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British shipping companies (C)

Coast Lines
W.H. Cockerline & Co., Ltd.
Coe Metcalfe Shipping Ltd.
Colne Shipping Co., Ltd.
Colonial Sugar and Refining Co.
Joseph Constantine Steamship Line, Ltd.
Constants Ltd.
Contship Containerlines
Thomas Coppack & Co.
Cork Steamship Co.
Cornish Shipping Ltd.
James P. Corry & Co.
John Cory & Sons
Cory & Strick (Steamers) Ltd
Cory Brothers
Cory Colliers Ltd.
Cory Towage Ltd.
Coulouthros Ltd.
Counties Ship Management Co.
J.B. Couper
George Couper
R&J Craig Co.
C. Crawley, Ltd.
Crescent Shipping
Isaac Crocker
Crow, Rudolf & Co.
Crusader Shipping Ltd.
Crusader Swire Container Service Ltd.

See also:

Coast Lines

Version 1

Based in London, ran UK-Ireland ferries and London - Falmouth, Liverpool, and numerous other coastal services.
Jarig Bakker, 11 October 2003

image by James Dignan

Based on Sampson (1957)
James Dignan, 11 October 2003

Version 2

image by Jarig Bakker

In "All about Ships and Shipping", 1959 is another flag: blue, white, red, white and blue horizontal stripes (International "C" flag), with CL in Blue.
Jarig Bakker, 11 October 2003

"Flags and Funnels of the British and Commonwealth Merchant Fleets" also shows this flag.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 16 June 2006

Coast Lines Ltd. The white flag with red saltire and black "C" was adopted in 1917 when the company changed names from Powell, Bacon & Hough Lines being replaced by the striped flag, which incorporated the colours of the original three founders, in 1937 so Sampson (1957) is rather behind the times. Talbot-Booth (1938) noted the change and then for some reason proceeded to show in his WW2 books a version with a black "C" overall though again in 1944 he notes that the single "C" being replaced by "C.L." in black which is incorrect both for the colour and the dots. The company itself was taken over by P&O in 1970/1 and became their Short Sea Shipping Division.
Neale Rosanoski, 14 April 2005

W. H. Cockerline & Co. Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 8 March 2004

Trapezoidal flag with six white and red vertical stripes.

Coe Metcalfe Shipping Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 30 November 2005

Coe Metcalfe Shipping Ltd. (Dry Cargo Vessels), Liverpool - horizontal blue-white-blue flag, in center red "C".
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 30 November 2005

Colne Shipping Co., Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 20 November 2005

Colne Shipping Co., Ltd., Lowestoft - white flag, blue "C".
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 20 November 2005

Colonial Sugar and Refining Co. Ltd.

[Colonial Sugar and Refining Co. houseflag]

image by Phil Nelson, 6 April 2000

from Stewart and Styring's Flags, Funnels and Hull Colors 1963

Joseph Constantine Steamship Line

image by James Dignan

Based on Sampson (1957)
James Dignan, 14 October 2003

Notable in that the company was involved in a lawsuit with the Imperial Smelting Corp. Ltd in which an the company was the plaintiff. The case is cited as an example of meeting the burden of proof.
Phil Nelson, 14 October 2003

image by Jarig Bakker

Although similar to the flag of Constantine Lines, Montreal (Canada), Brown (1951) has this flag with a blue C for Joseph Constantine Steamship Line, Ltd., London.
Jarig Bakker, 9 August 2004

image by Rob Raeside

Joseph Constantine Steamship Line. The version showing the blue "C" from Brown 1951 is incorrect this being the only edition from this series and the only source to so show. The correct version is that with the black "C". The company was previously known as Constantine & Pickering Steamship Co. with Lloyds 1904 showing a white flag having a white canton defined red and bearing a red cross and saltire design with in the lower field the red letters "C.&P.S.S.Co." with the "o" enhanced with Talbot-Booth in 1942 describing the cross being surmounted by a red circle as well. Constantine Lines (Canada) Ltd. was a subsidiary which became Quebec Steamship Lines Ltd. in 1948.
Neale Rosanoski, 14 April 2005

Constants 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 Constants Ltd., London. A red rectangular flag bearing a white disc in the centre with a black letter 'C' on it. 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. The hoist is inscribed 'Constants Cardiff'.

The Constant family had been Thames ship owners since the 18th century with a head office in London during the 20th century. Constants (South Wales Ltd) was formed in 1929 with an office in Cardiff. Its fleet of tramps exported coal from South Wales and imported iron ore from Northern Spain, cork, pyrites and timber from Portugal and other cargoes from the Mediterranean. The company was wound up after the war and its ships registered under the London office. During the 1950s and 1960s, a small modern fleet tramped worldwide. In 1973 the family sold the company to Dovey Shipping and Industrial Holdings Ltd, Cardiff who closed the business down in 1976.
Jarig Bakker, 5 August 2004

image by Rob Raeside

Constants Ltd. Lloyds 1904 shows for Joseph Constant of London a blue flag with a white design of a 2 "C"s, one being backward with Brown 1943 showing a version for the subsidiary Constants (South Wales) Ltd. with the emblem in white being displayed on a black panel edged white from a red field which was subsequently altered according to Brown 1951 to show a single "C" with subsequent sources showing the red flag with white circle and black "C".
Neale Rosanoski, 14 April 2005

Contship Containerlines

image by Jorge Candeias, 10 January 1998

Company website
reported by Dov Gutterman, 09 Feb 1999

I'm happy to confirm that the rectangle or company logo on that page is indeed a flag, as I saw it flying in front of the firm's Antwerp branch yesterday. Of course, a real maritime sighting would have been the real thing.
Jan Mertens, 19 December 2003

Thomas Coppack & Co.

(a) image by Joe McMillan

Thomas Coppack & Co.
Flag: Company initials in white on blue.
Source: Lloyds 1912
Joe McMillan, 20 September 2001

This was a British family firm located in Connah's Quay in Wales originated by Captain John Coppack in 1860 and lasting until the early 1970s. Between 1910 and 1926 it went under the name of Thomas Coppack & Co. using the flag shown.
Neale Rosanoski, 1 February 2004

(b) image by Rob Raeside

(d) image by Rob Raeside

Thomas Coppack & Co. This was a family firm which became Coppack Bros. & Co. in 1898 with Lloyds 1904 showing a blue pennant with the white letters (b, above). By 1910 Thomas Coppack had bought out the last of his 3 brothers becoming Thomas Coppack & Co. with the letters becoming "T.C.&Co." (c, above) which in turn apparently became the rectangular version which is shown by Lloyds 1912. In 1926 the sons of Thomas took over and the company again became Coppack Bros. & Co. changing to a blue swallowtail with white letters "C.B.&Co." (d, above) although the LJC chart of 1930 shows it as a tapered swallowtail in contrast to all other sources.
Neale Rosanoski, 14 April 2005

Cork Steamship Co.

image by Rob Raeside

For details, see British & Continental S.S. Co. entry.

"Flags and Funnels of the British and Commonwealth Merchant Fleets" shows this flag but the star is lighter and smaller, reaching outside the cross.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 16 June 2006

Cornish Shipping Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 20 November 2005

Cornish Shipping Ltd., Plymouth - blue flag, in center three white "C"'s, arranged triangularly.
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 20 November 2005

James P. Corry & Co.

image located by Jan Mertens, 29 November 2005

Source: http://www.red-duster.co.uk/CORRY.htm

A further source (listing routes and years of operation) is http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/corry.htm.

Robert Corry, originally of Co. Down (Ireland) founded a company in Belfast in 1826, active in timber imports from Canada and later sailing to India, Australia and New Zealand, and South America. Relocated to London as a result of this growing trade; by then the firm was already named Corry & Co. (about 1850). During that period, the wooden Canadian-built ships were replaced by iron ones built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast. Representing a new generation, James P. Corry – grandson and name giver to the modified company name, created a baronet in 1885 - saw the acquisition of steamships starting in 1887 and the introduction of refrigeration plants. In cooperation with Thomas Royden & Sons and G.D. Tyser & Co., an emigrant service to Australia was established in 1912. Two years later, Corry’s Star Line (named after a famous series of ships the names of which started with ‘Star of…’), Royden (Indra Line), Tyser, and William Milburn (Anglo-Australian Steam Navigation Co.) were to merge into the Commonwealth & Dominion Line, later known as the Port Line.

The house flag is white with two red horizontal edges (1:2:1) and a red heart in the centre. I am convinced the heart is canting and long used as a mark before the mentioned baronetcy (whatever the armorial bearings may have been). A much smaller heart is shown by the on-line 1912 Lloyds Flags & Funnels, under No. 1386, last on that page, for ‘James P. Corry & Co. (Star Line, Ltd.) London’.
Jan Mertens, 29 November 2005

John Cory and Sons

image by Jarig Bakker, 13 December 2004

Based on Wedge 1926 John Cory & Sons, Limited, Cardiff - blue, in the center red disk charged with white "C".
Jarig Bakker, 13 December 2004

"Flags and Funnels of the British and Commonwealth Merchant Fleets" shows this flag with a serif letter C.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 16 June 2006

Cory & Strick (Steamers) Ltd

image located by Jan Mertens

From http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/strick.html:

“Another Company called Cory & Strick (Steamers) Ltd was formed in 1928. Cory's were long established in the coal trade and between 1928 - 31 they had six ships built with names all similar to that of La Tunisienne Steam. (…)
None of the Strick Companies could escape the depression in 1931 and many of their vessels found their way to lay up in various rivers and ports. (…)
In September of 1939 the three Fleets of Strick comprised 25 vessels of which 12 being Strick Line (1923) Ltd, 1 being Shahristan Steamship, 6 being La Tunisienne Steam Navigation and finally the remaining 6 with Cory & Strick. (…)
(In) 1943 Cory Strick had lost three of its six ships, two of the remaining were sold and the last was transferred to La Tunisienne Steam bringing to an end the Cory Strick association.”
The National Archives identify Cory & Strick as shipping agents based at Plymouth.

Lifted from the funnel image and enlarged, the flag above is seemingly a black lozenge with rounded sides delineating red fields (upper hoist and lower fly) and blue ones (lower hoist and upper fly), respectively. The black centre may symbolize the coal trade.
Jan Mertens, 27 January 2007

Cory Brothers

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 Cory Brothers, Cardiff. A rectangular flag divided horizontally into white over green. A pink Welsh dragon is in the centre holding two overlapping black diamonds with a white diamond in the centre stitched with the inscription 'CORY BROTHERS'. 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. The dragon and black diamonds are a reference to their coaling activities."
Jarig Bakker, 10 August 2004

Cory Colliers 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 Cory Colliers Ltd., London. A red, rectangular flag with a white diamond 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 two Inglefield clips is attached."
Jarig Bakker, 10 August 2004

William Cory & Son. Originally in the coal trade they became tug operators, taking over several other companies and eventually consolidating under the control of Cory Towage Ltd. Around 1985 the flag emblem was altered from a white diamond to a blue one edged white. They were taken over and absorbed effective 20 February 2000 by Bureau Wijsmuller B.V.
Neale Rosanoski, 16 February 2004

Cory Towage Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 3 November 2005

Cory Towage Ltd., London - red flag, blue diamond bordered white.
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 3 November 2005

Coulouthros Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 15 January 2006

Coulouthros Ltd., London - horizontal blue-white-blue flag, in center blue cross.
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 15 January 2006

Counties Ship Management Co.

image by James Dignan

Based on Sampson (1957)
James Dignan, 8 October 2003

Stewart & Styring (1963) lists a Counties Ship Management Co. Ltd. and London and Overseas Freighters Ltd. from London UK, but shows a different flag.

It's a little difficult to follow the history of the company, but Counties Ship Management was originally Rethymnis and Kulukundis, which set up different companies to manage each ship they owned - these each named after an English county. Three companies merged in 1937, apparently Rethymnis and Kulukundis Limited (London) being the primary concern. By 1950 it became the largest tramp steamer company in London. Its affiliated company London and Overseas Freighters Ltd. was started as a "tramp tanker" company by Rethymnis and Kulukundis. Counties Ship Management appears to have gone out of business in 1968 and London and Overseas sold the last of its tankers in 1997 (actually the company being purchased by Frontline Ltd. a Swedish company flying under the Bermuda flag).
Phil Nelson, 9 October 2003

Brown 622: Counties Ship Management Co., Ltd., London
Funnel: Buff with a red C surrounded by a red circle, over this a black top.
Flag: Triangular 2:3; white with a red border, in its center a red C surrounded by a red circle. (The C in Brown's is about one-fourth of the flag in height; the circle is
pictured as a line, slightly thinner than the letter, and both considerably thinner than the border. C for County?)
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 20 October 2003

image by Jarig Bakker, 27 December 2004

Counties Ship Management (Rethymnis & Kulukundis), London - burgee white over blue; in center red 5-pointed star.
Rethymnis & Kulukundis (Piraeus) have an identical tapered swallowtailed houseflag, according to Brown (1951).
From Scott, R.M., The Caltex book of Flags and Funnels, Capetown, Caltex Africa Ltd. (1959).
Jarig Bakker, 27 December 2004

Counties Ship Manaagement. The biband white-blue pennant with red star was apparently adopted post WW2 [Sampson being late picking up the change once again] as a group flag for Rethymnis & Kulukundis. I suspect that the swallowtailed tapered pennant shown by Brown 1951 referred to by Jarig is an error. Nobody else mentions it and Brown 1958 shows the pennant shown.
Neale Rosanoski, 14 April 2005

In the 1960’s I worked for Rethymnis and Kulukundis and the Counties ship were named after hills in London, e.g., Streatham Hill, Tulse Hill, etc., and were all WWII built Canadian Forts or Parks.
Colin Brown, 6 April 2006, Bob Boxer, 3 January 2008

J.B. Couper

image by Ivan Sache, 10 April 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "J.B. Couper" (#259, p. 49), a company based in Glasgow (Scotland), as blue with a red descending diagonal stripe charged with a white "C".
Ivan Sache, 10 April 2008

image by Ivan Sache, 10 April 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "George Couper & Co." (#261, p. 49), a company based in Helmsdale (Scotland), as red with a red rectangle bordered in white and charged with a white "C".
Ivan Sache, 10 April 2008

R&J Craig Co.

3:5 image by Rob Raeside, 15 January 2008

House Flag of R&J Craig Co of Glasgow.
Red, white and blue horizontal: red St Andrew's Cross superimposed on white.
Graham Cumming, 15 January 2008

According to James Griffin's 'Flags national and mercantile' (Portsmouth, Griffin, 1891), the flag was 3:5 in dimension.
Ian Sumner, 16 January 2008

C. Crawley, Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 29 August 2005

C. Crawley, Ltd., Gravesend - green flag, white bucket.
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 29 August 2005

Crescent Shipping

image by Jarig Bakker, 10 Aug 2004

From The National Maritime Museum:

The house flag of Crescent Shipping. A rectangular red flag with a white crescent near the hoist. 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, 10 Aug 2004

Crescent Shipping. This is the flag of the British company London & Rochester Trading Co. Ltd. The NMM flag is the only source which shows these different proportions. London & Rochester, dating from 1907, used Crescent Shipping as a trade name until 1986 when they officially became Crescent Shipping Ltd. Involved in the coastal trade, in 1989 they absorbed Bowker & King Ltd. who were similarly involved but in tankers and according to Brown 1995 they then used two flags, one red with the white crescent for cargo ships and the other blue with the white crescent for tankers. In 1997 a takeover saw them become Crescent plc under which title, as a subsidiary of the Clipper Group, they still operate with their shipping operations handled by Crescent Marine Services Ltd. Going by their website www.crescentltd.com they probably no longer use this flag as their logo appears to now comprise mainly a red crescent above two wavy red lines though a blue version is given for the Seatruck Ferries division. The red version is shown appearing on a white funnel band which may indicate possible use as a flag.
Neale Rosanoski, 18 April 2005

image by Jarig Bakker, 3 October 2005

Crescent Shipping Ltd., (Tanker), London - blue flag, white crescent towards the hoist (the companion of the red flag with crescent).
Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 3 October 2005

Isaac Crocker

image by Ivan Sache, 10 April 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "Isaac Crocker" (#254, p. 49), a company based in Cardiff (Wales), as white with a red "A" in the middle.
Ivan Sache, 10 April 2008

Crow, Rudolf & Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 4 April 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "Crow, Rudolf & Co." (#177, p. 45), a company based in Liverpool, as horizontally divided red-blue-red with a white disk in the middle.

"A heavy failure is reported from Liverpool, where the well known firm of Crow, Rudolf & Co., merchants and shipowners, have availed themselves of the protection of the Liverpool Bankruptcy Court. An order for a receivership, says "The Times" has been made against them on the petition of certain creditors, who are bankers in New York. [...] The failure is understood to be due to the suspension of the First National Bank of Pensacola, which involved the failure of an American firm heavily indebted to Crow, Rudolf & Co. [...]"
Ivan Sache, 4 April 2008

Crusader Shipping 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 Crusader Shipping Ltd., London. A black swallow-tailed pennant with a shield bearing the cross of St George on a gold sword. The flag is made of a machine sewn, wool and synthetic fibre bunting. The motif and the hoist are made of cotton fabric. A rope and toggle is attached. The crusader's sword and shield in the design were intended by the company to symbolise the launch into a new trade route across the Pacific from New Zealand to the West Coast of USA."
Jarig Bakker, 10 August 2004

Crusader Swire Container Service Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 9 September 2005

Crusader Swire Container Service Ltd., London - white flag, blue "CSCS".
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 9 September 2005