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British shipping companies (W)

Last modified: 2021-05-29 by rob raeside
Keywords: shipping lines |
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• G.B. Wadsworth
• Wait & Dodds
• Walford Lines Ltd
• C.H. Walker & Co., Ltd.
• John A. Walker & Co.
• Walker Steam Trawl Fishing Co. Ltd.
• Warbler Shipping Ltd.
• John Warrack & Co.
• George Warren & Co.
• Warrior Steam Fishing Co., Ltd.
• Waterford Steamship Co.
• William Watkins
• J.M. Watson and Co.
• Thomas Watson, Ltd.
• W.A. Watson
• Watson Brothers
• Herbert Watson & Co.
• Watson, Munro & Co.
• Watts, Watts and Co. Ltd.

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

G.B. Wadsworth

image by Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of G.B. Wadsworth (#1729, p. 119), a Goole-based shipping company, as red, charged in the center with a white "W".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#84
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Wait & Dodds

Admiral Nelson Steam Shipping Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Wait & Dodds (Admiral Nelson Steam Shipping Co., Ltd.) (#1827, p. 123), a Newcastle-based shipping company, as white with what appears to be Admiral Nelson's hat.

https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#88
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Walford Lines Ltd.

image located by Jan Mertens, 11 February 2006

A British house flag on a Kennedy, Hunter & Co. (BE) list of agencies - although I don’t know the exact year. The company is listed as Walford Lines Ltd. (London), also called Leopold Walford Shipping Ltd (or even Entente Steamship Ltd). This firm seems to have been active between about 1914 (then called Walford & Co.) and some time after WWII – I’ve found traces of them in 1918-20, 1930-31, and 1945, not counting a Danzig episode you’ll find further (where it is said that the firm was established in 1919). In any case Walford ran a coastal and river shipping business, operating – for instance – a route between London and Dordrecht in the Netherlands. There was also an Agence Maritime Walford in Antwerp (founded in 1902, according to one source, and dissolved in 1919) which was involved in the foundation of the Compagnie Maritime Belge. A short Danzig episode however is well documented. In October 1921 the Norwegian company Bergenske cooperated with Walford Baltic Transports Ltd (1920-1922, founded by Leopold Walford) in establishing the Bergenske & Walford Baltic Transports Ltd, active in shipping wood. The firm’s warehouse was called Bergford, a name derived from the two parent companies and retained when Walford withdrew after only one year of involvement.

Sources (text concerning Danzig, in German, put first):

http://miless.uni-duisburg-essen.de 
http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:2xBDuPKJY5wJ:users.skynet.be
http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:YyJzNrmsqqsJ:users.skynet.be

The above account is not very consistent due to lack of facts; the house flag is rather bewildering as well. It is blue and bears what seems to be a red ground sloping away to the right. On this slope is placed a large red saltire, near the hoist and touching the flag’s upper edge; in the fly above the slope appear red initials W and L.
Jan Mertens, 11 February 2006

  images by Eugene Ipavec, 19 March 2008

The flag shown shown above has "WL" in the fly, but a button provided by Tim Burt, and identified as that of Leopold Walton Shipping Ltd. has an "LW".  It is uncertain which is correct (or both). The red ground sloping away to the right (shown on the button as a semicircle) is probably the curvature of the Earth.
Eugene Ipavec, 7 February 2008

In the 1928 German Flaggenbuch we can see in part II, II. Gruppe: Britisches Reich (i.e. Group II: British Empire), nos. 407 and 408, both
versions of this flag together. LW stands for Leopold Walford Ltd, London whereas LW represents Walford Lines, London.
Jan Mertens, 18 March 2008

C.H. Walker & Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of C.H. Walker & Co., Ltd. (#1314, p. 99), as blue with a white oval inscribing the red letters "CHW".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#64
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

John A. Walker & Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of John A. Walker & Co. (#1625, p. 114), a Glasgow-based shipping company, as white with two blue horizontal stripes at the top and bottom of the flag, respectively, in the center, a red orb ensigned with a red cross.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#79
Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

Walker Steam Trawl Fishing Co. Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

The Walker Steam Trawl Fishing Co. has a fleet of trawlers; they sell their own fish and act as fish-salesmen for other owners both in Aberdeen and at Hull and Grimsby; they have their own net factory and engineering works, and they do their own storing of vessels. In 1943, the managing director was a director of Ellis and McHardy (coal), Isaac Spencer and Co. (Aberdeen) (oil and paint manufacturers and leather merchants and belt and leather hose manufacturers), and the North-Eastern Ice Co.
[Further Studies in industrial Organization. M.P. Fogarty, Ed. 1948]

Several trawlers operated by the company were named for stars: "Star of Orkney", "Star of the Isles", Star of Peace", "Star of Victory", "Star of Devon".

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Walker Steam Trawl Fishing Co. (#1471, p. 107), as yellow with a blue six-pointed star enclosed in a blue ring and charged with a red "W".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#72
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Warbler Shipping Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 15 January 2006

Warbler Shipping Ltd., Lowestoft - horizontal orange - blue - orange flag, in center black "W".
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 15 January 2006

John Warrack & Co.

(Warrack Line)

image by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of John Warrack & Co. (Warrack Line) (#469, p. 59), a Leith-based company, as white with a blue saltire charged in the center with a red lozenge.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#24
Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

George Warren & Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 4 April 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "George Warren & Co. (Liverpool), Ltd." (#174, p. 44), a company based in Liverpool, as red with a white diamond."

The house flag of the company says it all, according to its history reported on the "TheShipsList" website:
"Successor to the White Diamond Line of sailing packets which failed in 1857, they bought up many of their ships and continued the Liverpool - Boston trade as George Warren's Line of Liverpool and Boston Packets. The company started passenger steamship sailings in 1865 as George Warren & Company. They became the White Diamond SS Company in 1898. In 1912, Furness Withy & Company acquired a controlling interest in the company and a new company - George Warren & Company (Liverpool) Limited was formed. In 1922 the name became Warren Line (Liverpool) Limited and in 1934 they took over the Johnston Line and Neptune Steam Navigation Company to form the Johnston-Warren Line. They became known as the Furness-Warren Line in 1947. They sailed mostly Liverpool to Boston, but also made calls at Halifax and Philadelphia."
http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/warren.html
Ivan Sache, 4 April 2008 

Warrior Steam Fishing Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Warrior Steam Fishing Co., Ltd. (#656, p. 68), a North-Shields-based company, as white with a white "W" outlined in red and inscribed in a white ellipse outlined in red.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/33/
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Waterford Steamship Co.

image located by Jan Mertens, 17 July 2010

A Waterford Steamship Co. is listed in 'Flags National and Mercantile...' by James Griffin, Portsmouth 1891, second edition.
White field bearing a red St George's cross, black initials (no serifs) in the corners: "W" and "S" (top hoist and top fly), "S" and  "Co." (bottom hoist and bottom fly - raised "o" above dot).
Jan Mertens, 17 July 2010

William Watkins

image by Eugene Ipavec, 6 February 2009

William Watkins Ltd is a famous British tugboat company which is given excellent coverage on this ‘Thames Tugs’ page. Company history highlights taken from this chapter: founded in 1833 by J.R. Watkins followed by son William. Gradual increase of strength, and consequently range, of tugs finally leading to long distance towing. Additional business included government service (Crimean War, WWI), ferry service, salvage, etc.  Screw propulsion replaces paddles from 1868 on but steam remains. Seventeen tugs prior to WWII, some of them helping in the Dunkirk evacuation. 1950, end date of W. Watkins history proper, sees the formation of Ship Towage (London) Ltd made up of W.W. (bringing in most vessels), Elliott Steam Tug Co., and Gamecock Tugs Ltd. New name London Tugs Ltd after taking over Gaselee and Son Ltd and W.H.J. Alexander Tugs Ltd (aka Sun Tugs) bringing number of tugs up to 36.  Active till 1975 when taken over by Alexandra Towing Ltd, Liverpool.

William Watkins flew a red swallowtail bearing a large white initial ‘W’. The pages following the Thames Tugs history section show it on ‘Anglia’, ‘Liberia’, ‘Monarch’ and ‘Persia’ for instance. Although serifs can sometimes be made out, Thames Tugs – as does the on-line 1912 Lloyds Flags & Funnels – show a sans-serif initial.

On two memorable occasions the company appeared on the world’s cultural scene:
- In 1838 ‘Monarch’ towed the old warship 'Fighting Téméraire' to the breakers, the subject of a well-known painting by Turner: http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/turner/i/temeraire.jpg
http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/work?workNumber=NG524
http://www.svcc.cc.il.us/academics/classes/murray/hum210/terrimt.htm
- Then there is the famous episode of transporting – even if temporary losing – Cleopatra’s Needle, now safe on the Thames Embankment: this happened in 1878.  See:
http://www.modelshipworld.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2902&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=4270&sid=5d21cbca146a6ebe4279fe6cb63e221f
http://www.svcc.cc.il.us/academics/classes/murray/hum210/terrimt.htm
Jan Mertens, 5 February 2009

William Watkins Ltd was founded in 1833 in London by John Rogers Watkins and his son William. Their first tug, "Monarch", was said to be the finest on the river. As the tugs got more sophisticated they began towing ever larger ships across the Channel and with increasing range they sought tows in the outer estuary and further afield. By 1875, "Anglia" carried out tows from St. Helena and Suez, huge distances considering her coal consumption. Watkins proved themselves to be the premier company for ocean towage in this period. They continued to develop and innovate, building their first screw tug, "Era", in 1869 and, by the 1880s, the screw tugs were fast replacing the paddle tugs on the Thames.
At the outbreak of the First World War the British Government made Watkins an advisor on tugs during the conflict, their vessels ranging far and wide from the White Sea to the Gallipoli landings. They were again on the front line during the Second World War, from the Dunkirk evacuation to the ‘D’ Day landings.

https://lightmoor.co.uk/books/william-watkins-limited-londons-first-major-towage-company/B9266
Lightmoor Press

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#693, p. 69).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/34/
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

J.M. Watson and Co.

image by Rob Raeside, 16 January 2008

A poster entitled "Signals Made at Fort George, Halifax", which displays about 60 flags seen in the Port of Halifax, but without a date. Since it contains the modern Nova Scotia flag, which dates from 1929, it must be later than that. On the bottom row is the red-white-blue diagonal tricolour, with an upside-down red star in the white band - attributed to J.M. Watson and Co.
Rob Raeside, 16 January 2008

Thomas Watson, Ltd.

from Stewart and Styring's Flags, Funnels and Hull Colors 1963

W.A. Watson

(Rochester City Steamship Company, Ltd.)

image by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

A Lloyd’s telegram from Great Yarmouth on Wednesday stated that the steamer "Rochester City" of Sunderland has been sunk and one fireman lost. The rest of the crew have been landed. The "Rochester Cit"y, built at Middlesbrough in 1910, was owned by the Rochester City Steamship Company West Sunniside Sunderland. Her gross tonnage was 1,239. The managing owner is Mr W.A. Watson 39 West Sunniside. The "Rochester City" was built for the coal carrying trade between Seaham Harbour and Rochester. The member of the crew who was lost was a fireman named J. Kelly of 9 Fenwick Row of his town.

Seaham Weekly News, 14 August 1914
https://www.facebook.com/GreatWarSeaham/photos/a.277671885771021/871706276367576/?type=3

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of W.A. Watson (Rochester City Steamship Company, Ltd.) (#502, p. 60) as white, charged in the center with a white square diamond bordered in red.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#25
Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Watson Brothers

image by Ivan Sache, 2 April 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "Watson Brothers" (#145, p. 43), a company based in Glasgow
(Scotland), as divided red-white by an ascending diagonal.

Phil Marris gives some details on the Watson Brothers, active in 1860-1928, seemingly named Thomas and Henry J. They originally operated the "Ben Line" but abandoned its title to the "Ben Line Steamer Co Ltd", through amicable settlement, in the early 1900s. A number of their ships sailed regularly to Australia and New Zealand.
http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/GENANZ/1996-12/0851628515
Ivan Sache, 2 April 2008 

Herbert Watson & Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Herbert Watson & Co. (#903, p. 79), a Manchester-based company, as white with a blue border and a red "W".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/44/
Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021

Watson, Munro & Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of J.G. Bright (#654, p. 68), a London-based company, as white with a black horseshoe in the center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/33/
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

from Stewart and Styring's Flags, Funnels and Hull Colors 1963

Watts, Watts & Co. Ltd. Originated as Watts, Ward & Co. with flag shown under this name by LJC 1885 and Griffin 1895. It changed its name in 1896 but in 1894/5 they had formed Britain Steamship Co. Ltd. and it is through them that the fleet was registered. Bibby Line are noted as taking over Britain Steamship in 1967 but it is not clear whether this also involved Watts, Watts & Co. Ltd. as these latter two are still being shown in association by Lloyds Shipowners in 1970.
Neale Rosanoski, 16 February 2004

Britain S.S. Co. (Watts Watts Co. Ltd.), London: Larousse Commercial Illustré (1930) shows a white flag, a blue letter `W' (without serifs) in the centre. Sandy Hook (illustrator for Larousse) draws a somewhat wider `W', taking up about one third of the flag's length.
Jan Mertens, 4 June 2004

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#118, p. 42).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#7
Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021

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