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British shipping companies (L)

A.Y. Laing
Laird Lines Ltd.
Lambert Brothers
W. & K.B. Lamplough
Lamport & Holt Line Ltd.
The Lambton and Hetton Collieries, Ltd.
Lanarkshire Steamship Co., Ltd.
Lancashire & Yorkshire (Goole and Continental service)
Lancashire & Yorkshire North Eastern Railway (Hull & Zeebrugge Service)
Lane & MacAndrew
Lang & Fulton, Ltd.
M. Langlands & Sons
R. Lapthorn & Co. Ltd.
Larne & Stranraer R. M
Larrinaga Steamship Co. Ltd.

See also:

A.Y. Laing

image located by Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of A.Y. Laing (#207, p. 46), a Dundee-based company, as white with a blue border with a blue trident.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#11
Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021

Laird Lines Ltd.

Ayr Steam Shipping Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

The company originated in 1814. Laird Line consisted of the amalgamation of Alex A. Laird and Sons, Thos. Cameron and Co and MacConnell and Laird. In 1885 a limited company was formed known as The Glasgow, Dublin and Londonderry Steam Packet Co. This was abbreviated to Laird Line. The company's fleet in 1903 totaled 12 vessels.

Wreck Site
http://www.wrecksite.eu/ownerbuilderview.aspx?6930

Alexander Laird began as a shipping agent and later made the transition to ship owner. He established a variety of Scottish coastal business and started a service to Dublin in 1826, operating as The Glasgow, Dublin & Londonderry Steam Packet Co. In 1919 the company changed its name to Laird Line.

Scottish Archives
http://195.153.34.9/catalogue/person.aspx?code=NA18929&st=1&

Alexander Laird became agent for the St George Steam Packet Co in 1822 and subsequently for the Mersey & Clyde Steam Navigation Co and the Glasgow & Londonderry Steam Packet Co, firms which provided shipping services to ports on the west coast of Scotland, England and Ireland. He also became a ship owner as a partner in the shipping company, MacConnell & Laird.
Laird's son, also Alexander, became sole partner in MacConnell & Laird and, from 1873, a partner in Alexander A Laird & Co. The firm became popularly known as the Laird Line, and the name was changed officially to Laird Line Ltd in January 1907. The business was acquired by Coast Lines in 1919, and amalgamated with G & J Burns in 1922 to form Burns & Laird Lines.

Glasgow Archives
http://theglasgowstory.com/image.php?inum=TGSA02066&t=2&urltp=search.php%3Fstart%3D640%26end%3D660%26what%3D%26where%3D%7Ccity+centre%26who%3D%26period%3D0%26collection%3D0%26search%3D99

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Laird Lines Ltd., also Ayr-based Ayr Steam Shipping Co., Ltd. (#1837, p. 124), as made as two pennants, the upper white with a blue disk and the lower, longer but thinner, plain blue.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#89
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Lambert Brothers

by James Dignan

Flag image based on Sampson (1957). Company based in based in London.
James Dignan, 8 October 2003

Brown 175: Lambert Bros., Ltd., London
Funnel: Black, on a white band a red equilateral triangle.
Flag: 2:3; white a red equilateral triangle, with a spanning circle of approximately half the flag's depth. James' images appears to be:
Flag: 2:3; white a red isosceles triangle, one-third of the flag in height.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 20 October 2003

Lambert Brothers entered ship owning in 1878 when a small wooden schooner was purchased. With both brothers being members of the Coal Factors Society and being based in the Coal Exchange, London, they built up a fleet of coastal colliers. By 1896 a fleet of ten colliers was operated but in that year Lambert Brothers sold their coal interests and fleet to William Cory and thereafter traded deep sea tramps. At the turn of the century Lambert Brothers Ltd built two tramps the "Agnes" and "Edith".

The Commercial Steamship Co. Ltd was purchased from Young, Ehlers & Co. in 1905 together with four tramp ships, the funnel markings and the house flag of this company was a black, on a white band a red equilateral triangle funnel and the flag was white with a red equilateral triangle, with a spanning circle of approximately half the flag's depth. The Commercial Steamship Co. Ltd had connections with Wm. Ruys and stood at the base of the founding of the Stoomboot Reederij Rotterdamsche Lloyd in 1875, which in its turn led in 1883 to the Rotterdamsche Lloyd.

During World War I a number of small ships were managed for The Shipping Controller. Two ships were lost during that period. After World War I the company ceased for a time having any direct interest in shipowning. In 1923 a substantial shareholding in the Temple Steam Ship Company took place.
The Temple names came from the title of the Temple Steam Ship Company, formed in London in 1921 by Temple, Thomson & Clark, the management of which was taken over by Lamberts Brothers in 1926.
In 1928 five new tramps were delivered with Temple names and the company traded through the depression without laying up any ships.
By 1935 with rising freight rates a fleet expansion programme was started with several new ships building, as well the Dornoch Shipping Company was formed in Glasgow and at the outbreak of war, Lambert Brothers and its subsidiaries operated a fleet of ten tramps. Five ships were lost during the World War II.
The Dornoch Shipping Company was sold to Harrisons (Clyde) Ltd in 1954. Three ships joined the fleet in the 1954-1958, the "Temple Hall", "Temple Lane" and "Temple Main". Lambert Brothers became a subsidiary of the Hill Samuel Group in 1968.

In 1969 Lambert Brothers took delivery of the first of four bulk carriers with Temple names that operated within the Scottish Ship Management fleet, the last four ships, with Scottish Ship Management, were "Temple Arch", "Temple Bar", "Temple Inn" and "Temple Hall" the last of them being sold in 1978. The company then traded as shipping agents and may still do so.

https://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/lambert.shtml
Mariners L

image by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#490, p. 60), but with an equilateral triangle.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#25
Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

W. & E.S. Lamplough

image by Ivan Sache, 22 March 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "W. & E.S. Lamplough" (#68, p. 340), a company based in London, as white with a red border and a white letter "L" bordered blue.
Ivan Sache, 22 March 2008

Lamport & Holt Line Ltd.

image by Phil Nelson, 9 April 2000

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

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#1862, p. 125).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#90
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

The Lambton and Hetton Collieries, Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 27 April 2021

Lambton & Hetton Collieries Ltd was formed in 1911 by the amalgamation of Lambton Collieries Ltd and the Hetton Coal Co Ltd.

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of the Lambton and Hetton Collieries, Ltd.(#815, p. 75), a Newcastle-based company, as black with three horizontal red stripes.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/40/
Ivan Sache, 27 April 2021

Lanarkshire Steamship Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
Lanarkshire Steamship Co., Ltd. (#1391, p. 103), a Glasgow-based company, as yellow with a black diagonal stripe running from the upper hoist to the lower fly.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#68
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

Lancashire & Yorkshire (Goole and Continental service)

The flag is quarterly divided into blue (upper hoist/lower fly) and red(lower hoist/upper fly). In the upper hoist quarter is a white initial “L”, in the lower fly quarter a white initial “Y”. In the centre of the flag is a white cross patty. Source: Lloyds F&F 1912; p.109, image 1521
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 May 2012

LY&R acquired in 1905 the Goole Stem Shipping Co. and its 19 steamers.

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (Goole & Continental Service) (#1521, p. 109), as quartered blue-red with the white letters "L", "Y", "N" and "E" in the respective quarters (see below).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#74
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Lancashire & Yorkshire North Eastern Railway (Hull & Zeebrugge Service)

image by Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (LY&R), operating from 1847 to 1922, was the third-largest railway system based in northern England. It also ran steamboat services across the Irish Sea and the North Sea.
The North Eastern Railway (NER) operated from 1854 to 1922.

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of the Hull-Zeebrugge line jointly operated by the two companies (#1520, p. 109), as quartered blue-red with the white letters "L", "Y", "N" and "E" in the respective quarters.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#74
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Lane & MacAndrew

image by Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Another visitor in 1886 was Fred Lane of the London firm of Lane and Macandrew, the shipbrokers who had imported the country’s first Russian kerosene. It was a one-time affair with Nobel; in subsequent years Lane worked with Nobel’s primary competitors. He worked with so many competitors, in fact, he was sometimes called “Shady Lane”—it often was difficult to discern just whom he was representing in a particular discussion or negotiation. But this blond and burly personable, keenly intelligent individual was as honest as he was capable and he had a great capacity for work and considerable charisma. He was, in fact, the father of the British oil industry, an expert in all phases, especially transportation. It was Lane who arranged for tankers to carry Rothschild oil across the Mediterranean and it was Lane who organized Rothschild’s London Companies and it was Lane who inspired and guided the officials of Shell: finally, it was Lane who worked with Royal Dutch and helped organize British Petroleum Company (BP).
During his 1886 visit he shipped oil from Batum to India. A few cases of Russian kerosene had reached the subcontinent the previous year, but Lane’s cargo was the first important shipment. Two years later the first Russian kerosene arrived in Singapore. In 1890 Lane returned to the Black Sea port, this time with a noted British merchant-trader Marcus Samuel, who was interested in purchasing case oil for sale in the Far East, a market up to that time completely monopolized by Standard Oil. Son of an East End family that had started its struggle for survival by selling small boxes made of varied seashells, Marcus and his brother had accumulated a modest fortune from their trade with the Orient.

Robert V. Tolf, "The Russian Rockfellers: The saga of the Nobel family and the Russian oil industry"
http://vidamaritima.com/2011/02/the-motor-tanker-sebastian/

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Lane & Macandrew (#1846, p. 124) as blue with a white "A" in the center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#89
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Lang & Fulton, Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Lang & Fulton, Ltd. (#1749, p. 120), a Greenock-based shipping company, as vertically divided red-blue with a white six-pointed star in the center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#85
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

M. Langlands & Sons

image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
M. Langlands & Sons (#639, p. 67), a Liverpool and Glasgow-based company, as composed of two triangular pennants, the upper blue with a white saltire at hoist, the lower red with a white cross at hoist.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/32/
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

R. Lapthorn & Co. Ltd.

by Ivan Sache

R. Lapthorn & Co. Ltd. (Rochester, Kent, United Kingdom - http://www.lapthorn.co.uk/index.asp?company) - red-black-red with yellow star.
The company was founded by Tony Lapthorn in November 1951 and is still a family business.
Ivan Sache, 1 November 2003

Line succeeded by Coastal Bulk Shipping.
Jan Mertens, 6 March 2009

Larne & Stranraer R. M

image by António Martins-Tuválkin and Jòan-Francés Blanc, 18 February 2007

Post card collection shows a red triangular flag with a white vertically-stretched lozenge offset to the hoist containing a red hand (Ulster connection) with thumb to the hoist.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 18 February 2007

I presume this company had services between Larne (County Antrim), served by the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (1860-1903), and Stranraer (then in Wigtownshire), served by the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Committee Railway (1885-1903). The Ships List has the statement "The Larne and Stranraer Steamboat Company operated sailings from 1872 and became the Portpatrick & Wigtownshire Joint Committee in 1890." with no mention of the B&NC railway. Both the P&W railway and the successor of the B&NC railway were grouped into the London, Midlands and Scottish railway in 1923.
Jonathan Dixon, 21 February 2007

Larrinaga Steamship 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 the Larrinaga Steamship Co. Ltd., Liverpool. A rectangular white flag with three clasped hands in red in the centre. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. The hands motif is printed. A rope and toggle is attached. The flag is said to represent a hand shake between the three partners confirming the decision to run steam services through the Suez Canal. The design was in use from the 1860s until 1974."

Loughran (1979) writes: "Throughout its life, the company was owned by descendants of its founder, whose sailing ships were registered in Bilbao as far back as 1773. At first, their vessels sailed under the Spanish flag, but the company was Liverpool based from the 1860s. When the Suez Canal was opened, the three partners were uncertain whether to gamble on steam, using the shorter routes through the canal, or play safe and continue in sail. They decided to let the toss of a coin settle the matter, and it came down in favour of building their first steamer, the "Buena Ventura". The partners shook hands on it, and they were shown thus on
their first flag: hands clasped in agreement on the founding of what was one of the longest-lived deepsea tramp shipping companies in steam. For a century, Larrinaga ships wore the houseflag and the banded funnel whose colours were an allusion to their Spanish origins. In 1974, their last vessels were sold, and they were absorbed by the Valiant S.S. Co. Ltd., of the Vergottis Group.
Jarig Bakker, 19 August 2004

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#1092, p. 88).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#53
Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

British Shipping lines: continued