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

British shipping companies (R)

E.F. & W. Roberts
Roberts & Ruthven, Ltd.
Hugh Roberts and Son
William Robertson, Shipowners, Ltd. (Gem Line)
Robertson, Mackie & Co.
Robertson, Paterson & Co.
J.H. Robins & Co., Ltd.
Rogers & Bright, Ltd.
Sir Robert Ropner & Co.
T. Robinson
Robinson Bros.
R. Ropner & Co.
Thomas Rose
Ross Group
F. & T. Ross, Ltd.
Ross, Allan & Johnston

See also:

E.F. & W. Roberts

image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "E. F. & W. Roberts" (#344, p. 53), a company based in Liverpool, as blue with a red border and a white star in the middle.

On 24 October 1898, the "Andorinha", a four-masted sailing ship owned by E. F. and W. Roberts, was involved in a big blaze that caused a loss of $300,000 in Brooklyn. A fire seems to have started on the ship and to have swiftly spread to the pier belonging to the German-American Stores. Then the blaze extended to the naval storeyard of George L. Hammond & Co. and to the three-masted schooner "Wacamaw". The whole story was reported in "The New York Times", 25 October 1898.
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2008

Roberts & Ruthven, Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Roberts & Ruthven, Ltd. (#1481, p. 107), a Grimsby-based fishing company, as white with a blue border.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#72
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Hugh Roberts and Son

image by Phil Nelson, 11 April 2000

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

Hugh Roberts & Son was established in Newcastle in 1874 as the owner of small wooden sailing ships. In 1875 the North Shipping Company was formed when the North Wales was delivered. In 1877 the company took delivery of its first steamship and the sailing fleet was later sold off. By 1888 eight steam tramps were owned but by the end of the Great War in 1918 only one ship survived. The fleet was rebuilt but the Second World War again caused the loss of most of their ships. In 1964 the company and its one remaining ship was sold to Common Brothers of Newcastle.

Mariners L
http://mariners-list.com/site_pages.php?section=Shipping+Companies&category=English&page_name=North+Shipping+Co

More details on Captain Roberts (1826-1906) and the company's ships are available on the Rhiw website.
http://www.rhiw.com/y_mor/hanes_llongau_llyn/north_shipping/hugh_roberts.htm
Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

image by Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same flag (#1683, p. 117), but with a smaller "R".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#82
Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

William Robertson, Shipowners, Ltd. (Gem Line)

[William Robertson, Shipowners, Ltd. houseflag]

image by Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021

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

William Robertson, Shipowners, Ltd. Griffin 1895, Lloyds 1904 and the Liverpool Journal of Commerce all show the white band being very broad with equal bands then shown by all sources from 1912 onwards, suggesting that there was a change in the basic design. Robertsons had their fleet under the name Gem Line Ltd. from the late 1950s to the early 1970s, the ship names being after minerals or semi-precious stones, then around the mid 1970s seem to have been absorbed by Stephenson Clarke Shipping Ltd.
Neale Rosanoski, 16 February 2004

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 Gem Line. A white, rectangular flag with the top and bottom edges in dark blue. In the centre is a red 'R'. 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, 13 August 2004

William Robertson Shipowners Ltd used the name Gem Line from the late 1950s, their ships being given the names of minerals or semi-precious stones. They were acquired by Stephenson Clarke Shipping Ltd in 1970 and integrated with their fleet in 1978 though the ships retained their 'gem' names.

https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/235.html
National Maritime Museum

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag [with equal stripes] (#97, p. 41).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#6
Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021

Robertson, Mackie & Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 3 April 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "Robertson, Mackie & Co." (#185, p. 45), a company based in Glasgow (Scotland), as white with a blue border and a red star in the middle.
Ivan Sache, 3 April 2008

Robertson, Paterson & Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Robertson, Paterson & Co. (#1613, p. 113), a Glasgow-based shipping company, as red with two white ascending diagonal stripes, in upper left corner, a white "R", in lower right corner, a white "P", in the middle, a white thistle placed per bend sinister.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#78
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

J.H. Robins & Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag ofJ.H. Robins & Co., Ltd. (#685, p. 69), a Hull-based company, as white with a red "R" in the center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/34/
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Rogers & Bright, Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
Rogers & Bright, Ltd. (#461, p. 58), a Liverpool-based company, as white with the red letters "R&B".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#23
Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Sir Robert Ropner & Co.

image by James Dignan

Based on Sampson (1957).
James Dignan, 19 October 2003

Sir R. Ropner Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool: Larousse Commercial Illustré (1930) shows quarterly red and white, characters counterchanged in each canton i.e. upper hoist, white `R.', upper fly, red `R.', lower hoist, red `&', lower fly, `Co' (`o' raised, no dot). No serifs. Robert Ropner's remarkable career is described on this site (click on the flag). The firm is still active in shipping but no longer independent: see its home page, then click `Company History'.
Jan Mertens, 4 June 2004

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 Sir R. Ropner & Co. (Management) Ltd., Darlington. A rectangular flag quartered into red and white with a black and gold shield of arms in the centre. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. The shield is printed onto cotton."
Jarig Bakker, 29 August 2004

Sir Robert Ropner & Co. The flag apparently changed post WW2, being shown from Stewart 1951 onwards, the letters being deleted and a shield added overall. I am not sure of the charges on the shield but at some point I have noted that they included stag heads.
Neale Rosanoski, 24 May 2004

T. Robinson

image by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Sir Thomas Robinson (1855-1927)
At 14 he was cabin boy on a fishing smack and within 14 years had become a master smack owner. By 1883, recognizing the inevitable changes the steam trawler would bring, he had given up going to sea and had his own fleet of fishing vessels. In World War I he became an adviser to the government on food supply, especially fishing. He handed over 14 of his ships to the government, went to the Canadian Pacific to acquaint himself with local conditions and then built three trawlers designed for work in that area. He was knighted for his work work with Cecil Harmsworth's Food Control.

https://dmbi.online/index.php?do=app.entry&id=2337
A Dictionary of Methodism in Britain and Ireland

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of T. Robinson (#412, p. 56), a Grimsby-based company, as vertically divided red-white-blue.
The same housed flag is shown for another two companies established vt Robinson in Grimsby, the Dominion Steam Fishing Co., Ltd. (#413, p. 56) and the Onward Steam Fishing Co., Ltd. (#414, p. 56).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#21
Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Robinson Bros.

image by Ivan Sache, 23 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Robinson Bros. (#354, p. 53), a Whitby-based company, as swallow-tailed, blue with a white cross cantonned on top by the white letter "R" and "BS.".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#18
Ivan Sache, 23 April 2021

R. Ropner & Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of R. Ropner & Co. (#416, p. 56), a West Hartlepool-based company, as quartered white and red with the counter-colored "R.", "R.", "&", and "Co." in the respective quarters.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#21
Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Thomas Rose

image by Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021

Thomas Rose, ship owner, ship broker, shipping agent, coal exporter & many other things besides, initially owned vessels in his own name, i.e. 'Thomas Rose' or 'Thomas Rose & Co.' But in 1913 he both founded 'The Rose Line Limited' (known as 'Tommy Rose'), & through that company purchased Wylam Wharf. a wharf & related dock & warehouses facility located on the S. bank of the River Wear immediately to the west of the Bodlewell Ferry landing.

http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderland/sunderland162.html
The Sunderland Site

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
Thomas Rose (#517, p. 61) as white with a blue saltire.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#26
Ivan Sache, 25 April 2021

Ross Group

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 Ross Group, Grimsby. A rectangular green flag with a five-pointed white star. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn."
Jarig Bakker, 26 August 2004

F. & T. Ross, Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of F. & T. Ross, Ltd. (#1726, p. 119), a Hull-based shipping company, as red, charged in the center with the white letters "FTR".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#84
Ivan Sache, 4 May 2021

Ross, Allan & Johnston

image by Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Ross, Allan & Johnston (#1708, p. 118), a Glasgow-based shipping company, as red with the white letters "RAJ" in the center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#83
Ivan Sache, 3 May 2021

British Shipping lines: continued