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

British shipping companies (H)

See also:

R.M. Hudson & Sons

image by Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "R.M. Hudson & Sons" (#51, p. 39), a company based in Sunderland, as red with a white disk charged with a red letter "H".
Ivan Sache, 12 March 2008

Ralph Milbanke Hudson [1849-1938] was the eldest son of Ralph Milbanke Hudson, senior [1813-1908], shipowner, and his wife Elizabeth Robson. He became a member of the River Wear Commissioners in 1882 and was elected Unionist MP for Sunderland in 1918, sitting until 1922. His daughter Winifred (Freda) married Gerard Chipchase Roberts in January 1915, but he was killed commanding the Gloucestershire Regiment in June 1916. Mrs Roberts was a Director of R M Hudson & Son Ltd.

http://www.tyneandweararchives.org.uk
Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums
Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021

Hudson’s Bay Company

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 October 2010

Hudson’s Bay Company (see also our Canadian page on the Hudson's Bay Company)
It is a red ensign with dotted white capitals “H:B:C:” in the lower fly.
Source: Campbell and Evans (1953); plate V, flag no.6
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 October 2010

Hudson Steamship Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 6 March 2004

image by Phil Nelson, 11 April 2000

The second image is from Stewart and Styring's Flags, Funnels and Hull Colors 1963. The upper flag could be (and is likely) an earlier version.

Hudson Steamship Co. Originated as John Hudson & Co. [or John Hudson (London) Ltd.] who were involved in the coal trade from 1905, becoming shipowners in 1915 and forming the Hudson Steamship Co. Ltd. in 1920, and the first flag shown by Brown 1926, under the later name, is red with a white "H". By 1929 they are showing the blue flag version which is shown by all sources up until Brown 1982 who notes that it is unlikely to be seen again. The company itself was involved in the continental and coastal colliery trade being originally based in London but then shown as Brighton around the beginning of the 1970s. In the mid 1960s they also seem to have begun trading as John Hudson Fuel & Shipping Ltd. moving from the coal to the oil trade, and it is likely that The Thornhope Shipping Co. Ltd. of 1974 was a subsidiary. However Lloyds state that a Hudson Steamship Co.Ltd. was formed in 1980 and as they were operating (amongst others) The Thornhope Shipping Co. Ltd. they could be either the original company or a successor. The striped flag may therefore apply to this company, it being impossible to judge because a source is not given. It then appears that these companies were then acquired by the Norwegian company of Mosvold Shipping A/S in 1988 but I cannot trace them by the end of the century.
Neale Rosanoski, 31 May 2004

Huelin Renouf Shipping

image by Jorge Candeias, 07 Mar 1999

A red saltire on white with a yellow lozenge overall charged with a black "H".
Jorge Candeias, 07 Mar 1999

Huelin Renouf Shipping. The letter should be blue as shown on the company website.
Neale Rosanoski, 31 May 2004

Other sites:

Company website
reported by Dov Gutterman, 20 Feb 1999

Hugo und van Emmerik

image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 May 2012

It is a blue swallow tail pennant with red stripes at the top- and bottom edge. At the hoist there are a white saltire above a white Greek cross (or an “x” above a plus).
Source: [el1897 - Elbe Flag Chart 1897 – part 9; “Gratis Beilage zu Deicken und Behrmann’s Neuen Monatsheften Neue Ausgabe Sommer 1897"]

Despite of the shape of the pennant it is the same pattern as Leith, Hull & Hamburg Steam Packet Co. Ltd.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 May 2012

Richard Hughes & Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Richard Hughes of Flintshire was a coastal ship owner based in Liverpool; because of its size, the fleet was sometimes referred to as 'The Welsh Navy'.
Hughes started up a number of single ship companies with funding from a small number of contributors, though later he owned ships himself. All of the ships had the suffix 'Rose'. The first company was the Primrose Steamship Company founded in 1885. The fleet was gradually built up with a mixture of old and new ships. Transport of china clay was the major trade though they also carried coal and probably iron ore. Coastal trade around the UK was later expanded to France and the fleet continued to grow during WW1 - ships still being named Rose but with patriotic names e.g. those of French generals. Hughes had 14 ships at the beginning of the war and most were brought into government service - though only one was lost. Hughes got out of the business in 1920 just in time to avoid a major loss of trade. The company he sold to went into liquidation and Hughes bought many of the ships back and had increased the fleet to 20 ships by around 1925 and 28 by 1932. This last period of expansion coincided with an economic depression and Hughes went into receivership.
The fleet was kept largely together under new management and a new company called Richard Hughes and Co. (Liverpool) Ltd. was formed - Hughes name was still considered to be of value. Despite the setbacks, the company had 25 ships at the outbreak of WW2 but lost 8 ships to enemy action.
In 1952 after further sales a new company called Hughes Holden Shipping Ltd was formed. After that the ships were sold off piecemeal over time with the last one being disposed of in 1961.

https://www.benjidog.co.uk/allen/Hughes%20Line.html
Benjidog Historical Research Resources: The Allen Collection

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
Richard Hughes & Co., Ltd. (#702, p. 70) as white with a red rose cantonned by the blue letters "R", "H,"&", and "C°.".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/35/
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

R. Hughes-Jones & Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of R. Hughes-Jones & Co. (#1584, p. 112), a Liverpool-based shipping company, as horizontally divided red-white-red. In the upper stripe, the white letters "R H J", in the lower stripe, the white letters "1 Co", in the middle stripe, the blue writing "CELTIC / LINE".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#77

Photo
https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/1001.html
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Hull & Netherlands Steamship Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

The Hull & Netherlands Steamship Co. Ltd. was formed in 1894 and brought together the shipping operations of CL Ringrose and WHH Hutchinson with the intention of concentrating their shipping services to that specific area of operation.
Hull & Netherlands launched new and upgraded vessels into their service in 1907 which provoked interest from the North Eastern Railway and in 1908 the company was taken over by the railway company and subsequently operated as a subsidiary within their group operations. In 1923 the North Eastern Railway and its subsidiaries were absorbed into the LNER as part of the rationalisation of the rail industry in the UK

In 1935 it was agreed that the shipping services and port operations of the respective railway companies operating from and in the River Humber ports should be merged and the company was taken under the operating umbrella of Associated Humber Lines. It was the smallest of the four operations merged at that time and contributed just two ships to the new 30 ship joint operation.

Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hull_and_Netherlands_Steamship_Company

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Hull & Netherlands Steamship Co., Ltd. (#1425, p. 104), as triangular, white with a red cross charged with a blue disc bordered in white.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#69
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

Hull Gates Shipping Co. Ltd.

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 the Hull Gates Shipping Co. Ltd., Hull. A white pennant with red borders. In the centre is the monogram 'HG' in red. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and two Inglefield clips is attached."
Jarig Bakker, 15 August 2004

Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 23 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of the Hull Steam Fishing & Ice Co., Ltd. (#359, p. 54) as blue with a red cross in the center".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#19
Ivan Sache, 23 April 2021

Humber Steam Trawling Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
Humber Steam Trawling Co., Ltd. (#558, p. 63), a Hull-based company, as blue with a white monogram featuring an anchor, cantonned by the white letters "H", "S", "C" and "T".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/28/
Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021

Humber Tugs Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 28 October 2005

Humber Tugs Ltd., Immingham - red pennant, black diamond, white "S".
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 28 October 2005

Hunting & Son

image by James Dignan

Hunting & Son, Ltd. (Northern Petroleum Tank S.S. Co., Ltd., Field Tank S.S. Co., Ltd., Hunting Steamshiop Co., Ltd.) - houseflag: Red and White horizontal stripes; seven-point blue Star in center.
Sources: All about Ships and Shipping, 1938, 1959; Lloyd's Calendar 19599
Jarig Bakker, 17 October 2003

image by Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021

Formed in 1874 when Charles Hunting purchased the sailing ship "Sylvia". In 1891 the company became Hunting and Son and was one of the first to carry bulk oil. The first oil tanker was built in 1893, but also operated cargo vessels until 1925 after which they only owned tankers.

http://mariners-list.com/site_pages.php?section=Shipping+Companies&category=English&page_name=Hunting+%26+Son+Newcastle
Mariners L

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#912, p. 80), but with a different star.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/45/
Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021

Hutchins Bros.

image by Ivan Sache, 20 March 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "Hutchins Bros." (#50, p. 39), a company based in Cardiff (Wales), as white with a red letter "H".
Ivan Sache, 12 March 2008

E.F. Hutchinson

image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of E.F. Hutchinson (#710, p. 70), a Hull-based company, as triangular, white with a red cross.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/35/
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

J & P. Hutchison, Limited

image by Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021

Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels [Wedge 1926]

J & P. Hutchison, Limited, Glasgow - vertical blue-white-red; on white a green thistle with red flower.
Jarig Bakker, 24 January 2005

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#161, p. 44).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#9
Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021