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British shipping companies (M)

Last modified: 2021-05-29 by rob raeside
Keywords: shipping lines |
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Mead Son & Hussey

[Mead Son & Hussey houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Mead Son & Hussey (#651, p. 67), a London-based company, as white with a red saltire, charged in the center with a blue rectangle inscribing the white letters "MS&H".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/32/
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021


McNeil, Hinde & Co.

[McNeil, Hinde & Co. houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

William Hinde, born in Portland, Dorset i 1877, moved to Cardiff in 1893 to take up a job with Chellew & Co., shipowners from Truro, Cornwall, who had an office in Cardiff. In 1903 he left Chellew & Co. to form McNeil, Hinde & Co., shipowners, with Robert McNeil. The new company bought the ship "Portland" and in 1906 the "Portsmouth", followed in 1907 by the "Portreath". In 1912 the "Portloe" was added but in 1913 the "Portland" and "Portsmouth" were sold and in 1914 the company was dissolved, Hinde setting up on his own.

http://www.glamorganfamilyhistory.co.uk/maritime/SHIPCO.html
Short histories of some Cardiff area shipping companies

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of McNeil, Hinde & Co. (#1187, p. 93) as swallow-tailed, white with a monogram composed of a red "M" and "H".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#58
Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021


Mediterranean & New York Steamship Co.

[Mayflower SS Corp.]  image by Joe McMillan

Mediterranean Steamship Co.
There have been several companies with similar names, but none I have found information on matches this time period. The flag in Flaggenbuch 1905 is a distinctive red flag with two white vertical stripes, forming five equal bands.
Source: Flaggenbuch 1905

Joe McMillan, 29 October 2001

Mediterranean Steamship Co. This is the flag of the UK company Mediterranean & New York Steamship Co. Ltd. based in Liverpool and operating 1878-1905. Details are available in Bonsor P1016. (Volume 3). It has been shown by the shorter title, Mediterranean Steamship Co., by the Liverpool Journal of Commerce Chart of 1885 but the fuller title is shown by subsequent sources up to Lloyds 1904. The confusion regarding country (US or UK?) probably relates to their managers, Phelps Bros. & Co., based Liverpool, who had opened a New York branch around 1874.

Neale Rosanoski, 5 March 2004


Meff Brothers

[Meff Brothers houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Meff Brothers (#76, p. 40), an Aberdeen-based company, as blue with a an Union Jack in canton, in center a white rectangle inscribing e red "M", and a white pair of compasses in lower fly.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#5
Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021


Melling Steam Trawling Co., Ltd.

[Melling Steam Trawling Co., Ltd. houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Melling Steam Trawling Co., Ltd. (#1703, p. 118), a Fleetwood-based fishing company, as red with a black lozenge reaching the edges of the flag, charged in the center with the white letters "HM" (for "Henry Melling").
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#83
Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021


Mercantile Steamship Co.

[Mercantile Steamship Co. houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "Mercantile Steamship Co., Ltd." (#81, p. 40), a company based in
London, as blue with the white letters "MSCo." The iron steamship "Boyne" was launched by the "Mercantile Steamship Co." in 1881.
http://portcities.hartlepool.gov.uk/server.php?show=conMediaFile.493
Ivan Sache, 23 March 2008 


Mersey Towing Co., Ltd.

[Mersey Towing Co., Ltd. houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Mersey Towing Co., Ltd. (#1395, p. 103), a Liverpool-based company, as composed of two rows of three square each, in turn white and red.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#68
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021


Merevale Shipping Co. Ltd.

[Merevale Shipping Co. Ltd. houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

The Merevale Shipping Co., Ltd. voluntarily wound up on 6 March 1916 (The London Gazette, 10 March 1916).
http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29502/pages/2589/page.pdf

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Merevale Shipping Co. Ltd. (#1814, p. 123), a Cardiff-based shipping company, as white with a red lozenge charged with a white "M".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#88
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021


B.N. Metaxas

[B.N. Metaxas houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of B.N. Metaxas (#1337, p. 100), a London-based Greek shipping company, as blue with a blue "M" inscribed in a serrated white rectangle.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#65
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021


Metcalf Motor Coasters Ltd.

[Metcalf Motor Coasters Ltd. houseflag] 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 Metcalf Motor Coasters Ltd., London. A green swallow-tailed burgee with a white border. A white 'M' is placed in the centre. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and toggle is attached."
Jarig Bakker, 20 August 2004


Metcalfe, Simpson & Co.

[Metcalfe, Simpson & Co. houseflag] image by Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "Metcalfe, Simpson & Co." (#82, p. 40), a company based in West Hartlepool, as white with a blue border and the red letters "MS&Co".
Lloyd's caption says "also A.A. Thore, Jonstorp" (see Thore).
Ivan Sache, 24 March 2008 

Thomas Metcalfe (1855-1926) and Robert Simpson (1852-1917) were shipping agents and shipbrokers trading as Metcalfe, Simpson & Co. In 1903 they formed a shipping company to manage the new steamship "Alicia" built by William Gray & Co.
In April 1903 a newspaper report stated: 'Alicia Steamship Company (West Hartlepool) (Limited). This company has been registered with a capital of £26,000, in £10 shares to adopt an agreement between William Gray & Co. (Limited) and Metcalfe, Simpson & Co. to carry on the business of shipowners in all its branches, provided that the company may not own more than one steamship at the same time.'
Their last steamship "Manchuria" was torpedoed in October 1917 and Robert died in December 1917 which brought about the end of the company.

http://www.hhtandn.org/venues/5024/metcalfe-simpson-and-co-ltd
Hartlepool History Then and Now
Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021


British Shipping lines: continued