^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

British shipping companies (A)

See also:

Anchor Line

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

The website of the National Maritime Museum describes the house flag of the Anchor Line Ltd, Glasgow, as "a white swallow-tailed burgee bearing a red anchor and four links of cable. 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." The image on the website, however, shows only three links.
Jarig Bakker, 3 August 2004

Anchor Line, Glasgow: Larousse Commercial Illustré (1930) shows a white swallow-tail, a red anchor placed diagonally (flukes in upper hoist corner), three rings of the anchor chain showing in the lower fly corner. The image above shows four rings, the number of which is said to have some significance – compare this site with (it says `four links of cable'!) this site. Perhaps the on-line 1912 Lloyds is right, see No. 226 on p. 13 (four links attached to the anchor's own ring) at this site (i.e., `Anchor Line (Henderson Bros.), Ltd., Glasgow').
Jan Mertens, 4 June 2004

Anchor Line. The four links in the chain (some sources show more or less) are said to represent the four Henderson brothers who were involved in the company which originated in the 1850s as Handyside & Henderson, adopting the name Anchor Line in 1899.
Neale Rosanoski, 9 February 2004

The company name was adopted in 1856 when a steam service between Glasgow and New York was inaugurated (before 1856 the company had owned sailing vessels). The original owners were Nicol and Baird Handyside, a third partner Thomas Henderson joining in 1852.
The Anchor Line moved into the Mediterranean trade on their own behalf after a period managing the ships of the Glasgow & Lisbon Steam Packet Company. An Anchor Line ship "Dido" was the first to pass through the Suez Canal. In 1875 the company started a service to Bombay and in 1882 another to Calcutta. The latter route became solely concerned with cargo and was sold to the Brocklebank Line in 1912.

In 1899 the firm of Henderson Brothers was dissolved and a limited liability company formed with the title of Anchor Line (Henderson Brothers). The company was bought by Cunard in 1911. Badly hit by the depression, the Anchor Line (Henderson Brothers) went into liquidation in 1935 the assets being transferred to a new company - Anchor Line (1935) Ltd. After 1953, Anchor Line became a fully-owned subsidiary of the United Molasses Company. It was sold to Walter Runciman & Co in 1965 and restructured in 1976. Their ships were painted with a black funnel and hull and a white line above red boot topping and white upper works.

https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/137.html
National Maritime Museum

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#226, p. 47).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#12
Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021

image by António Martins-Tuválkin , 17 December 2024

This image of the flag is as shown as the 3rd flag on the top row of card D55 of card set [o9oXXb]: It’s both more artistic a rendering but also more stylized, with the middle one of the three chain links shown edge on, with no visible hole. Most sources, I think, show a more “sophisticated” variant like this one, likely based on artwork meant for posters and stationery, while seamstresses relied (at least at some stage) on a slightly different, simpler model.
António Martins-Tuválkin , 17 December 2024

Atlantic Transport Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

As stated by Joe McMillan, the company was primarily British.

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Atlantic Transport Co., Ltd. (#1627, p. 114), a London-based shipping company, as horizontally divided red)white-blue with 12 white stars in the red stripe, 12 blue stars in the white stripe, and another 12 red stars in the blue stripe.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#79
Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

Anchor Steam Fishing Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Anchor Steam Fishing Co., Ltd. (#1018, p. 85) as diagonally divided blue-yellow from the upper hoist to the lower hoist, charged in the center with a red fouled anchor diagonally counter-placed.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/50/
Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021

Anchor Steam Tug Co.

located by Eugene Ipavec, 6 August 2006

This North Shields company flew a white triangular pennant with a diagonally placed blue anchor. See the on-line 1912 Lloyds Flags & Funnels: http://www.mysticseaport.org/library/initiative/Impage.cfm?PageNum=89&bibid=11061&ChapterId=8, no. 1829, ‘Anchor Steam Tug Co., Ltd., North Shields’. I'm sending this after a chance visit to the Anderson Online page (top), ‘From North Shields to San Francisco’, detailing the career of one particular tug, the ‘Eppleton Hall’, from North Shields to a pier in San Francisco – quoting the above page - "in the livery created when her last owners France, Fenwick took over the Anchor Steam Tug Company in 1920. In his book ‘150 Years of the Maltese Cross’, published in 1993 by Tyne & Wear Tugs, John H Proud traces the North Shields tug-owning partnership of John Anderson (1836-1919) and Robert Chater in detail from c.1867 and tells how it was converted into a limited liability company - the Anchor company - in North Shields on May 25 1903” (…) the company's independent existence ended with the France Fenwick take-over in July, 1920, just one year after the death of John Anderson".
Jan Mertens, 2 December 2005

Andreadis (U.K.)

image by Jarig Bakker, 9 September 2005

Andreadis (U.K.), London - white flag, red saltire, blue oval and vertical bar. (Obviously of Greek origin: the blue oval and stripe form together the Greek letter "Phi" - F).
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 9 September 2005

Anglesey Shipping Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Anglesey Shipping Co. (#1485, p. 107), a Bangor-based shipping company, as blue, in the center, a white diamond charged with a red dragon rampant.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#72
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Anglo-American Oil Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

The Anglo-American Oil Co., Ltd. was formed in 1888 and its main business was the shipment of lamp oil branded as "Royal Daylight" from America to the United Kingdom. The company was a British affiliate of the Standard Oil Trust which had been set up and run by John D Rockefeller in the USA. The UK head office was situated at Bishopsgate, London and a storage facility was located at Purfleet in Essex. The company later had offices at 36 Queen Anne's Gate London SW3 and other storage facilities. In 1911, following a ruling by the US Supreme Court, the dissolution of the Standard Oil Trust took place. This resulted in over 30 separate companies becoming independent. Standard Oil of New Jersey was one of them and acquired the Anglo-American Oil Company (AAOC).
By this time the AAOC was already importing motor spirit into the UK using the brand name of Pratt's and as the motor industry started to grow the company introduced different brands [...].
In 1934 re branding took place and the AAOC took a phonetic version of the initials of Standard Oil - "ess_o" and Pratts was no more as the brand of 'ESSO' set out on the road to become a global household name.

Vintage Garage
http://www.vintagegarage.co.uk/histories/anglo%20-%20american%20oil%20company%20ltd.htm

See also Esso Petroleum, Co.

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Anglo-American Oil Co., Ltd. (#1632, p. 114), a London-based shipping company, as divided red-blue by the ascending diagonal, overall, a golden spread eagle standing on a white orb.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#79
Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

Anglo American Telegraph Ltd.

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 October 2010

Anglo American Telegraph Ltd.
It was a blue swallow tail pennant with a Union Jack in the middle of the hoist side surrounded by 13 white 5-point stars, probably symbolizing the original states of the USA. A white inescutcheon containing a black vertical wavy double line, probably symbolizing a cable, was put upon the lower half of the vertical cross bar of the jack.
The Anglo-American Telegraph Company was organized in 1865 as a joint British-American venture to lay an Atlantic telegraph cable. After three failed attempts by other telegraph companies, Anglo-American Telegraph Company successfully laid and operated the first trans-Atlantic cable in 1866. The company operated cables until 1912, when they were leased to Western Union. For further information click: http://siris-archives.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?uri=full=3100001~!140148!0#focus
Source: Campbell and Evans (1953); plate V, flag no.3
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 25 October 2010

Anglo-Australasian Steam Nav. Co., Ltd.

Wm. Milburn & Co.

Sources:

http://www.red-duster.co.uk/MILBURN.htm and
http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/milburn.htm.

An early starter, at 23 William Milburn was already involved in shipping in 1849 and had ships of his own from 1852 on. This trade was coastal (coal), operating out of Newbiggin and Blyth. From 1857 till 1879 he and Edmund Watts - as the senior partner - operated Watts, Milburn & Co. Already active in the West Indies, India, and China, Milburn saw his field of operations now extended to the Black Sea. Other ventures were the Hamburg-Brasilianische Dampf. Ges. in cooperation with Bolten (to Brazil) and later the famous Hamburg Süd (to South America in general). The partnership with Watts having been dissolved, Wm. Milburn & Co., new and London-based from 1880 on, established routes to China and Australia. In fact, 1883 saw the foundation of the Anglo-Australasian Navigation Co. with Antwerp as an important link in the chain (the line was known as the Australasian Steam Navigation Co.). Both entities were put together under a new name, Milburn Line, in 1890. There was a slack in emigrant transportation then resulting in a heightened importance of cargo, of course, and tramping as well. One ship however, a collier, was operated by the separate Ashington Coal Co. 1905 saw the end of passenger transportation. The final name, Milburn & Co., Ltd. was introduced in 1912. Over the years, cooperation with firms such as Royden and Tyser led to the establishment of the Commonwealth & Dominion Line later known as Port Line Ltd. (1914). Milburn - acting on its own - operated some ships from 1927 on but I do not know when this ended.

image by Ivan Sache, 9 December 2005

Now to the flags. The first one found is a red triangular pennant with initials in white 'W.M & Co' (the 'o' is raised) and can be seen here, top of page: http://www.red-duster.co.uk/MILBURN.htm.

image by Ivan Sache, 9 December 2005

The second attachment shows the twin pennants of the Anglo-Australasian Steam Navigation Co. as rendered by the on-line 1912 Lloyds Flags & Funnels: http://www.mysticseaport.org/library/initiative/Impage.cfm?PageNum=13&bibid=11061&ChapterId=8, see no. 241. Red pennant uppermost, in fact an elongated version of the preceding one, and a white one accompanying it, bearing the red initials ‘AASN Co’ (again, the ‘o’ is raised).

image by Ivan Sache, 9 December 2005

On the other hand, according to Red Duster “The pennant houseflags of the two companies were amalgamated into a single rectangular flag. 1890” which we see here, top of page: http://www.red-duster.co.uk/MILBURN4.htm.

image by Ivan Sache, 28 March 2008

Lastly, a rectangular flag for ‘Wm. Milburn & Co., London’ appears in the on-line 1912 Lloyds Flags & Funnels: https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#13, see no. 122. Only the form is different from the short and long pennants; colours and initials are the same.

All this is fairly clear except for the rectangular WMC/AASNC flag, which Lloyds ought to have shown – or so it seems, if we believe Red Duster – instead of the twin pennants.

Of course there is still the obscure Ashington Coal Company… And although the later Watts flag is known, what did the combined Watts-Milburn flag look like?

Jan Mertens, 3 December 2005

Anglo-Belgian Prince Line, Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Anglo-Belgian Prince Line, Ltd. (#1560, p. 111), a London-based shipping company, as green, in the middle, a red rectangle charged with a white "P".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#76
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Anglo-Norwegian Steam Fishing Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

The Anglo-Norwegian Steam Fishing Co., Ltd. appears to have named its ships for old Greek celebrities: "Hercules", "Socrates", "Euripides".

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Anglo-Norwegian Steam Fishing Co., Ltd. (#1688, p. 117), a Hull-based fishing company, as red, charged in the center with a white star slightly tilted to the upper left corner of the flag.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#82
Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co. Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker

Larousse Commercial Illustré (1930) shows Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co. Ltd., London: white, a thin blue saltire (let us say, one fifth of flag height) and a red disk in the centre, the disk being about one third of flag height. The on-line 1912 Lloyds shows this flag (with a broader saltire) under No. 1372: https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#67
Jan Mertens, 19 May 2004

Anglo-Saxon Petroleum owned and ran the oil transport and storage activities of the Shell group of companies from the early 20th century to 1955, when Shell acquired the assets of Anglo-Saxon Petroleum, essentially bringing its fleet of ships in-house.

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Anglo-Saxon_Petroleum_Co
Grace's Guide
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

Angus Shipping Co., Ltd.

(John P. Bruce)

image by Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Angus shipping Co., Ltd. (John P. Bruce) (#1135, p. 91), a Dundee-based company, as swallow-tailed, red with a white "A".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#56
Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Anning Brothers

image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Anning Brothers (#718, p. 71), a Cardiff-based company, as red with a white "A".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/36/
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Antrim Iron Ore Company, Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

The Antrim Iron Ore Company was established in 1872, went on liquidation in 1891, and was reconstructed under the same name in 1910.

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of the Antrim Iron Ore Company, Ltd. (#707, p. 70), a Belfast-based company, as triangular, red with a red border and two triangles placed along the hoist, the red part charged with the white letters "A.I.O. C¨.".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/35/
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

British Shipping lines: continued