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British shipping companies (S)

St. Helena Shipping Co., Ltd.
Saint Line Ltd.
Sally Line Ltd.
Scaramanga Bros.
Scott Brothers
Scottish Shire Line Co.
Scottish Tanker Co. Ltd.
Seacon Ltd.
Seacrest SG Co., Ltd.
Sealink Stena Line

See also:

St. Helena Shipping Co., Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 10 January 2006

St. Helena Shipping Co., Ltd. (Curnow Shipping Co.), Porthleven - green flag, yellow/blue sealion, holding a yellow crown furnished red.
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 10 January 2006

Saint Line Ltd. Had its origins with Pollok, Gilmour & Co. of 1804 with their shipping interests in 1861 being placed under Rankin, Gilmour & Co. using a "Saint" nomenclature and operating as the British & Foreign S.S. Co. Ltd. which was replaced in 1919 by the Saint Line Ltd. which continued to operate after Rankin, Gilmour ceased c.1929-1930 shifting from Liverpool to London in 1934 and shortly afterwards coming under Mitchell Cotts & Co. Ltd. [or Mitchell, Cotts & Co. Ltd. as sources differ as to whether "Mitchell" was a 1st or surname] though it is not clear whether this was as owners as well as operators. The two flags shown by Scott are in theory for the manager and the owner.

image by António Martins-Tuválkin

The blue flag with map of Africa is that of Mitchell, Cotts & Co. Ltd. with the letters being "M" over "C". Although they had a long involvement with shipping this with Saint Line Ltd. is the only recorded use of their flag that I have come across and according to an article in the December 1969 Marine News its use did not occur until well after WW2 keeping in mind that Saint Line ceased as a shipowner in 1962. Mitchell Cotts was itself an international conglomerate based in London with later the UK parent being bought out and the group becoming localized [still operating especially in South Africa and Kenya] with the fate of the flag unknown.

image by António Martins-Tuválkin

The 2nd flag shown by Scott is that of Rankin, Gilmour & Co. and whilst it is correct in design [give or take a dot after the "G"] it is incorrect in that the company no longer existed but it is possible that Saint Line Ltd. continued to fly it as I have seen this done in a similar case. The Rankin flag itself developed from its forerunner Pollok, Gilmore & Co. white used white with the blue letters "P.G" [see image here] being in the first instance the red-white-red as shown but with the red letters "P.G." although the LJC chart of 1885 shows a 2nd version where all is blue instead of red without explanation, whilst the final version with "R.G." [sources vary as to whether there were dots] is shown by the 1912 books i.e. prior to the formation of Saint Line.
Neale Rosanoski, 15 March 2005

image provided by David Downard, 23 July 2009

I was an apprenticed Deck Cadet with the Saint Line and joined my first ship the Saint Bernard at Rotterdam on 12 June 1950 under the command of Captain Bradley. The Saint Line head office at that time was at Winchester House, Old Broad Street, London and their Shipping Director was L.G. Dann. In 1950, the Saint Line was a subsidiary of Mitchell Cotts and Company Limited who also operated a coastal shipping company under the South African flag known as Theisens. The Saint line was operated from London and the fleet of ships consisted of ..... the s.s.Saint Bernard, s.s. Saint Edmund, s.s. Saint Gregory. Funnel colours were red with two white bands and a black top. The house flags flown were the Mitchell Cotts flag in the superior position and the Rankin and Gilmore flag beneath on the same mainmast halyard. Also operating from the same London Office was the Sun Shipping Company with one vessel..... the s.s. Cape St. David. All Deck and Engineering Officers were interchangeable between these 4 vessels and all were operated from London. The Crew were employed from China (Stewards from Hainan, Seamen from Shanghai and Firemen/Greasers from Fuchow. I have attached for interest, a copy of the Saint Line headed paper which shows the Rankin and Gilmore flag.
David Downard, 23 July 2009

Sally Line Ltd.

image image by Jarig Bakker, 28 October 2005

Sally Line Ltd., Ramsgate - white flag, red underlined "SALLY", over black "FERRIES".
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakkerr, 28 October 2005

Scaramanga Bros.

image by Ivan Sache, 10 March 2008

"Scaramanga Brothers" was established in London by the Scaramanga family, from Chios, Greece. The house flag of "Scaramanga Brothers" is shown on Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912), #866, p.78, as horizontally divided white-red-white-red-white. The flag is therefore identical to the house flags of "Poret, Lobez & Cie." and "Georg T. Monsen", also shown by Lloyd's.
Ivan Sache, 10 March 2008

Scott Brothers

image by Ivan Sache, 3 April 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "Scott Brothers, Ltd." (#313, p. 51), a company based in Newcastle-on-Tyne, as white with a blue rectangle charged with the red letters "S.B."
Ivan Sache, 3 April 2008

Scottish Shire Line Co.

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 Turnbull Martin and Co. Ltd, London. A blue swallow-tailed burgee bearing a white saltire and a red diamond in the centre. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn."
Brown (1951) lists this too as Scottish Shire Line Co. Ltd., London (Turnbull, Martin & Co., London)

Scottish Shire Line. Turnbull Martin & Co. began shipping between UK and New Zealand in 1884 and operated as the Scottish Shire Line (also known as Shire Line), with their ships being so named, from 1893, becoming part of Clan Line in 1918 but continuing to operate independently adopting the Clan Line funnel in the 1930s but retaining its own flag. This lasted probably until the sale of its last ship "Argyllshire" about the mid 1970s with the company name used for a few years more as the registered owner of the "Encounter Bay". According to Talbot-Booth (1942) this flag was flown from the mainmast whilst from 1935 the Clan line flag was flown from the foremast though in his 1944 book he both states this and then elsewhere reverses the order.
Neale Rosanoski, 15 March 2005

Scottish Tanker 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 Scottish Tanker Co. Ltd., London. A pale blue rectangular flag with a white saltire. In the centre is a white diamond with a red rampant lion. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. The lion on the flag is printed."
Jarig Bakker, 27 August 2004