Last modified: 2021-05-29 by rob raeside
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image by Jarig Bakker, 10 November 2005
Bray Shipping Co., Ltd. (E.J.B. Mavroleon), London - red with two narrow
horizontal white lines; in center blue disk (slightly tarred) (Mavroleon in
Greek means: black lion; a black lion appears on the flag of the Traditional
Traders of London, and the Falaise Ore Carriers of Hamilton, Bermuda, owned by
the Mavroleon brothers).
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 10 November 2005
image by Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Alfred
Brewis (#931, p. 81), a Newcastle-based company, as blue with a white "B" in the
center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/46/
Ivan
Sache, 28 April 2021
image by Jarig Bakker, 29 August 2005
Breydon Marine Ltd., Great Yarmouth - blue burgee, yellow slanting "BM".
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 29 August 2005
image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of the
J.G. Bright (#648, p. 67), a Glasgow-based company, as white with a horseshoe
centered.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#32
Ivan
Sache, 26 April 2021
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 Bristol City Line of Steamships Ltd,
Bristol. A swallow-tailed white burgee with a five-pointed blue star in the
centre. 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.
Bristol City Line was part of a company with shipping, shipbuilding and ship
repairing interests that started in the 18th century. The founder Charles Hill,
took over the Hilhouse business from his partner, George Hilhouse in 1845 and
changed the name to Messrs. Charles Hill & Sons. The Bristol City Line, began in
1879, running steamships to New York in competition with the Great Western
Steamship Line. In contrast to its rival, the Bristol City Line carried cargo
rather than passengers and was based in Bristol docks rather than at Avonmouth.
Following the closure of the floating harbour at Bristol by Bristol City Council
in 1980, shipbuilding ended in Albion Dock and Charles Hill of Bristol PLC was
taken over in 1981."
Jarig Bakker, 5 August 2004
Bristol City Line of Steamships Ltd. According to Loughran (1979)
an ordinary rectangular version was used between 1935 and 1950 with the
swallowtail version being the original and then reverted to. However no early
source seems to support with their portrayals as they all show the rectangle
until Stewart in 1953. Most sources show the livery under or also in the name of
Charles Hill & Co. whilst the Bristol City Line itself was acquired by the Bibby
Line in 1972 but this may not have included the livery as Charles Hill continued
in their prime activity as a shipbuilder.
Neale Rosanoski, 19 May 2005
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#521,
p. 61) as white with a blue saltire.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#26
Ivan
Sache, 25 April 2021
image by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021
Based on Sampson (1957)
James Dignan, 11 October 2003
The company funnel colours were black with a white band until 1946 when with the
introduction of motor ships, the house flag was painted on a panel on the
funnel. During the 1950s the lettering was unofficially coloured blue on the
funnels until management insisted it be reverted to black.
The shipping
company ran services across the Irish Sea and to Welsh ports and was the first
company to work the Bristol to Cork passenger route. The firm underwent various
changes of name including, War Office Steam Packet Co. from 1821 to 1827;
General Steam Packet Co. from 1827 1834; Bristol Steam Packet Co. from 1834 to
1835; Bristol General Steam Navigation Co. from 1831 to 1871 and Bristol General
Steam Navigation Co. Ltd from 1871 from 1877. It was sold to Cork interests in
1877 and dropped 'General' from its title becoming known as the Bristol Steam
Navigation Company. The passenger service ended in 1914, because of competition
from Fishguard. The company continued to run general cargo services
(particularly Guinness shipments) across the Irish Sea until 1980.
https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/166.html
National
Maritime Museum
The flag kept at the National Maritime Museum is white
with a red saltire cantonned by the black letters "B", "S", "N" and "C" (not
"C°").
Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021
image by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021
Bristol Steam Navigation Co. Coastal company with origins said to go back to
around 1822, sources vary on the flag letters under two points. The first is
whether the letters were black or blue and the second whether they were "BSNC"
or "BSNCo." with the "o" being enhanced and the dot under it. According to
Loughran (1979) the answer is that
they were always black and he ascribes the confusion as resulting from an
experiment in the 1950s when the colours on the funnel panel were changed to
blue by a mate (I presume this only affected one ship therefore) but after he
upgraded to a brighter blue the company, which had been gauging the effect,
instructed a return to black but sources used this experiment as meaning a flag
change had also occurred and so kept showing blue letters for it as well.
However this seems to only apply to
Stewart (1963), and as sources from Reed 1912
on show blue letters the confusion is probably due to the difficulty of
distinguishing between black and dark blue. No comment is made on the "o". Some
early 20th Century books show a different version with the red letters "SBNC"
[see above] which is said to have originated from 19th Century
sources but with company records having been decimated in a 1951 fire its use is
uncertain. The company itself ceased around the early 1980s.
Neale Rosanoski, 22 March 2004
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Bristol
Steam Navigation Co. (#445, p. 58) as white with a red saltire cantonned by the
red letters "B", "S", "N" and "C".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#23
Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021
British Shipping lines: continued