Ben Line
Encyclopedia
The Ben Line or Ben Line Steamers, Limited was a Scottish shipping company based at Leith
, Scotland which specialised in the fast carriage of cargo to and from the Far East. A private company, it was largely owned by members of the Thomson family from Leith and the Mitchell family from Alloa
.
The company was founded in 1825 as a ship-brokers by two brothers, William Thomson (1806-1889) and Alexander Thomson (1795-1880). Their sister Jemima married Thomas Henderson, an older brother of Patrick Henderson. Originally the Thomson brothers were “merchants and marble-cutters” and were involved in importing Carrara marble from Leghorn, Italy, with assistance from Thomas Henderson. Their first ship in 1839 was the barque Carrara of 218 tons, built at Limekilns in Fife and used on the Leith-Leghorn run. The marble business declined in the 1830s, and they acquired in 1840 for £3500 the wooden ship Australia of 388 tons, built on the Tyne in 1825. She was used on the North Atlantic trade, carrying Alloa coal to Canada, and returning with timber to Leith, and was lost on Sable Island on the approaches to the St Lawrence River in 1841. But the North Atlantic trade, carrying coal from William Mitchell
’s Alloa Coal Company
to Canada and returning with timber to Leith, was a Thomson staple business for years. Several sailing ships acquired in the 1840s were built in Canada.
In the 1850s the Thomsons and Mitchells moved into longer and more profitable routes to Australia and the Far East with larger ships, purchasing nine sailing ships in the 1860s, including the iron ship James Wishart. The Far Eastern ships sailed to China and Japan via a base in Singapore, including the China tea trade. Their first (brig-rigged) steamship, the Benledi of 1557 tons gross was built in Barclay, Curle’s Clydeholm shipyard. Two steamers the Petersburg and Stirling were acquired in 1877 for the Baltic trade. From 1902 to 1914, nine ships were built by Bartram’s of Sunderland, nicknamed “North Country kerosene cans”.
By 1914 the Ben Line had 14 ships with names starting with Ben, plus 5 Baltic steamers of the The Petrograd Steamers, Ltd. Two Ben Line ships were sunk; the Benlarig disappeared in 1917.
In April 1919 The Ben Line Steamers, Ltd was formed as a private company. Previously each ship voyage was a separate actuarial entity, with shareholders holding large or small numbers of 1/64 shares. A new trade was the carriage of soya beans from the Manchurian ports of Dalny and Vladivostock to European ports. New ships were built by Charles Connel of Glasgow. No Ben Line ship was laid up during the depression.
During World War II, 14 Ben Line ships and 4 ships placed under Ben Line management by the government were lost; compared with only two in World War I. Ships managed by the Ben Line included two Mac or Merchant Aircraft Carrier
ships, the Empire MacAlpine and the Empire MacKendrick. The Mac ships carried Fairey Swordfish
biplanes as well as cargo. In 1943 the company headquarters was moved from Leith proper to Edinburgh.
Postwar the line concentrated on the Far East trade, with a base in Singapore from 1951. In 1953 an underwater formation in the coasts off North Borneo was named the "Benrinnes Reef" after the ship that discovered it. Postwar the company diversified into containers, heavy lift ships and offshore drilling. In 1991 the remaining ships were sold, and the company combined with the East Asiatic Company of Copenhagen.
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, Scotland which specialised in the fast carriage of cargo to and from the Far East. A private company, it was largely owned by members of the Thomson family from Leith and the Mitchell family from Alloa
Alloa
Alloa is a town and former burgh in Clackmannanshire, set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on on the north bank of the Firth of Forth close to the foot of the Ochil Hills, east of Stirling and north of Falkirk....
.
The company was founded in 1825 as a ship-brokers by two brothers, William Thomson (1806-1889) and Alexander Thomson (1795-1880). Their sister Jemima married Thomas Henderson, an older brother of Patrick Henderson. Originally the Thomson brothers were “merchants and marble-cutters” and were involved in importing Carrara marble from Leghorn, Italy, with assistance from Thomas Henderson. Their first ship in 1839 was the barque Carrara of 218 tons, built at Limekilns in Fife and used on the Leith-Leghorn run. The marble business declined in the 1830s, and they acquired in 1840 for £3500 the wooden ship Australia of 388 tons, built on the Tyne in 1825. She was used on the North Atlantic trade, carrying Alloa coal to Canada, and returning with timber to Leith, and was lost on Sable Island on the approaches to the St Lawrence River in 1841. But the North Atlantic trade, carrying coal from William Mitchell
William Mitchell (Scottish entrepreneur)
William Mitchell was a Scottish entrepreneur. He was born in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, the second son of Alexander Mitchell and Janet Barrowman....
’s Alloa Coal Company
Alloa Coal Company
The Alloa Coal Company was founded as a partnership in 1835 between William Mitchell, John Moubray, John Craich and David Ramsay. The partners obtained a lease to mine coal and ironstone on the lands of the Earl of Mar in Clackmannanshire...
to Canada and returning with timber to Leith, was a Thomson staple business for years. Several sailing ships acquired in the 1840s were built in Canada.
In the 1850s the Thomsons and Mitchells moved into longer and more profitable routes to Australia and the Far East with larger ships, purchasing nine sailing ships in the 1860s, including the iron ship James Wishart. The Far Eastern ships sailed to China and Japan via a base in Singapore, including the China tea trade. Their first (brig-rigged) steamship, the Benledi of 1557 tons gross was built in Barclay, Curle’s Clydeholm shipyard. Two steamers the Petersburg and Stirling were acquired in 1877 for the Baltic trade. From 1902 to 1914, nine ships were built by Bartram’s of Sunderland, nicknamed “North Country kerosene cans”.
By 1914 the Ben Line had 14 ships with names starting with Ben, plus 5 Baltic steamers of the The Petrograd Steamers, Ltd. Two Ben Line ships were sunk; the Benlarig disappeared in 1917.
In April 1919 The Ben Line Steamers, Ltd was formed as a private company. Previously each ship voyage was a separate actuarial entity, with shareholders holding large or small numbers of 1/64 shares. A new trade was the carriage of soya beans from the Manchurian ports of Dalny and Vladivostock to European ports. New ships were built by Charles Connel of Glasgow. No Ben Line ship was laid up during the depression.
During World War II, 14 Ben Line ships and 4 ships placed under Ben Line management by the government were lost; compared with only two in World War I. Ships managed by the Ben Line included two Mac or Merchant Aircraft Carrier
Merchant aircraft carrier
Merchant aircraft carriers were bulk cargo ships with minimal aircraft handling facilities, used during World War II by Britain and the Netherlands as an interim measure to supplement British and United States-built escort carriers in providing an anti-submarine function for convoys...
ships, the Empire MacAlpine and the Empire MacKendrick. The Mac ships carried Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
biplanes as well as cargo. In 1943 the company headquarters was moved from Leith proper to Edinburgh.
Postwar the line concentrated on the Far East trade, with a base in Singapore from 1951. In 1953 an underwater formation in the coasts off North Borneo was named the "Benrinnes Reef" after the ship that discovered it. Postwar the company diversified into containers, heavy lift ships and offshore drilling. In 1991 the remaining ships were sold, and the company combined with the East Asiatic Company of Copenhagen.
Associated Companies
- William Thompson and Company
- Atlantis Air Ltd
- E.G. Thomson (Shipping) Ltd
- Elswick Steam Shipping Co. Ltd
- Salmonier Shipping Co. Ltd
- The Petrograd Steamers, Ltd (for Baltic trade, wound up in 1941).
- Ben Line Containers Ltd (1970)
- Ben Ocean & Ben Asia Container Service (1975)
- Ben Odeco (1974, offshore drilling partnership)
- Sheaf Steam Shipping of Newcastle (acquired 1976)