Leyland Line

Last updated
Leyland Line
Industry Shipping
Founded1873
Defunct1935
Area served
North Atlantic

The Leyland Line was a British shipping transport line founded in 1873 by Frederick Richards Leyland after his apprenticeship in the firm of John Bibby, Sons & Co. After Frederick Leyland's death, the company was taken over by Sir John Ellerman in 1892. In 1902, the company was bought by the International Mercantile Marine Company and a portion of its fleet was withdrawn from service and transferred to the Ellerman Lines. The company was liquidated in 1935 after a period of declining influence due to the Great Depression.

Contents

History

Early history

Frederick Leyland was a longtime partner in John Bibby, Sons & Co which was based in Liverpool. In 1873 the Bibby family withdrew from the shipping business and Leyland set up his own shipping company. As the company was established in 1873, 21 former Bibby ships formed the basic equipment of Leyland's new company of cargo ships. The new company was officially called F. Leyland & Co. Ltd, but the name Leyland Line soon became established. Also inherited from the Bibby Line was the tradition of all ships other ending in "ian" or "ean" and the funnel with a black cap. [1] The shipping company initially operated with a liner service to the Mediterranean, in 1875 the transatlantic service was opened with routes ran from Liverpool to Boston, Philadelphia and Portland. New York City was only occasionally called upon. The ships used by the shipping company were mainly cargo ships, some of which had few passenger facilities that only had transport for emigrants. The liner services developed well and the shipping company became the largest transatlantic freighter line. in 1888, Leyland retired from his active business leaving his son, Frederick Dawson Leyland, in charge of the line. [2] [3]

Under John Ellermann

With the death of Frederick Leyland in 1892, John Ellermann, Christopher Furness and Henry Withy took over the Leyland Line. [3] [2] Ellermann became managing director of the company and, in 1893, also took over the chairmanship of Frederick Leyland & Co. In 1896, Leyland set up a passenger service in cooperation with Furness Withy, from Liverpool to New York and the Canadian ports. In 1896, the Wilson Line was added and the joint service was called Wilson, Furness & Leyland Line. The cooperation was limited exclusively to this service. In 1899 Leyland took over the shipping company West India & Pacific Steamship Co. Ltd. and thus opened a liner service to the West Indies (Caribbean) [2]

Decline and Fate

In 1902, the company was bought by the US banker J.P. Morgan and in 1904 the company was under the control of the International Mercantile Marine Company. [4] Leyland line was given responsibility for the European part of the International Navigation Company but had to discontinue the Mediterranean service. Twenty non-emigration Leyland ships were not included in the sale. Later, John Ellerman acquired the London Papayanni Company to form the shipping company Ellerman Lines emerged shortly afterward, in the same year, a rationalization of services followed and Leyland withdrew their ships from service and transferred to John Ellerman's new company. In 1915 with the bankruptcy of the IMMC, the company looked into an uncertain future for the first time. The First World War, which had meanwhile broken out, also meant numerous ship losses for the shipping company. By the First World War and the 1920s, many ships of the Leyland Line transferred to other companies. With The Great Depression, many more ships were sold to other companies or scrapped and, in 1935, Leyland Line's last ship was sold and the company ceased in the same year. [2] [1]

Ships of the Leyland Line

The list of Leyland Line ships when they enter service for the company. [2]

NameShipyard GRT PassengersLaunch
date
Notes
Bavarian Harland & Wolff 3,113-1869Sold to J. Glynn & Son, Liverpool, 1892
BohemianHarland & Wolff3,113-1870Sunk at Ireland, 1891
BulgarianHarland & Wolff3,113-1870Sunk at Ireland, 1885
Iberian Harland & Wolff2,931-1867Sunk at Cape Clear, 1885
IllyrianHarland & Wolff2,931-1867Wrecked on Cape Clear, 1884
IstrianHarland & Wolff2,931-1867Sold to Furness Withy, 1894
EgyptianHarland & Wolff2,137-1861Broken up in 1902.
PersianHarland & Wolff2,137-1863Broken up in 1902.
ArabianHarland & Wolff2,137-1866Broken up in 1902.
Belgian ?1,989-1855Not much was known about her; and her career with the line.
Louisianian Barclay Curle 3,643-1891Broken up in 1924.
Cornishman Harland & Wolff5,749-1891Scrapped in 1926.
Colonian Harland & Wolff6,58340 passengers1891Scrapped in 1926.
Victorian Harland & Wolff2,152-1895Torpedoed and sunk near Malta, 1916
Cestrian Harland & Wolff8,823-1896Sunk by torpedo in the Aegean Sea, 1917
Londonian Alexander Stephen and Sons 8,823-1896Capsized and sank, 1898
WooltonOswald, Mordaunt & Co2,152-2 May 1885Sailed from Newcastle, New South Wales on 14 June 1893 for Valparaiso, Chile, with a cargo of coal and tallow, and disappeared during the voyage.
Anglian-5,532-2 May 1885Torpedoed and sunk in English Channel, 1915
Armenian Harland & Wolff8,825-25 July 1895Torpedoed and sunk by U-24 on 28 June 1915.
European Harland & Wolff8,24960 passengers9 July 1896Scrapped at Genoa in 1933.
American Harland & Wolff8,24960 passengers8 August 1895Scrapped at Genoa in 1932.
Asian Caird & Company 5,613-August 4, 1898Ran aground and broke up.
AntillianCaird & Company5,613-September 20, 1898Scrapped in 1930.
Winifredian Harland & Wolff10,435-1899Broken up in Italy, 1929.
Atlantian Armstrong Whitworth 9,355-1899torpedoed and sunk off Eagle's Rock, 1918
Devonian Harland & Wolff10,405-1900Torpedoed and sunk in 1917.
BohemianAlexander Stephen and Sons8,548-June 28, 1900Ran aground in 1920.
Californian Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company 6,22347 passengers26 November 1901Best known for not coming to the aid of RMS Titanic despite being the closest ship in the area. Sunk by German U-boat, 9 November 1915.
Hanoverian R & W Hawthorn 13,5071,550 passengers25 February 1902First sold to the Dominion Line, then sold to the White Star Line, before returning to the Leyland Line as Devonian and being chartered to Red Star Line. Scrapped in 1929.
ScottishHarland & Wolff18,084-8 October 19031907 sold to Hamburg America Line as President Lincoln, Sunk on 31 May 1918
Servian Harland & Wolff18,072-19 February 19031907 sold to Hamburg America Line as President Grant, became Troop transport during First and Second World War, Sold for scrap on 11 March 1952
Regina Harland & Wolff16,3142,300 passengers19 April 1917became Troop transport during First World War. Scrapped in 1947.
Pennland Harland & Wolff16,3222,100 passengers11 November 1920Sunk 25 April 1941.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Leyland Line History and Ephemera".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Leyland Line". The Ships List.
  3. 1 2 "Frederick Leyland and Co, Grace's Guide".
  4. "Boston Evening Transcript, 29 Apr 1901, Leyland line bought?".