John Bibby, the fourth of five sons and founder of the shipping
company that still bears his name, was born at Eccleston, near
Ormskirk in Lancashire on 19th February 1775. In his late teens
he went to Liverpool where he worked for James Hatton, a ship's
iron merchant who produced anchors and chains. From that moment
John Bibby developed a keen interest in ironmongery which, for
many years, was the more profitable aspect of his business especially
as it involved investment in land and buildings which ultimately
enhanced his fortune.
In 1801,
at the age of 26, he diversified his business interests when
he established a shipbroking company, Bibby & Hall, with
William Hall at Dukes Dock. His first venture in shipping was
to take a small share in the galliot Dove and eventually he
began to operate ships, in which he would have a substantial
share, exclusively under his management. In Liverpool at that
time there was a tendency for shipowners to trust ship managers
who had an investment in the ship as it was assumed that the
ships would be well looked after, well insured and profitably
run. The ships would fundamentally be financed by the better
off citizens of the city who would provide the capital to purchase
the vessels. Consequently, a number
Liverpool shipowners grew to prominence long before the concept
of the Limited Liability company came about by Act of Parliament
in 1896. Until that time shares in the 'common purse' principal
for investing in ships cargoes and their voyages dated from
Phoenician times, about 2000BC.
By 1805 John had formed an offshoot
cargo broking merchants house with a John Highfield and, as
partners, they formed John Bibby & Co. Their first sailing
ship was the galliot Margaret in which they held the majority
of the sixty-fourth shares. The ship was named after is new
wife, Mary Margaret Mellard, who had brought with her a dowry
of £2,5000 and a lot of enthusiasm for John's business
aims. With this backing John severed his links with William
Hall apart from a financial link when the new company was formed.
John's first son, Joseph Mellard
Bibby, was born in 1806, the same year that Britain, as a consequence
of the Napoleonic Wars which had started in 1803, declared a
continental blockade from the Elbe to Brest. Any ship attempting
to cross the blockade was liable to capture and confiscation
which severely restricted trade routes to much of the northern
Europe.
In 1807 a regular packet service
was established from Parkgate to Dublin and, by this time, all
links with William Hall had been severed and John Bibby had
64th shares in seven vessels. John Bibby (II) was born in 1810.
John Bibby
Mary Mellard Bibby
When sailings dates were advertised
in Liverpool during 1812 the name Bibby & Highfield came
into use although the firm itself was still known as John Bibby
& Co. The first ship built for the company was named Highfield
after the other partner. Initially all the vessels owned by
the company were small and it wasn't until 1825 that a ship
which exceed 100 feet in length was acquired. However, they
were all well founded and had a reputation for excellent seaworthiness.
The passenger accommodation was well above average for that
era and much sought after. Since that day the company has always
adopted the policy of providing superior accommodation, a policy
which has contributed much its longevity. Thomas and James Jenkinson
Bibby were born in 1812.
On 8th June 1812 President Madison of the USA declared war on
Great Britain even though a message agreeing to his demands
had been sent but arrived too late. As a consequence Bibby's
increased their trade to the West Indies where a premium tariff
prevailed; the merchant ships sailing in navy protected convoys.
In 1814 the Treaty of Kiel was
signed which re-opened the Baltic to British traders and immediately
Bibby's commenced trading to that area. Later in the same year
the Treaty of Ghent was signed which ended the Anglo-American
war. Sailings to Leghorn (Livorno) were established, in competition
with Patrick Henderson out of Glasgow and Leith, in 1817 which
resulted in the ordering of new sailing ships rather than purchasing
second hand tonnage.
The partnership with John Highfield
was dissolved in 1821 although he remained a close business
associates, at one, time, sharing the same office. In those
days partners were equally liable for profits and losses and
if one partner felt that he didn't have sufficient equity to
meet potential liabilities it was prudent to dissolve the partnership.
The company, however, remained as John Bibby & Co.
John Bibby diversified his business
interests in 1827 when he invested in property and set up his
Liverpool iron merchants enterprise. He advertised himself as
"iron merchants and shipowners", the order of words
indicating where his priorities lay. When the Honourable East
India Company's monopoly was rescinded in April 1934 Bibby decided
to send his ships to the Spice Islands and India. Initially
trade was spasmodic but as it developed his interest in the
venture grew.
James Jenkinson Bibby
By 1836 the company owned 18
ships and was trading to Lisbon, the Mediterranean, South America
and Bombay with the occasional voyage to Canton, the only Chinese
port open to them, during the tea season. In the same year,
so that his sons could enter the business, all in-house business
connections with John Highfield were severed and he set up a
shipbroking business and became a shipowner in his own right,
albeit, in a small way.
In 1839 a copper smelting business was established across the
Mersey at Seacombe which, apart from extending the iron merchants
iron, enabled Bibby to produce his own copper sheeting with
which the bottoms of wooden hulls were covered.
The family suffered a tragedy
in 1840 when, on 19th July, 65 year old John Bibby, who was
returning to his home, Mount Pleasant on Linacre Marsh, was
attacked and clubbed by footpads who took no more than his hunting
watch. The unconscious man was thrown into a pond where he subsequently
drowned. At the time three of his four sons were engaged in
the business. James Jenkinson Bibby, the youngest was the office
manager at Liverpool where he remained, John Bibby junior was
his father's agent in India and returned to Liverpool on his
father's death. Joseph Mellard Bibby was a partner but concentrated
more on the metals businesses rather than the shipping side.
The fourth son, Thomas, had gone into the Church. As a mark
of respect to their father the company was restyled John Bibby
& Sons.
The sailing fleet continued to
expand but in 1850 Bibby's began to look towards steam propulsion
and, as a result, took a financial stake in the single screw
steam Rattler. The Rattler and her sister, the Osmanli, were
owned by Vianna & Jones and formed part of the Liverpool
& Mediterranean Steam Shipping Co., a newly established
company which had Bibby, Vianna and Jones as partners. The new
company inaugurated services to the French and Italian ports
in the Mediterranean. At that time the staff of John Bibby &
Sons included the 28 year old Frederick R. Leyland who worked
for the new company and who, within nine years, became a partner
and eventually bought the company's ships. Three years later
a regular service to Portugal was commenced using the small
steamer Douro.
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