Last modified: 2021-05-29 by rob raeside
Keywords: bsl | hb&s | b | bcsn | bk&co | bc | bm | boc |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
image by Jarig Bakker, 25 December 2005
B.T. (Marine) Ltd., Southampton - per white fly diagonal blue over red flag.
Source:
Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 25 December 2005
image by Jarig Bakker, 15 October 2003
Bucknall Steamship Lines, Ltd., (British and Colonial Line) had its seat
in London, with ships able to transport passengers first class from
London to Madeira, Las Palmas, Teneriffa, Kaapstad, Algoabay and Natal.
Source: Brockhaus' Konversations-Lexikon, 14th ed (c. 1907)
Jarig Bakker, 15 October 2003
image by Ivan Sache, 23 April 2021
"Flags and Funnels of the British and
Commonwealth Merchant Fleets" shows this flag with sans-serif letters.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 16 June 2006
Bucknall Steamships Lines, Ltd. was acquired by the Ellerman Group as Ellerman & Bucknall Steamship Co.
Bucknall Steamship Lines Ltd. Originated 1850 with Henry Bucknall & Sons who used a plain red flag with the white letters "H.B&S" according to Reed 11891 though Loughran (1979) shows dots also after the "B" and "S". In 1890 the company split into Bucknall Nephews & Co. (manufacturing interests) and Bucknall Brothers (shipping interests).
The former remained in shipowning until 1910 and used a white flag with a widish red border and red "B" whilst the latter formed the British & Colonial Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.
The British & Colonial Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. flag was blue
with 4 white diamonds dividing the field bearing the red letters "BCSN", this company being reformed in 1900 as Bucknall
Steamship Lines Ltd. with the flag as shown here. After being acquired by
Ellerman Lines in 1908 it changed its name in 1914 to Ellerman & Bucknall
Steamship Co. Ltd.
Neale Rosanoski, 22 March 2004
Ellerman & Bucknal (Steamships) Co Ltd began in 1740 as Henry Bucknall &
Sons, shipowners, London, who traded in cork from Portugal. During the 1850s,
the company decided to purchase a fleet of sailing ships with the primary
objective of transporting their own merchandise. In 1868, the firm began to
replace their sailing ships with steamers but still restricted their activities
to trading between the United Kingdom and Portugal. In 1888 , the firm of
Bucknall Brothers, shipbrokers, was established and in 1890 Bucknall Nephews was
established to take over the ships of the parent firm, Henry Bucknall & Co.
The development of gold and diamond mining in South Africa led the company,
along with a contract with the Netherlands South African Railway, to inaugurate
a regular service to South Africa in 1892. To undertake this service, the
British & Colonial Steam Navigation Co was formed by Bucknall Nephews in 1891
with a fleet of 9 steamersand a passenger service being added in 1895. Various
contracts to transport livestock and goods to South Africa were secured although
goods for the return journey were scarce. As a result, the ships would often
cross from South Africa to Burma to carry rice or undertake charter services to
Australia. Sometimes the ships would call at the Canary Islands to collect
ballast of fruit, potatoes and tomatoes. In 1893, a service carrying mules from
New York to Cape Town, for the Cape Town Tramway system was started and later
extended to India with a full service being inaugurated in 1898, loading for
Canada as well on the return journey.
In 1900, Bucknall Steamship Lines
Ltd was incorporated to acquire the business of the British & Colonial Steam
Navigation Co. The company struggled in its early days due to the price it had
to pay for the assets it acquired and also due to a slump in business following
the Transvaal War in South Africa. It gradually recovered and services were
developed to the Malay Straights, China, the Philippines and Japan; from
Australia to England; also between North America and South and East Africa; the
Mediterranean, Persian Gulf, India, Java, Malaya, the Far East, Australia and
New Zealand.
In 1908, the Bucknall Steamship Lines Ltd found themselves in
difficulty again though overbuilding and it was arranged that the company should
be acquired by Ellerman Lines Ltd, shipowners, London, Scotland. In the early
days of the company the ships bore names distinctly redolent of South Africa and
China, but with the construction of new tonnage these names lapsed and the
"City" system of nomenclature used by the Ellerman group of companies including
the City, Hall and Bucknall fleets was adopted. In 1912, the company's passenger
services were taken over by the Hall and City Lines and in 1914, the company was
renamed Ellerman & Bucknall (Steamships) Co Ltd.
https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/84c41445-6312-34e1-acf1-9eddfd3f31f7
Jisc Archives Hub
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows
the house flag of the Bucknall Steamship Lines, Ltd. (#374, p. 54) as blue with
three lozenges inscribing the red letters "B", "S", and "L", respectively.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#19
Ivan Sache, 23 April 2021
Flag horizontally divided
white-pink-white.
Ivan Sache, 29 February 2004
Bulk Oil Steamship Co. Ltd. Formed in 1921 by James W. Cook & Co. Ltd. with
Talbot-Booth showing under that name. The colour is mauve and is said to be
based on the colours of the Victoria Cross which was won by the founder in WW1.
Not an easy colour for sources to portray so colours do vary between brown and
blue in several cases. The ships were acquired by William Cory & Son in 1958 and
although the company appear to have continued initially, by the mid 1960s they
were absorbed into the Cory fleet.
Neale Rosanoski, 22 March 2004
image by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.
From the website of the National
Maritime Museum, "the house flag of Bullard King and Co., London. A red
rectangular flag with a narrow white cross. In the centre, there is a
white label with the red initials 'BK & Co'. The flag is made of a wool and
synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and
toggle is attached."
Jarig Bakker, 7 August 2004
Founded 1850 and purchased in 1919 by Union Castle.
Phil Nelson, 19 October 2003
The British & Commonwealth Shipping Co.'s
burgee is flown superior to House flag.
Jarig Bakker, 19 October 2003
Bullard, King & Co. Operated as the Natal Line, Natal Line of Steamers and/or
Natal Direct Line. In 1960 its fleet was absorbed into the Springbok Line. Most
sources show a dot under the "o".
Neale Rosanoski, 22 March 2004
Bullard King and Company was founded in 1850 with a fleet of small sailing
ships trading from the Thames to the Mediterranean. In 1879 they introduced the
Natal Direct Line to carry passengers directly to Durban (in those days also
known as Port Natal) with their first steamer, SS ‘Pongola’. Routes were later
added to other East African ports and to Mauritius. In 1889 they commenced
sailings from India to South Africa to carry field labourers for sugar
plantations. The company’s fleet was added to in the early 1900s with the launch
of ‘Umsinga’, ‘Umvolosi’, ‘Umzumbi’ and ‘Umhlali’. About this time the ships
were painted white but this soon gave way to a light grey hull which persisted
until the company's demise in the 1960s. The buff, black-topped funnel with a
central encircling chocolate band was the company's trademark throughout. In
1911 immigration from India was stopped and in 1919 Bullard King & Company was
taken over by the Union Castle Line, although it kept its independent identity
and colours. Their last ships were merged into the Springbok Line in 1960.
https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/181.html
Lloyd's
Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows a similar house flag (#1557, p.
111), with a right-angled rectangle and a dot under the "o".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#76
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021
image by Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021
Burdick & Cook, London; blue, over all a white diamond, charged with red "BC".
Jarig Bakker, 13 December 2004
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag
(#12, p. 37).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#2
Ivan
Sache, 21 April 2021
image by Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Henry
Burdon Jun. & Co.(#10, p. 37), a Poole-based company, as swallow-tailed,
horizontally divided blue-white-blue, charged in the center with a blue "B".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#2
Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021
image by Jarig Bakker after Brown (1951)
White with a blue border. In the centre is a red diamond containing some kind
of plant. Above the diamond and to the hoist is a letter B, below and to the fly
is a letter M (both letters black?) Source: Sampson (1957)
James Dignan, 19 October 2003
Founded 1930, acquired by Louis Dreyfus in 1938.
Phil Nelson, 19 October 2003
Lloyd's description: White edged blue; gold ear of corn on red diamond and BM
in red.
Jarig Bakker, 19 October 2003
Red, white and blue diagonal tricolor; white B, black O, white C. Source: All about Ships & Shipping, 1938
Jarig Bakker, 20 October 2003
A very prominent company in the British oil business. When the first commercial
oil discovery was made in the Middle East in 1908, Burmah provided 97% of the
funding for the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (later British Petroleum).
Phil Nelson, 20 October 2003
The same house flag is shown (#1783, p. 121) in Lloyd's Book of House Flags and
Funnels (1912).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#86
Ivan
Sache, 4 May 2021
Burmah Oil Co. Ltd. (Tankers). They later adopted a white flag bearing what was,
I understand, the petrol-pump sign of a triband panel of red-white-blue, the top
and bottom edges being pointed and the white band bearing the black legend "Burmah". These days their only shipping involvement appears
to be a joint venture with Shell in the 104T tanker "Lady Myrtle" based
Mumbai,
India.
Neale Rosanoski, 22 March 2004Burnett Steamship Co., Ltd.
image
by Ivan Sache, 29 February 2004
The Burnett Steamship Company was
Formed in 1889 with the purchase of a small steamer, the company rapidly
expanded and concentrated initially on the coal trade to London and the near
continent. By 1908 their ships increased in size and routes expanded to cover
the Baltic and Mediterranean. Seven ships were lost to enemy action during the
Great War and by 1918 the fleet consisted of five colliers plus three managed
vessels.
In 1929 Burnetts entered the world wide tramping business with the
delivery of 4,000 ton ships but the shipping slump caused these ships to be
quickly sold. Four ships were lost in World War 2.
In the 1960s the company
was employed in the St Lawrence and Great Lakes trade. An offer for the company
from Federal Commerce & Navigation Ltd of Canada was accepted in 1969 and the
Newcastle company became a subsidiary of the FEDNAV group engaged in UK to
Canada trading. In 1974 Burnett purchased Chapman & Willan Ltd, Newcastle and
their fleet of bulk carriers. FEDNAV sold the last Burnett ship in 1980 which
ended the Burnett involvement in shipowning.
http://www.mariners-list.com/site_pages.php?section=Shipping+Companies&category=English&page_name=Burnett+Steamship+Co
Mariners L
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the
house flag of Burnett Steamship Co., Ltd. (#1057, p. 87), a Newcastle-based
company, as horizontally divided black-yellow-black.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/52/
image by Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021
Burnett Steamship Co. Ltd. Talbot-Booth shows a vertical triband but he is
the only source to do so.
Neale Rosanoski, 22 March 2004
image by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.
From the website of the National
Maritime Museum, "the house flag of Burns and Laird Lines Ltd, Glasgow. A
blue rectangular flag bearing a gold lion rampant, crowned holding a globe.
Originally the house flag of G. & J. Burns Ltd, the similarity to the Cunard
house flag reflects George Burns' early association with Samuel Cunard. The
company livery and house flag went out of use in 1976. The flag is made of a
wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. The
details on the lion are printed. A rope and toggle is attached.
Burns and Laird Lines Ltd was an amalgamation of two old-established Glasgow
companies that had pioneered steam services between Scotland and Ireland. George
Burns had been involved in the development of steam shipping around the British
coast; his brother James remained a provision merchant. Their company was known
as G. & J. Burns from 1842. Alexander Laird was a shipbroker working with
various steam packet companies running from Greenock. From 1868 Alexander A.
Laird & Co. became sole agents for the Glasgow and Londonderry Steam Packet
Company. This became the Glasgow, Dublin and Londonderry Steam Packet Company
Ltd in 1885 also known as the Laird Line, a name formally adopted in 1906.
Laird Lines joined Coast Lines Group in 1919 followed shortly afterwards by G. &
J. Burns Ltd on the death of the founder's son John Burns. The company name, the
Burns & Laird Line was adopted in 1922. The company livery combined the Burns
house flag with Laird's funnel. The Coast Lines Group succumbed to competition
from road transport during the 1960s and was taken over by P&O
in 1971. Coast Lines two Irish Sea services were amalgamated under the name Belfast Steamship Co. Ltd.
The last vestige of Burns and Laird disappeared in 1976."
Jarig Bakker, 8 August 2004
"Flags and Funnels of the British and Commonwealth
Merchant Fleets" shows a more upright lion, like
Cunard's.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 8 June 2006
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#202,
p. 46) for G. & J. Burns, Ltd..
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#11
Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021
image by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021
Henry Burrell (1866-1924) was one of the nine children of William and
Isabella Burrell, and a brother of Sir William Burrell, ship owner and art
collector.
Between 1900 and 1907 he successfully submitted seven patents, all
of which dealt with aspects of ship building. When submitting his patent
applications he described himself as a ship owner.
From 1910-1911 he was
listed as manager of the Straight Back Steamship Company.
https://glasgowbenefactors.com/2017/11/12/the-other-burrell-brothers/
Glasgow's Benefactors, 12 November 2017
The Glasgow tramp shipping firm
of Burrell & Son was well known for its ambitious approach to the trade. Henry
Burrell (1866–1924), younger brother and junior partner in the firm, fell foul
of his older brothers George and William and attempted to establish an
independent business as a ship designer and shipowner. He developed an
innovative new design of bulk carrier known as the straightback steamship. The
Ben Earn of 1909 was not far removed from the bulkers that became dominant in
post Second World War maritime trade. Henry Burrell created the prototype, but
it took people with far greater capital and business skill to realize its true
potential.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0843871418822984
M.
Bellamy. 2019. Sibling rivalry, shipping innovation and litigation: Henry
Burrell and the ‘Straightback Steamship’. The International Journal of Maritime
History 31, 98-119
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows
the house flag of Henry Burrell (#433, p. 57) as white with a red device in the
center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#22
Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels [Wedge 1926]
Burrell & Son, Glasgow - blue swallowtail, white disk with red Maltese cross.
Jarig Bakker, 31 January 2005
Burrell & Son. Operated ships 1866-1921 with most sources for this period
(Reed, Griffin and Lloyds) showing the flag as a tapered swallowtail. The only
support for Wedge is the 1909 Liverpool Journal of Commerce sheet.
Neale Rosanoski, 19 May 2005
image by Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021
The Burrell family was of Northumbrian origin, and grandfather George Burrell
moved to Glasgow in the early 1830s. By 1856-1857 George was established as a
shipping and forwarding agent at Port Dundas, the Glasgow terminus of the Forth
and Clyde Canal. In the following year he was joined by his son (Sir William's
father), and henceforward the firm traded under the name of Burrell and Son.
Initially its shipowning was confined to vessels small enough to transit the
Canal, but in 1866 it took a half-share in an ocean-going steamer and by 1875 a
further six steamers had been built for them. Two bore the prefix "Strath,"
which continued to be used by Burrell and Son throughout the firm's existence.
In 1876, the future 'Sir William' entered the firm at the age of 15, and on
his father's death in 1885 he and his eldest brother George took over the
management. Burrell and Son was already prospering, but under their shrewd
direction it reached a position of international standing in worldwide tramping
and in ship management.
The Burrell brothers undoubtedly had the Midas touch.
George kept abreast of developments in marine engineering while William
specialized in the commercial side. Their fortunes were based on a steady nerve,
foresight and breathtaking boldness. The formula was quite simple. In times of
depression they would order a large number of ships at rock-bottom prices,
calculating that the vessels would be coming off the stocks when the slump was
reaching an end. Burrell and Son was then in a position to attract cargoes
because it had ships available and could undercut its rivals. Then, after
several years of highly profitable trading, the brothers would sell the fleet in
a boom period and lie low until the next slump occurred, at which point the
cycle would begin again. It sounds easy, and Burrell himself described it as
making money like slate-stones, but none of the firms' competitors was bold
enough to take such risks.
The operation was repeated twice on a large
scale. In 1893-1894 twelve new ships were built for the fleet of Burrell and Son
at a time when the industry was in a very depressed state. A few years later,
advantage was taken of the current high prices obtainable for shipping and every
vessel flying the Burrell house flag was sold.
After going into
semi-retirement for several years, in 1905, William and George rocked the
shipping world by ordering no fewer than twenty steamers; a further eight were
delivered in 1909-1910. After a few years of prosperous trading the brothers
once again decided to capitalize on the rise in the market value of ships, a
rise which became dramatic after the outbreak of the First World War.
Between
1913 and 1916 almost the entire fleet was sold, including vessels which were
still on the stocks. With his share of the proceeds shrewdly invested, William
Burrell devoted remainder of his long life to what became an all-consuming
passion, the amassing of a vast art collection.
http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/burrell.shtml
The Ships lists
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
Burrell & Son (#233, p. 48) as tapered swallow-tailed, blue with a white disc
inscribing a red cross patty.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#13
Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021
British Shipping lines: continued