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

British shipping companies (A)

See also:

Abbey Steam Fishing Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Abbey Steam Fishing Co., Ltd. (#921, p. 80), a Grimsby-based company, as red with a white shield charged with a red cross.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/45/
Ivan Sache, 28 April 2021

Aberdeen and Commonwealth Line

image by James Dignan, 8 October 2003 and António Martins-Tuválkin, 4 October 2024

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

image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 4 October 2024

I have also a flag with the star pointing upwards.
Jarig Bakker, 8 October 2003

Brown's Flags and Funnels (1940):
Aberdeen and Commonwealth Line, ltd. (Geo. Thompson & Co., Ltd.), London
Funnel: Yellow.
Flag: Red over blue, a white six-pointed star pointing flywise. The star may be intended as having a spanning circle half the height of the flag.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 18 October 2003

image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 4 October 2024

"Flags and Funnels of the British and Commonwealth Merchant Fleets" shows a five-pointed star. The star is placed on the horizontal equal bicolor background in such a way that the midline of the flag meets the star at two of its concave angles, itself being horizintally centered and upright – thus yielding an overall position markedly offset to the top.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 8 June 2006

Aberdeen Coal and Shipping Co., Ltd.

image by Phil Nelson, 8 April 2000

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

Aberdeen Coal & Shipping Co. Ltd. originated 1902 as the Aberdeen Coal Co. Ltd. changing its name as noted by Brown 1926 but continuing to show the original flag, which had the red letters "A.C.C." on the central stripe, apparently to post WW2 with Brown 1951 still showing this version and Stewart & Styring (1963) being the first to show the new flag.
Neale Rosanoski, 9 February 2004

image by Ivan Sache, 27 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Aberdeen Coal Co., Ltd. (#854, p. 77) as horizontally divided red-white-red, charged in the center with the red letters "A.C.C.".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/42/
Ivan Sache, 27 April 2021

Aberdeen Leith & Moray Firth Steam Shipping Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Aberdeen Leith & Moray Firth Steam Shipping Co., Ltd. (#1430, p. 105), a company established in 1881, as composed of two flags, a rectangular red flag with a white saltire, surmounted by a triangular elongated flag, blue with a red saltire at hoist and a vertical red stripe at fly.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#70
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

The Aberdeen Line Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 27 April 2021

The Aberdeen Lime Company was established in 1837, with company vessels generally carrying coal, lime and manure. Sailing vessels, such as Smithfield, also transported granite setts to London. These, covered with heather and wood chips, provided a floor for cattle also being shipped to London markets.

http://www.aberdeenships.com/single.asp?index=99522
Aberdeen Built ships

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of the Aberdeen Lime Company (#824, p. 76) as blue with a red border and the white letters "ALC".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/41/
Ivan Sache, 27 April 2021

Aberdeen Line, between London and Australia via South Africa, is managed by the owners, Messrs. George Thompson & Co. (founded at Aberdeen, Am), who have long occupied a prominent position in the Australian cargo and passenger trades, due to the "runs" of their noted clippers to Melbourne and to Sydney, the general high standard of their fleet, and its exceptional immunity from loss over more than half a century.
Their SS "Aberdeen", built in 1881 was the earliest ocean steamer to demonstrate the superior merits of triple-expansion engines decisively.

The total tonnage only includes now one sailing vessel, 2,093 tons, but the reputation of the line is well sustained by modern steam favorites bearing such time-honored names of former "fliers" as "Miltiades", "Moravian", and "Salamis". Two twin-screw steamers, "Miltiades", 6,793 tons, and "Marathon", 6,772 tons, each 15 knots, have been recently added.
The maiden voyage of the "Miltiades" from London to Melbourne, took 35 days, her time from Plymouth being a record passage of 34 days steaming.
Fleet, 10 vessels; 44,236 tons.

Whitaker Almanack, 1906

https://www.gjenvick.com/OceanTravel/SteamshipLines/AberdeenLine.html
GG Archives

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag for the Aberdeen Line (Geo. Thompson & Co., Ltd.)(#1212, p. 94).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#59
Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Aberdeen Line to Natal, & Co.

(Thos. & Jos. Harrison Ltd.)

image by Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Aberdeen Line to Natal, &C. (Thos. & Jos. Harrison) (#1213, p. 94) as blue, charged in the center with an eight-pointed star inscribing a red disc.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#59
Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Aberdeen, Newcastle & Hull Steam Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 12 March 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "Aberdeen, Newcastle & Hull Steam Co., Ltd." (#141, p. 43), a company based in Aberdeen (Scotland), as blue with a white saltire.
Ivan Sache, 12 March 2008

Aberdeen Steam Navigation Co.

image by Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

The house flag of the Aberdeen Steam Navigation Company, blue-white-blue vertical triband. The company's operations included services between Aberdeen and the Aberdeen Wharf in Limehouse for over a century.
Jan Mertens, 7 February 2005

Aberdeen Steam Navigation Co. operated passenger and cargo services between Aberdeen and London from 1821. The company originally operated sailing ships under the name of Aberdeen & London New Shipping Co., but the word New was dropped after a few years. In 1827 the first steamship was introduced and traded under the name Aberdeen & London S.N. Co. In 1835 the Aberdeen and London S.N. Co. combined with the Aberdeen & London Shipping Co. to form the Aberdeen S.N. Co.
In 1837 a service to Sunderland was introduced and in 1838 the Aberdeen & Hull Shipping Co. was taken over. By 1854 the service to Hull had been discontinued.
Sailings continued until 1945 except for wartime disruptions, but in 1945 the company was taken over by the Tyne-Tees Steam Shipping Co., Newcastle, part of the Coast Lines group. Passenger services were resumed after the end of World War II but only lasted until 1948 when they finally ceased. Competition from road and rail traffic spelled the end of the cargo trade between Aberdeen and London which finished in 1962 and the company ceased to exist.

https://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/aberdeensnc.shtml
The ShipsList

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the same house flag (#1206, p.94).
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#59
Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Aberdeen Steam Trawling and Fishing Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of
Aberdeen Steam Trawling and Fishing Co., Ltd. (#634, p. 67) as vertically divided red-white-blue with a black deer's head surmounted by the black letters "A.S.T.F.C°.LTD.".
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/32/

A drawing of the flag, dated 1901, is kept at the Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums.
https://emuseum.aberdeencity.gov.uk/objects/10683/house-flag-of-the-aberdeen-steam-trawling-and-fishing-co-lt
Ivan Sache, 26 April 2021

Abram, Addie & Cousin

image by Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

The copartnership of Abram, Addie & Cousin, ship owners and ship brokers, was dissolved of mutual consent, by the retiral of Robert Cousin, on 1 March 1913. The company was succeeded by Abram & Addie, while the third partner established Robert Cousin & Co. as a ship and insurance broker (The Edinburgh Gazette, 8 April 1913).

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Abram, Addie & Cousin (#1522, p. 109), a Glasgow-based fishing company, as diagonally divided (per bend) blue-white, a counter-colored stripe along the ascending diagonal.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#74
Ivan Sache, 1 May 2021

J.C. Adam

(Morpeth Steamship Co., Ltd.)

image by Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of J.C. Adam (Morpeth Steamship Co., Ltd.) (#1167, p. 92), a Newcastle-based company, as white with a red "M" in the center.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#57
Ivan Sache, 29 April 2021

Adam Steamship Co.

Also Adam Bros. Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 8 April 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "Adam Steamship Co., Ltd." (Aberdeen), also "Adam Bros. Ltd." (Aberdeen & Newcastle-on-Tyne) (#192, p. 46), as red with a white cross crosslet.
Ivan Sache, 8 April 2008

Thomas Adam (1842-1919) was the Head of Adams Brothers Ltd, coal and shipping agents, Aberdeen, Newcastle & London, and Managing Director of the Adam Steamship Company.
https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/158118603/thomas-adam
Find A Grave
Ivan Sache, 22 April 2021

Adelaide Steamship Co.

image by James Dignan

Based on Sampson (1957)
James Dignan, 10 October 2003

Formed in 1875. Merged with Gulf Steamship Company in 1882. The company has been reorganized from liquidation in 1900 and 1920. The company stopped operating as a maritime entity in 1977 changing its name to Residual Assco Group Ltd. The Marine division became Adsteam Marine Ltd. Australia.
Phil Nelson, 10 October 2003

image by Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 22 March 2011

The Adelaide Steamship Co. Ltd.: Sources generally indicate a larger star. According to Loughran (1979) the flag originated from the "X" international signal flag with the addition of the star. The change of name given as 1977 (possibly confusion here with a proposed merger with Howard Smith which the Trade Practices Tribunal refused to sanction) was actually 1997 and the shipping interests handled by Adsteam Marine were mainly tugs, mostly in joint ventures with Howard Smith Ltd. who were the operators. The Adsteam shareholding was immediately put on the market by Adelaide Steam and oversubscribed.
Neale Rosanoski, 9 February 2004

image by Jarig Bakker, 17 Jan 2005

Adelaide S.S. Co. Ltd., Adelaide: white flag, blue cross; in the center a red 8-pointed star.
Source: Brown's Flags and Funnels of British and Foreign Steamship Companies [Wedge 1926].
Jarig Bakker, 17 January 2005

Wedge 1926 version seems to be in the middle.
Jonathan Dixon, 23 March 2011

image located by Neale Rosanoski, 16 April 2011

Adelaide Steamship Co. Ltd. As far as the question of the size of the star is concerned, how it is depicted in various publications is not really relevant as an actual flag is shown by the National Maritime Museum [shown] which has it wholly throughout the cross fesse point. The Adelaide Steamship Co. was formed when Australia was a British colony and the capital was probably British, but its operations have always been Australian based and it was officially registered under the name of Adelaide Steamship Co. Ltd. 15.12.1910 in the Australian companies registry.
Neale Rosanoski, 16 April 2011

The diagonal points of the star extend slightly onto the field. With proportions given of 1092.2mm x 914.4 mm the portrayal by Peter Hans is nearly exactly on.
Neale Rosanoski, 17 April 2011

Agincourt S.S. Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

Agincourt S.S. Co. was acquired in 1906 by Furness, Withy and Co.

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Agincourt S.S. Co. (#1275, p. 97) as blue with a yellow axe.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#62
Ivan Sache, 30 April 2021

British Shipping lines: continued