was formed in 1856 under the name of the Glasgow Screw Steamship Co to manage the growing Scotland-Ireland coasting trade and the two companies operated under virtually the same management. By 1880, the companies owned 14 tugs and 10 coastal steamers and by this point the board of directors of each company was identical. In 1881 a new partnership agreement was drawn up to amalgamate the interests of the two companies under the name of the Clyde Shipping Co .

Between 1867 and 1886 the company acquired the towage businesses of the River Towing Co, Greenock, in 1867; Port Glasgow Towing Co, in 1880; Glasgow Screw Tug Co, in 1881; Queenstown Towing Co Ltd, Cobh, Ireland, in 1886 ; and M Langlands & Sons' Clyde-Plymouth interest in 1886. In 1884, the company began regular runs to London.
In 1893, it assumed limited liability as Clyde Shipping Co Ltd with a capital of £500,000 and George Jardine Kidston as chairman and James Cuthbert as managing director. At this time, the company was operating 15 coasters and 25 tugs. It also had 2 deep-sea tramps that dealt with foreign trade, often with islands in the Pacific Ocean.

In 1912 the company purchased the Waterford Steamship Co, and, when the Cork Steamship Co experienced difficulties in the period immediately after Irish partition, it reorganised part of that business as the British & Continental Steamship Co Ltd.
The 1914-1918 World War saw the Government requisition some of the company's fleet for a short period but the majority of the fleet continued in the service of the company; 8 coasters and 6 tramps were lost due to enemy action and its remaining tramp was sold in 1915.
The 1939-1945 World War saw the loss of 2 coasters and 1 tug. During both wars the lives of 200 employees were lost.

In 1944, Clyde Shipping Co Ltd were partly responsible for the formation of London Scottish Lines Ltd, which had evolved through a series of agreements between themselves, London & Edinburgh Shipping Co Ltd, General Steam Navigation Co Ltd and Carron Co, iron masters, to trade between Grangemouth and Leith on the east coast of Scotland and London.
By the mid 1950s, Clyde Shipping Co Ltd had only one vessel that carried passengers on the Liverpool-Waterford service. Since the company's formation it had always carried passengers, mainly between Britain and Ireland. Many of these travellers in the early years were steerage emigrants, but from 1900 onwards they were holiday-makers and carriage conditions were much improved. Following the 1939-1945 World War, the decision was taken to cease the passenger trade except between Liverpool and Ireland and this had ceased by the late 1950s.

The company acquired and managed a number of subsidiary companies from the 1960s onwards. These included Ross & Marshall Ltd, shipowners, established in 1907 in Greenock; Glenlight Shipping Ltd, ship managers, established in Glasgow in 1968 as a subsidiary of Ross & Marshall Ltd and transferred to Clyde Shipping Co Ltd in sometime in the 1970s; Clyde Shipping Tugs Ltd, ship owners, Glasgow, previously Light Shipping Ltd, acquired in 1973; and William Campbell (Port Glasgow) Ltd, coal merchants, established in 1947 and acquired by Ross & Marshall Ltd prior to 1966.

In 1964, the company entered into the Waterford Consortium with Atlantic Steam Navigation Co Ltd, Preston, and George Bell & Co Ltd, Dublin. The consortium was to operate the Preston to Waterford, container service. Clyde Shipping Co Ltd managed the service with the Atlantic Steam Navigation Co Ltd acting as the Preston agents, and George Bell & Co Ltd acting as charting agents. Clyde Shipping Co Ltd also provided the staff at Waterford harbour. The consortium was a success but Clyde Shipping Co Ltd sold its 1/3 share to George Bell & Co Ltd in 1974.
The company was still active in 2002 as a leisure marine group and as part of Clyde Marine plc, holding company and producer of shipping deck equipment and rigging for leisure marine boats and was still based in Carlton Place.

https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/cf7cdedd-0328-3937-b75e-3459cea2f7bd
Jisc Archives Hub

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#243, p. 48), a London-based company, as composed of two pennants each horizontally divided blue-white.
[Double pennant with red borders]
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#13
Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021

British Shipping lines: continued

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