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Hartlepool Ships & Shipping
In this section you will find a selection of information, photographs and memories of Hartlepool’s various shipping companies, ship owners and shipbrokers, together with other companies that operated ships built in the town.
The information here has been drawn from a wide range of sources, including Lloyd's Registers, the Miramar Ship Index, and various newspapers, however, we have very little information about some of the early ship owners/companies; if you have any relevant material that you would be willing to share, please get in touch with us at infodesk@hartlepool.gov.uk
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Founded in 1874 after the dissolution of Appleby, Ropner & Co. and ceased trading in 1915.
John William Baird, a West Hartlepool timber merchant, formed Baird Shipping Co. Ltd. in 1911 . The company owned four ships between that year and 1916.
As well as repairing and building ships Luke and George Blumer also owned and had shares in sailing ships.
Hans and Harald Casper founded the shipbroking and agency businesses Casper, Edgar & Co., Hartlepool and H. Casper & Co., Middlesbrough.
W.H. Cockerline & Co. Ltd. was formed in 1885 and a number of Hartlepool built ships served in its fleet.
L.R. Conner & Co., was established in 1899 when the partnership of Livingston, Conner & Co., was dissolved.
John Coverdale owned a fleet of sailing vessels and then converted to steam vessels first with a partner and then with his son.
As well as being a shipbuilder John Punshon Denton also owned and had shares in Hartlepool registered ships.
Dixon Taylor Sharper & his son were West Hartlepool sail makers and shipowners who purchased many pre-owned vessels.
Doughty & Co. was formed in 1900, becoming Doughty Shipping Co. Ltd. in 1901.
E.J.B. Ebdy and R.J. Blacklin formed a partnership in 1881 owning two ships from 1883. The company went into bankruptcy in 1887.
Charles A. Forslind and his son Thomas A. Forslind were timber merchants and steamship owners.
Information relating to the West Hartlepool-registered ships of the huge Furness shipping empire.
Arthur Gladstone and John Cornforth formed their shipping company in 1880. When John died the company continued under Gladstone & Co., until 1917 when it ceased trading.
S.J. Glover had shares in sailing vessels from 1865. In 1872 he purchased his first steamship. The company moved to London and continued there as Glover Bros. & Co. until 1936.
Various companies at least partly owned by William Maclean including Groves, Maclean & Co., Maclean, Doughty & Co., and Maclean & Co.
Julius Ernst Guthe, local shipowner: J.E. Guthe & Co.; Guthe, Murdoch & Co., and also closely involved with the West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.
Formed originally in Stockton in 1838 and then transferred to Hartlepool. The company was dissolved in 1851.
Formed in 1835 the Hartlepool Original Shipping Co. was short-lived, going into liquidation in 1843 with all of their vessels being sold.
Fritz Herskind owned ships from the early 1870s. Herksind & Woods was formed in 1884 and in 1892 the Company became Herskind & Co.
Hessler Shipping Co. Ltd., was also known as the Swift Steam Ship Co. Ltd. and later as the Seatonia S.S. Co.
In 1911, after the death of J.S. Allison, Sydney Hogg & Co., took over the management of Seaton Shipping Co. Ltd.
George Horsley was a shipowner and coal exporter. By 1889 the company had become George Horsley & Son & by 1900 Horsley Line Ltd.
The Hudson Shipping Co. Ltd. was founded by Thomas Sharp Hudson in 1884 and wound up in 1896.
Benjamin Huntley formed a partnership with Ernest Berner in about 1874 trading as B.R. Huntley & Partners and Huntley Berner & Co.
Robert Hutchinson and his partners had shares in and owned sailing ships in Hartlepool from about 1851.
Robert Elstob Hutton was a master mariner who owned and had shares in Hartlepool registered ships.
Better known as shipbuilders, Robert Irvine and Robert Irvine junior also ran a fleet of ships between 1871 and 1903.
Jackson Bros. & Cory was formed with Ebenezer Cory and George and Walter Jackson of London which later became Jackson Bros.
Ebenezer Septimius Jobson moved to Hartlepool in 1813 and a few years later set up business as a timber merchant, coal and general exporter and shipbroker.
Edward Johnson traded with four ships under the name of Johnson Bros. from 1882 until he was declared bankrupt in 1884.
Formed by James Leask and Captain Robert Clark the company owned four ships between 1882 and 1909.
Lilly, Wilson & Co., operated ships from 1883 until 1891. Jesse Lilly operated ships under J. Lilly & Co., and Lilly Shipping Co. Ltd.
Robert Livingston managed ships for G. Steel until 1889 when he became a partner in Livingston, Conner & Co. R. Livingston & Co. was formed in 1899.
The company of J. Lohden & Co. was formed by Jacob Lohden when his partnership with Cory and Lohden was dissolved.
W.H. Loveridge, local shipowner: Norburn Steamship Co. Ltd.; North East Salvage & Shipbreaking Co. Ltd.
Mr. Michael Pennock Lund, of West Hartlepool, owned the barque Penelope in 1878.
A company formed through a family of shipowners from about 1840 to 1915.
The company was formed in 1929 by John Metcalfe and ceased trading in 1979.
Thomas Metcalfe and Robert W. Simpson formed a shipping company in 1903 which ceased trading in 1918.
R.M. Middleton founded the company in 1874 owning Hartlepool built steamships until 1887.
B.B. Murrell & Co., owned one ship between 1898 and 1913 trading under Armenia S.S. Co.
Beginning with the partnership of Joseph Murrell & Francis Yeoman in 1881, the company went on to become J.H. Murrell & Co.
Jens Christian Nielsen was a coal exporter and timber merchant before forming a successful shipping company.
The West Hartlepool Harbour and Railway Company was amalgamated with the North Eastern Railway Co. in 1865.
John William Crosby & John Magee formed the company in 1891 and it was wound up in 1958.
The company, formed by George Thompson Pearson, owned two ships between 1880 and 1886.
James Perry owned ships from the 1850s. He formed J. Perry & Sons, Perry Raimes & Co., and later his son formed James Perry & Co.
The Phoenix Shipping Co. Ltd. was formed in 1843 with a capital of £16,075. The Company went into liquidation in 1846.
George Pyman set up his own company, George Pyman & Co., purchasing his first steamship in 1865. The company grew to become the largest owners of steamships in the north of the U.K.
This single-ship company, Managed by Robert Sargeant & Sons, operated between 1906 and 1916.
Information relating to the local shipowners - M. Rickinson & Sons; Rickinson Sons & Co.; M. Rickinson & Co.; Rickinson & Co. The company traded between 1883 and 1918.
Thomas Robinson was a provision merchant who, with his sons, set up a shipping company owning at least three steamers between 1887 and 1900.
Robert Ropner & Co., were shipowners, ship managers & ship builders from 1874-2006.
The Sanderson brothers, John and Robert Oliver, owned two ships between 1910 and 1917.
Walter Scott & Co., trading under the Merchiston S.S. Co. owned two Hartlepool built ships between 1902 and 1917.
Jacob Shepherd Allison founded J.S. Allison & Company in 1889. In 1906 the company became Seaton Shipping Co. Ltd.
Sivewright, Bacon & Co. was formed in 1883 at West Hartlepool. The company transferred to Manchester in 1897.
The firm was founded by brothers William Abbey and Charles Edward Smith in 1898, and continued in business until 1907.
The company was founded on May 2nd, 1904 by Thomas Graham Smith of Newcastle, and Herbert Lawrence Hogg of Hartlepool.
George Steel owned ships from the 1870s. In 1873 he went into partnership with William Young forming the company of Steel, Young & Co.
Charles S. Todd owned ships from 1871. When a partnership with John Coverdale dissolved in 1882 he set up his own company.
Towers Burdon & Co., was a short lived company owning just one ship between 1883 and 1884.
A group of Hartlepool citizens who owned and had shares in sailing ships from about 1855.
Peter Trechmann, known as Otto, had shares in ships from 1859. He purchased his first steamships in 1871 and built up a fleet.
The Union Shipping Company of Hartlepool was formed in 1838 and went into liquidation in 1845.
W. Gray & Co. was the largest firm of shipbuilders in Hartlepool and were in business from 1874 to 1963.
Ralph Ward Jackson held shares in sailing vessels both with individuals and companies. Between 1867 and 1870 he co-owned vessels with the North Eastern Railway Company.
With origins in the West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Company, Ernest Webster and Thomas Barraclough established their own company in 1899, and traded until 1918.
Formed in 1853 and was the forerunner of the West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Co.
Registered in 1848 and ceased trading in 1853. The primary shareholder, Ralph Ward Jackson, transferred his interests to the West Hartlepool Harbour and Railway Company in 1854.
West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Company Limited was formed in 1899 through the merger of the West Hartlepool Steam Navigation Company (Webster & Barraclough), and J.E. Guthe.
Thomas Wilkinson and his two sons owned Hartlepool registered ships from the 1840s.
George Noble Wilkinson and James Watt formed the company in about 1864. During a commercial collapse the company went into liquidation in 1875.
T.W. Willis was a small, short-lived West Hartlepool company eventually owning three ships between 1902 and 1916.
J.F. Wilson formed his own company in 1894 following the dissolution of Hardy, Wilson & Co.
John Wood purchased his first ship in 1882. The company ceased trading when the last two ships were sold in 1909.
George Younghusband was primarily a grocer at Northgate Street but also owned and had shares in ships.
