J. Gardiner & Co.
was formed in 1882 when Glasgow businessman James Gardiner
decided to become a shipowner to augment his broking and insurance
businesses. His first ship was the Arisaig and operated by
James Gardiner & Co. on the 64th's system. In 1888 he
formed the Western Steam Ship Co. Ltd, with James Gardiner
& Co. as managers, and embarked on a programme of new
buildings at the yard of Charles Connell & Co. at Glasgow.
The company initially began tramping operations because, at
the time, half the world cargoes were carried by any available
ship at the lowest freight rates. The company's first service
was between Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town carrying coffee.
By 1912 the Gardiner fleet consisted of twelve ships operated
by four companies, Western Steam Ship Co. Ltd with 4 ships,
Indian Steam Ship Co. Ltd. with 4 ships, S.S. Gairloch Co.
Ltd with two ships and S.S. Kincraig Co. Ltd. with two ships.
At a later date one ship was owned by the Caledonia Steam
Ship Co.
The new acquisitions traded
between the USA to South America, South Africa and the Mediterranean
and because of the increased size of the fleet the Round the
World service was operated on a regular basis. In the early
twenties new services were introduced from the USA to France,
the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea ports. A service was
also introduced from New Orleans to London and North German
ports. At the same time Furness, Withy & Co.Ltd embarked
upon an extensive new building programme for all their subsidiaries
at their Haverton Hill shipyard on Teesside.
In 1925 Prince Line acquired
their first motorships when Johnstone Line's, another Furness,
Withy subsidiary, Sycamore and Tramore were transferred and
renamed Castillian Prince and Brazilian Prince. By 1927 the
company owned 33 vessels and new twin screwed diesel engined
ships were introduced when the Siamese Prince and four magnificent
sisters, Northern Prince, Southern Prince, Western Prince
and Eastern Prince joined the fleet. The four sisters were
known as the 'Compass Point' ships and being at 10926grt were
the largest dry-cargo ships ever owned by the company. They
also carried 101 first-class passengers in luxury accommodation.
Although competing with heavily subsidised American ships
they were deployed on the New York to South America and continued
on that run until the outbreak of the Second World War. In
modernising the fleet the company made full use of available
government support in the form of the Trade Facility Act guarantees
and shipping loans.
The downturn in shipbuilding in the mid '20's when Furness,
Withy had to resort to German ship yards when no British yard
could match the construction cost for five new motorships.
Chairman, Sir Frederick Lewis, even offered £10,000
per vessel over the price bid by any foreign yard but no British
yard that could match the German price. It later transpired
that the German yard had undercosted and lost money on the
deal although that could have been made good with a subsidy,
a common practice in Germany.
On 8th June 1934 Sir James Knott died in his eightieth year.
He had moved to the better climate of Jersey in 1928 and continued
to pursue his philanthropic activities jus as eagerly as he
had done in Newcastle. He had celebrated his Golden Wedding
in 1928 but his wife died in the following year. However,
four years later, in 1932, he married Miss Elizabeth Gauntlett
the 25 year old daughter of Colonel V.C. Gauntlett at Monte
Carlo where James had kept a yacht for years. When he died
Sir James left over £5,000,000 which escaped death duties
as he was resident in Jersey.
By 1936 the fleet had been
reduced to only 19 ships but in October of that year four
new 2090grt sisters were completed for the Mediterranean service
by W. Hamilton & Co. of Port Glasgow. The company was
given a 100% loan of £130,000 for the construction of
the Arabian Prince and the Syrian Prince on the condition
that two ships were scrapped under the Scrap and Build Bill.
Consequently, the Sailor Prince and the Stuart Prince were
sent to the scrapyard.
In January 1939 four more ships
were ordered from Smiths Dock Co. Ltd of Middlesbrough for
trading to the Mediterranean and were delivered during 1940-41.
They were the first ships built for the company to be partially
welded as opposed to riveting. A loan of £280,000 was
granted by the Government under the British Shipping (Assistance)
Bill against the total cost of £332,000 for the four
Mediterranean traders. An unconditional loan of £104,000,
representing 85% of the construction cost, was granted in
respect of the building of the Welsh Prince.
At the outbreak of the Second
World War the company was operating 20 vessels on four services;
from the UK to the Mediterranean, between the USA and South
Africa, from New York to South America and the Far East Round
the World service on which six specialised 6,500grt vessels
were deployed capable of 14.5 knots and with accommodation
for twelve passengers.
During the war the company maintained a reasonably consistent
fleet level by replacing ships lost with new acquisitions.
The convoy system was introduced at the onset of the war and
this helped to minimise the company's losses.
Frederick Lewis , who by this time was Lord Essendon and who
had been chairman of Prince Line the 25 years since he acquired
the company in 1919, died in 1944. He had worked for the Furness,
Withy Group of Companies for 61years starting his career as
an office boy in 1883. Under his guidance the company took
a great interest in resolving the problems of providing fresh
water for lifeboats and rafts. Prince Line was the first company
to equip lifeboats with portable sea water distillers before
the Ministry of War Transport made them compulsory. The company
also compiled a comprehensive booklet which detailed war-time
equipment that should be carried, a booklet that was later
adopted by the MOWT and issued to all merchant vessels.
Sir Ernest Murrant MBE succeeded
Lord Essendon as Chairman and, as the former Middle East representative
of the Ministry of War Transport, had acquired a first hand
knowledge on trade in that area.
Twelve new ships were acquired
during the hostilities but, during the same period, Prince
Line lost eight ships and the Rio-Cape Line lost six ships
including three of the new acquisitions. 237 men lost their
lives and an additional 33 perished on ships managed by the
company on behalf of the Ministry of War Transport. On a more
positive note 35 men were awarded decorations or received
commendations for acts of heroism and selfless duty.
.JPG)
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