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British shipping companies (C)

Last modified: 2021-05-29 by rob raeside
Keywords: shipping lines |
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Connell. Bros., Ltd.

[Connell. Bros., Ltd. houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

The Connell brothers operated a fleet of vessels built by their family in the famous yard founded in Scotstoun by their relative Charles Connell (1822-1884).
A detailed account of the history of the Connel's yard is given on the "Clyde Maritime" portal.
http://www.clydemaritime.co.uk/balclutha

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Connell Brothers, Ltd. (#1634, p. 114), a Glasgow-based shipping company, as vertically divided red-blue, in the center, a white lozenge placed horizontally.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#79
Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021


L.R. Conner & Co.

[L.R. Conner & Co. houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021

Robert Livingston and George Steel traded as managers and shipbrokers under the title of G. Steel & Co. The partnership was dissolved in April 1889 with George carrying on trading as G. Steel & Co. In the same year Robert Livingston and Leonard Richard Conner went into partnership as Livingston, Conner & Co. R. Livingston & Co., and L.R. Conner & Co., were founded in 1899 with offices at Church Street, West Hartlepool with the partnership of Livingston, Conner & Co., officially dissolved in July 1900. L.R. Conner & Co. ceased trading in 1916.

http://hhtandn.org/venues/4878/conner-and-co
Hartlepool History Then and Now

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
L.R. Conner & Co. (#524, p. 61) as white with a green border, charged in the center with a green star inscribing a white "C".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#26
Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021


Consolidated Steam Fishing & Ice Co. (Grimsby), Ltd.

[Consolidated Steam Fishing & Ice Co. (Grimsby), Ltd. houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

In 1919, Consolidated Fisheries Ltd. of Grimsby established a base at Swansea, complete with dry dock facilities, engineering & repair shops and ships’ stores, all located within the South Dock Basin area. Consolidated Fisheries operated a fleet of around 40 deep-sea fishing vessels from Swansea – including many of the ‘Castle’ trawlers – up until 1957, when the company finally closed down its operations at the port.

http://www.swanseadocks.co.uk/docksnewsite/fishingandice.html
Swansea and Port Talbot Docks History

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Consolidated Steam Fishing & Ice Co. (Grimsby), Ltd. (#424, p. 57) as white with a red border and an imperial crown in the center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#22
Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021


Joseph Constantine Steamship Line

[Joseph Constantine Steamship Line houseflag] image by James Dignan

Based on Sampson (1957)
James Dignan, 14 October 2003

Notable in that the company was involved in a lawsuit with the Imperial Smelting Corp. Ltd in which an the company was the plaintiff. The case is cited as an example of meeting the burden of proof.
Phil Nelson, 14 October 2003

[Joseph Constantine Steamship Line houseflag] image by Jarig Bakker

Although similar to the flag of Constantine Lines, Montreal (Canada), Brown (1951) has this flag with a blue C for Joseph Constantine Steamship Line, Ltd., London.
Jarig Bakker, 9 August 2004

[Joseph Constantine Steamship Line houseflag] image by Rob Raeside

Joseph Constantine Steamship Line. The version showing the blue "C" from Brown 1951 is incorrect this being the only edition from this series and the only source to so show. The correct version is that with the black "C". The company was previously known as Constantine & Pickering Steamship Co. with Lloyds 1904 showing a white flag having a white canton defined red and bearing a red cross and saltire design with in the lower field the red letters "C.&P.S.S.Co." with the "o" enhanced with Talbot-Booth in 1942 describing the cross being surmounted by a red circle as well. Constantine Lines (Canada) Ltd. was a subsidiary which became Quebec Steamship Lines Ltd. in 1948.
Neale Rosanoski, 14 April 2005


Constantine & Pickering Steamship Co.

[Constantine & Pickering Steamship Co. houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Constantine & Pickering Steamship Co. was founded in Middlesbrough in 1885 by Joseph Constantine (1856-1922) and Warley Pickering, to be renamed to Joseph Constantine Steamship Line in 1920. The two associates purchased in 1885 their first ship, a three-masted timber clipper called "Homewood". This was soon followed by the "Norwood" (1887) but thereafter all the ships were steamships like the "Earlswood" (1898). By the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the fleet had been built up to 22 ocean-going steamers and 6 coasters. The coastal ships were operated by a separate division of the company, R.A. Constantine and T.H. Donking.
Joseph Constantine held shares in various businesses, such as a copper mining company, a regional newspaper, the Costa Rica Railway Company and the Mexican Light and Power Company. He also held shares in four Mexican silver mines and in the Anglo-Mexican Syndicate. Constantine was appointed High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1916.

The Constantine Group, 1885-2010
http://www.constantinegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/constantine-history-PDF.pdf

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Constantine & Pickering Steamship Co.(#1738, p. 119) as white with a red and white Union Jack in canton and red letters "C.&P.S.S.C°" in base.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#84
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021


Constants Ltd.

[Constants Ltd. houseflag] 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 Constants Ltd., London. A red rectangular flag bearing a white disc in the centre with a black letter 'C' on it. 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 hoist is inscribed 'Constants Cardiff'.

The Constant family had been Thames ship owners since the 18th century with a head office in London during the 20th century. Constants (South Wales Ltd) was formed in 1929 with an office in Cardiff. Its fleet of tramps exported coal from South Wales and imported iron ore from Northern Spain, cork, pyrites and timber from Portugal and other cargoes from the Mediterranean. The company was wound up after the war and its ships registered under the London office. During the 1950s and 1960s, a small modern fleet tramped worldwide. In 1973 the family sold the company to Dovey Shipping and Industrial Holdings Ltd, Cardiff who closed the business down in 1976.
Jarig Bakker, 5 August 2004

[Constants Ltd. houseflag] image by Rob Raeside

[Constants Ltd. houseflag] image by Rob Raeside

[Constants Ltd. houseflag] image by Rob Raeside

Constants Ltd. Lloyds 1904 shows for Joseph Constant of London a blue flag with a white design of a 2 "C"s, one being backward with Brown 1943 showing a version for the subsidiary Constants (South Wales) Ltd. with the emblem in white being displayed on a black panel edged white from a red field which was subsequently altered according to Brown 1951 to show a single "C" with subsequent sources showing the red flag with white circle and black "C".
Neale Rosanoski, 14 April 2005


Contship Containerlines

[Contship Containerlines houseflag] image by Jorge Candeias, 10 January 1998

I'm happy to confirm that the rectangle or company logo on that page is indeed a flag, as I saw it flying in front of the firm's Antwerp branch yesterday. Of course, a real maritime sighting would have been the real thing.
Jan Mertens, 19 December 2003


John Cook & Son

[John Cook & Son houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
John Cook & Son (#1392, p. 103), an Aberdeen-based company, as quartered blue-yellow, charged in the center with a white eight-pointed star.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#68
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021


Cooperative Wholesale Society, Ltd.

[Cooperative Wholesale Society, Ltd. houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021

The Co-operative Group has its origins in Rochdale, Lancashire. The Rochdale Pioneers Society was famously established in 1844 based upon the notion of ethical trading and belief that the profits of the business should be shared amongst members according to their purchases.
The Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS) was formed in 1863 by independent co-op societies, to provide Co-op produced products to sell in hundreds of Co-op stores that had opened based on the Rochdale model of ownership and control.

By 1900 there was over 1,400 separate independent co-operative businesses in the UK, all members of a wider Co-operative Movement. During the 1900s, many of these independent societies began to merge. One of the most significant in recent times was in 2000, when The Co-operative Group was formed following the merger of the Co-operative Wholesale Society and Co-operative Retail Services. This was followed in 2007 by the merger of United Co-operatives with The Co-operative Group.

https://www.co-operative.coop/who-we-are
Co-operative Group Ltd.

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
Denaby & Cadeby Main Collieries, Ltd. (#630, p. 66), as blue with a red saltire outlined in white and cantonned by the white letters "C", "W", "S" and "L". .
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/31/

The same house flag is shown for Cooperative Wholesale Society, Ltd. (S.S. Fraternityŕ (#579, p. 64).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/29/
Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021


Thomas Coppack & Co.

(a) [Thomas Coppack & Co.] image by Joe McMillan

Thomas Coppack & Co.
Flag: Company initials in white on blue.
Source: Lloyds 1912, (#1365, p. 101), https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#66
Joe McMillan
, 20 September 2001

This was a British family firm located in Connah's Quay in Wales originated by Captain John Coppack in 1860 and lasting until the early 1970s. Between 1910 and 1926 it went under the name of Thomas Coppack & Co. using the flag shown.
Neale Rosanoski, 1 February 2004

(b) [Thomas Coppack & Co.] image by Rob Raeside

(c) [Thomas Coppack & Co.] image by Rob Raeside

(d) [Thomas Coppack & Co.] image by Rob Raeside

Thomas Coppack & Co. This was a family firm which became Coppack Bros. & Co. in 1898 with Lloyds 1904 showing a blue pennant with the white letters (b, above). By 1910 Thomas Coppack had bought out the last of his 3 brothers becoming Thomas Coppack & Co. with the letters becoming "T.C.&Co." (c, above) which in turn apparently became the rectangular version which is shown by Lloyds 1912. In 1926 the sons of Thomas took over and the company again became Coppack Bros. & Co. changing to a blue swallowtail with white letters "C.B.&Co." (d, above) although the LJC chart of 1930 shows it as a tapered swallowtail in contrast to all other sources.
Neale Rosanoski, 14 April 2005


British Shipping lines: continued