^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

British shipping companies (Q, R)

R. & J. H. Rea
G.T. Readhead & Co.
Redcroft Steam Navigation Co., Ltd.
Red Funnel Line
Red 'R' Steamship Co. Ltd. (Stephens and Mawson)
Red Rose Navigation
Regent Petroleum Tankship Co. Ltd.
Regents Line
Renwick, Wilton & Co., Ltd.

See also:

R. & J. H. Rea

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 R. & J. H. Rea, Liverpool. A red flag with a white-bordered black diamond in the centre bearing a white 'R'. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. The design is printed.
Jarig Bakker, 24 August 2004

The Cory towage business, as opposed to their interests in River Thames lighterage, can trace its origins back to the Rea family of coal merchants established in Liverpool in 1872. However their fist step in tug owning was at Southampton where they established a coal bunkering service with a tug called CUMBRIA, built in 1895 to tow their various coal bunker barges. At this stage they used the name R & JH Rea.

Tyne Tugs
http://www.tynetugs.co.uk/Owner-Cory.html

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same flag (#1724, p. 119), but swallow-tailed and with a much smaller emblem.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#84
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

G.T. Readhead & Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021

My contribution has to be corrected as follows:
Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
G.T. Readhead & Co. (#607, p. 65), a Newcastle-based company, as blue with a white lozenge inscribing a red "R".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/30/
Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021

Redcroft Steam Navigation Co., Ltd.

Lewis Lougher

image by Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

Lougher, Sir Lewis (1871-1955), industrialist and politician. [...] He was educated in Cardiff Secondary School and Cardiff Technical College , and was apprenticed to corn merchants. But Lewis soon entered the shipping business, and succeeded spectacularly as Cardiff developed into the world's chief port for exporting coal, until in 1910 he established the shipping company Lewis Lougher and Co., Ltd. having a fleet of ships in Bute docks, and he grew into a figure typifying Cardiff at the zenith of the city's mercantile power. He became chairman of a large number of shipping companies in Cardiff , Penarth and Barry, chairman of the federation of Bristol Channel shipowners in 1919, chairman of the Cardiff Chamber of Trade when the Chamber was particularly powerful, and an expert on the problems of exporting and handling coal as a member of the National Trimming Board
He was a member of Glamorgan County Council from 1922 to 1949, a member and chairman of Cardiff Rural Council, and M.P. (C) for Cardiff East, 1922-23, and for Cardiff Central, 1924-29. His parliamentary career was notable in that he succeeded in getting an act of parliament on the statute book, namely the Road Transport Lighting Act, which he presented as a private member's bill in February 1927, and which to the present day requires that every vehicle shall have a white light at the front and red light at the rear. [...]

Welsh Biography ònline
http://wbo.llgc.org.uk/en/s2-LOUG-LEW-1871.html

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Redcroft Steam Navigation Co., Ltd. (Lewis Lougher) (#1682, p. 117), a Cardiff-based shipping company, with the lozenge placed horizontally instead of vertically, without reaching the edges of the flag.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#82
Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

Red Funnel Line

a.k.a. Southampton, Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Public Limited Company

image by Ivan Sache, 8 March 2004

Quartered per saltire in white, green, red and blue.
Jorge Candeias, 23 Feb 1999

The Southampton Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Public Limited Company. Universally known as Red Funnel for short.
Roy Stilling

The Southampton and Isle of Wight RMSP Co Ltd used a diagonally divided flag that was - clockwise from the top - white, green, red and blue.
James Dignan

The funnel livery has changed through time, see here: http://www.redfunnel.co.uk/redfunnel. This page of the same website gives the origin of the flag colours: "The Company's famous house flag was derived from the names of four steamers that were in the newly merged fleet in 1861- Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby and Pearl. Blue to mast, green to fly, red on deck, white on high."
Jan Mertens, 28 January 2007

The postcard collection: 10.2.1: Red Funnel Line
Postcard #11, 1st flag of the collection reads " reads "Red Funnel Steamers Ltd. (Southampton, Isle of Wight & Royal Mail Steam Packet Public Co. Ltd.)" (i.e., not the exactly same name).
António Martins-Tuválkin, 5 May 2010

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#1204, p. 94).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#59
Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Red 'R' Steamship Co. Ltd.

Stephens and Mawson; Stephens, Sutton & Stephens

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 Red 'R' Steamship Co. Ltd. A white rectangular flag with a red 'R' in the centre. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn."

[The only match I found was in Brown (1951) for Stephens Sutton Ltd., Newcastle-on-Tyne (GB)]
Jarig Bakker, 24 August 2004

Red "R" Steamship Co. Ltd. - Jarig is correct with his matching with Stephens, Sutton Ltd. as the latter was the parent company and this is a case of the flag producing the company rather than vice versa. The origins go back to Daniel Stephens who left the sea in 1871 and the following year founded Stephens & Kendrick in Newcastle. In 1873 this became Stephens, Kendrick & Mawson who acquired their first steamship in 1874. In 1878 it became Stephens & Mawson with a separate company of Stephens, Mawson & Goss being started in Newport.
Neale Rosanoski, 5 December 2010

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#1065, p. 87).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/52/
Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021

image by Eugene Ipavec, 8 December 2010

Two flags are given for Stephens & Mawson by Lloyds 1882 with the first also being given under the name of the Red Cross Line, being white with a red saltire. This is also shown, without the alternative name, by Griffin 1893 and 1895 and Reed 1891.

The second flag was white with a red "R" i.e. as shown by Jarig and predating the formation of the Red "R" Steamship Co. Ltd. which was formed as a subsidiary but not until 1887. The "R" possibly comes from the practice of the ships names beginning with that letter. The first allocation found of the flag to the subsidiary is by Reed 1901 which does not mention the parent company. The subsidiary lasted until 1917 when it went into voluntary liquidation but in 1929 the name was re-activated but it is not clear whether the company was likewise brought back to life. Whichever applies, it does not appear to have survived WW2.

The parent company in the meantime changed name in 1901 to Stephens, Sutton & Stephens and the white flag with red "R" is shown under this name by Lloyds 1912 and Reed 1912, both as well giving the Red "R" name and the latter indeed giving them both an entry. Then in 1919 the parent company changed again to Stephens, Sutton Ltd. which went into liquidation in 1967. The flag of white with a red "R" is shown under this name by all the main sources subsequent to this date though Brown 1926 shows a yellow flag instead of white which is presumably a printing error.
Neale Rosanoski, 5 December 2010

image by Eugene Ipavec, 8 December 2010

There were other flags involved. The firm of Stephens, Mawson & Goss is shown as having a white flag with a red diamond bearing a white "C" by Griffin 1895 and Reed 1901. Why a "C" is not clear but as "R" seems to have come from ship names perhaps "C" comes from 2 [out of 3] ships given for the company which started with this letter. The company acquired its first steamer in 1880 but was wound up in 1895 and reformed as Stephens, Mawson & Co.
Neale Rosanoski, 5 December 2010

images by Eugene Ipavec, 8 December 2010

In 1901 Arthur Mawson took over the company and moved to Cardiff where he traded under his own name until retiring in 1915 when his fleet was sold. Two flags have been shown. Lloyds 1912 shows a blue flag with a white border, except at the hoist, and bearing a white "M" whilst Reed 1912 shows it as white with a very broad horizontal blue band bearing a white "M" both as Arthur Mawson & Co. and as the Mawson Shipping Co.
Neale Rosanoski, 5 December 2010

images by Eugene Ipavec, 8 December 2010

And Daniel Stephens of Newcastle, presumed to be the man himself, appears in Reed 1901 with a white flag bearing a red star and crescent with a version being given in Lloyds 1904 for Stephens, Sutton & Stephens. This flag is mentioned by Talbot-Booth in his "Merchant Ships" 1942 and 1944 books under the Red "R" Steamship Co. Ltd. as having been used by tank steamers previously owned by that subsidiary.
Neale Rosanoski, 5 December 2010

image by Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Stephens, Sutton & Stephens (#1095, p. 89) as white with a red star above a red crescent.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#54
Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Red Rose Navigation

image by Eugene Ipavec, 23 June 2010

The Red Rose Navigation Co. Ltd. flag is seen at http://www.allatsea.cx/images/memorabilia/Peter_Murphy_House_Flags2.jpg (second row, central image). This firm is briefly mentioned here: http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/holt.htm:

“In 1965 the Guinea Gulf Line with a subsidiary of Holt, the Red Rose Navigation Co. Ltd at Bermuda, was acquired by Elder Dempster Line Ltd...”
Elsewhere we learn that this company was established at Liverpool – just enter “bocna” under “Name” and click “SEARCH” (later click “VIEW”): http://www.hartlepoolbuilt.co.uk/form.html. I suppose Red Rose Navigation (‘Bocna’ was first named ‘Rose of Lancaster’ – also look at the funnel) moved to Bermuda for fiscal reasons. Certainly active 1958-1965 but no other ship found yet.

The house flag appears to have been square: dark blue field, large white disk bearing a red rose seeded and barbed green.
Jan Mertens, 21 June 2010

Regent Petroleum Tankship 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 the Regent Petroleum Tankship Co. Ltd., London. A white flag, in the centre with a disc divided into red over blue and a blue-edged white border. The name 'REGENT' is in blue letters on a white background across the centre. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. The design is printed. A rope and two Inglefield clips is attached. The company ships were absorbed into the Texaco fleet by 1968 and their own livery was abandoned."
Jarig Bakker, 25 August 2004

Regents Line

image by Jarig Bakker

Brown's Flags and Funnels (1951) lists for Regents Line (Grand Union (Shipping) Ltd.), London, a yellow flag with over all a blue Y; in top a white disk with three blue horizontal stripes; at the hoist a black capital R; at the fly a black capital L.
Jarig Bakker, 25 August 2004

Renwick, Wilton & Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Renwick, Wilton & Co., Ltd. (#610, p. 66), a Dartmouth-based company, as white with a red border and the red letters "RW".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/31/
Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021

British Shipping lines: continued