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image by Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Field
Steamship Co., Ltd. (#1547, p. 110), a Stockton-based shipping company, as a
long blue pennant, in the center a white lozenge charged with a red cross patty.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#75
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021
image by Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of the
Finland-London Steamship Co., Ltd, also Sea Transport Co., Ltd. (Goodworth &
Graham) (#1883, p. 126) as swallow-tailed, blue with a white "M" in the center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#91
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021
James Fisher & Sons plc. A coastal shipping company dating from 1847 and
still operating. Griffin 1895 shows a red flag with a white "F" and then from Lloyds 1904 onwards sources show the addition of a white
panel with a blue "F" placed on it although Harnack
differs by showing
Ivan's version, though with a black "F" pre WW2 with post WW2 sources
from Stewart 1953 onwards showing Ivan's version of white with a red
border and a blue "F" although Brown has a wider border [or a bigger
white panel on red, it depends on one's preference I suppose as to how
such designs are described]. Some sources have shown the letter as
black and these include the later editions of Brown in 1982 and 1995
and this colour fits in with the funnels which nearly all sources show
as having a black "F" on a white funnel band.
Neale Rosanoski, 23 June 2005
image by Jarig Bakker, 29 January 2006
James Fisher & Sons, p.l.c., Barrow-in-Furness - white flag bordered red;
black "F".
Source:
Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 29 January 2006
In recent times there
has been a total change, which can be made out on some ship photos,
with a dark blue field with the logo [see
the company website at
http://www.james-fisher.co.uk/] appearing thereon to form the flag. The only description I have of the bird is that
it is a "seabird".
Neale Rosanoski, 23 June 2005
image by Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021
Originally founded in 1847 in Barrow-in-Furness, the company was started by
James Fisher who created a fleet of ships to transport iron-rich haematite from
the Cumbrian hills to support the Industrial Revolution. By the 1870s Fishers
was the largest coasting fleet in the UK and was moving with the times in the
1880s with the addition of the first steamers to the fleet. Over the decades the
firm not only shipped basic bulk goods, such as stone and grain, around the
coast, but also built up a reputation for handling heavy and abnormal loads –
from railway locomotives and gun mountings for warships to power generators and
shipments for the nuclear industry. Later trade also saw the Fisher fleet
sailing to more distant destinations.
Through these many changes the company
has operated a varied fleet of vessels, latterly focussing on coastal tankships,
heavy lift Ro Ro vessels, nuclear fuel carriers, cableships, and a dive support
vessel. Recent growth has been based on sound management and financial strength.
Since 2001, under the direction of our Chairman Tim Harris, we have steadily
increased the range of marine services which now provide nearly 50% of our
income. We have built on the experience and expertise gained through 150 years
of operating in the marine environment to make the transition from shipowner
into provider of marine and specialist technical services of the highest
quality.
http://www.james-fisher.co.uk/about_history.php
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels
(1912) shows the house flag of James Fisher & Sons (#1501, p. 108), a
Barrow-on-Furness and Heysham Harbour-based shipping company, as red, in the
center, a white rectangle charged with a blue "F".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#73
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021
image by Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021
Joseph Fisher & Sons Ltd, Newry were located at the Albert Basin where they had
offices and coal yards. Joseph Fisher established a ship broking business in
1852, and in 1867, he invested in ship owning when he purchased shares in three
locally owned sailing ships. As a coal importer, Fishers was one of the first
local ship owners to invest in steamships with the purchase of the "Kilkeel" in
1892. Joseph Fisher & Sons Ltd became one of the most significant shipping
owners in the Irish Sea, building up an important fleet of steam colliers
trading with most of the major ports in Britain and Ireland and the north coast
of France.
The company had two distinct naming schemes for their ships,
places near Newry and, from 1905 onwards, trees. Names included the "Bamboo",
"Broom", "Ebony", "Opepe Poplar", "Mango" and "Walnut".
In the first half
of the 20th century goods imported by Fisher boats included coal, maize, flour
and general cargo, with coal the most important as it was a primary fuel for
local industries and households. Exports were low compared to imports. Goods
exported included cattle, timber, potatoes, herrings, Mourne granite and scrap
metal. Timber from the Fathom area was also exported to Wales to be used as
pit-props in the coal mines. In the 1960s and 1970s the Walnut belonging to
Fishers went as far as Finland to import timber.
From the mid 1950s
onwards, economic conditions became more competitive. The Port of Newry could
not accommodate larger vessels and the decision was made to phase out Newry
Port. Joseph Fisher and Sons Ltd. was sold to Cawood Holdings in 1966. The ship
canal was closed in 1974 and Newry’s trade transferred to the Port of
Warrenpoint. Fisher’s premises were demolished in the 1990s and the Quays
Shopping Centre built on the site of the old coal yards which served the Albert
Basin.
https://www.newry.ie/newry-100-years-ago/remembering-joseph-fisher-sons-ltd-newry
Newry portal
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the
house flag of Joseph Fisher & Sons (#1026, p. 85) as diagonally divided
red-white-blue from the lower hoist to the upper hoist, charged in the center
with a blue "F".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/50/
Ivan
Sache, 28 April 2021
image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Fisher
Renwick & Co. (#665, p. 68) as blue with three horizontal white stripes and the
black letters "F.R. & Co.".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/33/
Ivan
Sache, 26 April 2021
image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021
Fisher Renwick started as a north-eastern ship-owner which expanded rapidly
when it introduced the Manchester-London steamers coastal liner service and
built the Manchester dry docks.
The company went on to introduce the first
Scammell articulated lorries. It pioneered road transport with the introduction
of its continuous service using Scammell rigid-eight 'Showboat' vans and
rigid-eight flats.
With the advent of nationalisation Fisher Renwick again
changed to become a leading supplier of contract hire vehicles to many famous
firms. In 1972 it was acquired by Ryder in order to facilitate that company's
development of its British vehicle hire and logistics operation.
https://www.classictractors.co.uk/shop/asp/product.asp?cookiecheck=yes&P_ID=2518
Classic Tractors
Sir George Renwick (1850-1931) MP was first elected for
the Conservatives in 1900. He was a wealthy ship owner who sat for various
Newcastle seats up until 1922. He was raised to the peerage in 1921.
Remarkably all five of his sons served in the First World War and survived, a
factor that compelled him to a commission a war memorial for those soldiers not
so fortunate. The eldest, Acting Colonel John Renwick, raised a regiment for the
horse transport company and took his pack of hounds with him to France. His
brothers William and Gustav were both majors in the 18th Northumberland
Fusiliers and Captain George Renwick junior served in the Royal Horse Artillery
Transport. Sir George's seventh child, Captain Septimus Renwick was with the
Royal Scots and won the Military Cross. The fourth son, Gustav, later became MP
for Stretford, 1931–1935.
https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/parliament-and-the-first-world-war/parliamentarians-and-staff-in-the-war/written-portraits-of-parliamentarians-during-the-first-world-war/sir-george-renwick/
UK Parliament
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the
house flag of Fisher Renwick Manchester-London Steamers, Ltd. (#664, p. 68) as
blue with three horizontal white stripes and the black letters "F.R.".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/33/
Ivan
Sache, 26 April 2021
image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Fleetwod
Steam Fishing Co., Ltd. (#1442, p. 105), as triangular, vertically divided
red-blue, with a white border all around and a white disk in the center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#70
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021
image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Fletcher,
Woodhill & Co. (#1427, p. 104), a Manchester based-company, as triangular, white
with the black letters "F.W. & C°".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#69
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021
This is a UK firm nominally, but active in Canary Islands shipping (http://www.focscontainer.com/).
The flag is quartered blue and white, letters FO in the top quarters, CS in the
lower ones (white letters on blue, blue on white).
Some information (extracted from the site):
"In September 2000 Oldenburg-Portugiesische Dampfschiffs-Rhederei GmbH & Co.KG (OPDR)
of Hamburg acquired 100% of the shares of FOCS Canary Container Service, S.L.,
Tenerife from Fred. Olsen and Co, Oslo. The company subsequently switched its
registration and headquarters to the United Kingdom and 'FOCS Container Service
Ltd.' was formed in April 2003. The company maintained key personnel and the
full agency network of the Fred. Olsen service, providing unrivalled experience
and knowledge of the Canary Island market. FOCS offers a weekly fixed day
service from the UK and the North Continent to/from the Canary Islands utilising
OPDR vessels under a slot charter agreement. More recently the company has
started to extend its service to adjacent areas."
Jan Mertens, 18 December 2003
image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021
Charles Ford (1852-1921) was a shipbroker, merchant and shipowner. He was in
partnership with William Thompson under the name Thompson, Ford & Co., until the
company was dissolved in January 1896. They owned the steamers Conniscliffe and
Sandal which were both built at Hartlepool.
Having offices at 68 Church
Street, West Hartlepool, besides larger steamships C.H. Ford owned and managed
steam trawlers all built by Edward Bros, North Shields. Four of these were the
"Annie", "Marion", "Calabria" and "Catania". The two former were sold in 1899
and the two latter were sold to Dutch owners in 1903 and registry was
transferred to Holland. In 1896 Ford purchased a one third share in the barque "Mathilda"
which had been built in Sundsvall in 1873. The other two thirds were owned by
the skipper Johan Peter Lundgren. In 1889 Charles purchased the 269g wood brig
"Lizzie & Edith" which had been built in Italy in 1872. On a voyage from
Sunderland for Southampton with a cargo of coal & a crew of eight she stranded
off Eccles, Palling, Norfolk in a force 9 ENE gale on 13 February 1900. Four
lives were lost.
Janne Svensson of Sweden became acquainted with the
shipbroker Ford and they went into business together. Starting in 1898 they had
nine steamers in their fleet. To reduce operating costs the ships were ‘flagged’
out to Landskrona, Sweden where J.P. Jönsson officially stood as the owner. This
explains why the ship’s flag used by Ford and Jönsson are the same. Names used
by the company included Rederi A/B Lizzie, Rederi A/B Groveland and Rederi A/B
Grovehurst. The company's board included, amongst others; Janne’s brothers Nils
Petter and Janne Lundh, and Christian Larsson from Arild.
The company’s
first ship was the Hartlepool built "Lizzie". She was sold in 1901 and replaced
by a steamer of the same name. The second "Lizzie" was built in Norway in 1901.
She was sold in 1915 and was wrecked in 1933.
The company also had two ships
named "Arthur" both built at Hartlepool. The first "Arthur" was owned between
1899 and 1906. The second was purchased in 1908.
In 1905 they purchased the
steamer "Arab" which had been built at Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1901. She was sold
in 1914 and was lost to a torpedo in 1917. In 1913 the steamer "Tudhoe" was
purchased from Furness, Withy & Co. She had been built at Sunderland in 1906.
She was sold in 1915 and was eventually broken up in 1957.
When WW1 breaks
out in the summer of 1914, because the company’s ships routes were mainly
between England and Sweden, Ford decided there would be difficulties maintaining
trade so decided to sell the vessels. This was done by the following year.
Hartlepool History Then & Now
https://www.hhtandn.org/venues/5196/ford
Lloyd's Book of House Flags
and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Charles H. Ford, also J.J. Jönsson
(#1441, p. 105), as yellow with a red border and a red "F" in the center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#70
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 5 May 2010
From a postcard collection: 10.2.1: Newcastle
Steamship Company
Postcard #10, 2nd row, 1st flag of the
collection reads "Newcastle Steam Ship Co."
and shows a white flag with three black lozenges throughout, set side-by-side. A
British company.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 5 May 2010
John & Charles Forster founded the company in 1883 with the collier "Newbiggin"
and in 1891 set up the Newcastle SS Co to trade to the Mediterranean, Baltic and
Black Sea. In 1906 the company expanded its trade to India and the Far East.
Four ships were lost to enemy action between 1914 and 1918 and the remaining two
ships were sold and the company wound up.
The company's ships were all
prefixed "New-": "Newbiggin", "Newcastle", "Newquay", "Newark", "Newlyn", "Newstead",
"Newholm", "Newburn", and "Newfield".
http://mariners-list.com/site_pages.php?section=Shipping+Companies&category=English&page_name=Newcastle+Steamship+Co
Mariners L
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the
same house flag (#538, p. 62) for J.J. & C.W. Forster (Newcastle Steamship Co.,
Ltd.). This is the probable source for the "postcard collection".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#27
Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021
image by Jarig Bakker, 25 December 2005
Forth Tugs Ltd., Grangemouth - quartered red and blue; black diamond charged
with a white lighthouse.
Source:
Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 25 December 2005
image by Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021
Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912)
shows the house flag of "Forward Steam Fishing Co., Ltd." (#273, p. 49), a
company based in Grimsby, as divided red-blue by an ascending diagonal and with
the letters "F" and "D" in the red and blue triangles, respectively.
See
the very similar house flag of "East Anglia Steam
Fishing Co., Ltd.", #270, p. 49.
Ivan Sache, 12 April 2008