By 1894 the abandoning of isolationism
saw the Japanese economy rapidly expanding but, unlike today,
they did not have the shipbuilding capacity to construct ocean
going ships. Consequently, they sought to purchase and, as
nearly 50% of the ships afloat were British built and owned,
they looked to British owners for their requirements. The
first Shire vessel to change hands under this policy was the
Cardiganshire which became the Iburi Maru. Maru means 'to
do with going to sea' in Japanese and generally forms part
of the name of most merchant vessels under Japanese ownership.
Literally translated it can also mean 'going round in circles'.
The Merionethshire joined the
fleet in 1895 and was the first ship to exceed 3000 tons.
On 27th May, 1896, DAVID JONES
& CO. LTD was incorporated to take over the ships and
assets of the company. These were valued and shares issued
accordingly to the family, David Jenkins' widow, her children
including Noble, and Noble's children. The first directors
were Noble Jenkins, Francis Jenkins and Francis Nash with
A.R Crump as Company Secretary and lack of space saw the company
moving to 38, Leadenhall St., the shipowners street.
Over the next few years the
fleet size fluctuated on a regular basis. In 1897 the Glamorganshire,
the longest serving vessel but only 13 years old, was wrecked.
In 1899 the new style larger ships Cardiganshire and Denbighshire
joined the fleet and the policy was to replace the smaller
ships. The Cardiganshire and her sister had reached 4,600grt
but they only served with the company for a short time before
being sold to the Japanese. The second Carmarthenshire was
sold on in 1901.
The first vessel to exceed
5000grt joined the fleet in 1902 and the second Monmouthshire
introduced a new style of ship to herald the new century.
With a vertical profile she was longer with a wider beam to
increase the payload, and with three islands, fo'c'sle, centrecastle
and poop, but although she was fitted with more powerful engines
her service speed was not increased. The disposal of the first
Monmouthshire the fleet was reduced to six, the Pembrokeshire
(2), the Radnorshire (2), the Merionethshire (2), the Flintshire
(3), the Denbighshire (3) and the new Monmouthshire. A four
weekly service to Japan was maintained by cutting out the
pre-Singapore calls.
The outbreak of the Russo-Japanese war in 1904 seriously affected
Shire Line's trade because of their dependence on the Japanese
market. The war also attracted newcomers which pushed up freight
rates and the Japanese purchased a number of vessels to serve
as supply ships; ships that would have to be utilised by them
after the war. Consequently, Noble Jenkins recognised that,
in future, the Japanese would, to some extent, be additional
competitors shipping their own exports and imports.
One of the newcomers to the
area was Thos & Jno Brocklebank whose history went back
to the early 1700's. Their traditional services usually ended
at Calcutta but they had introduced a new service which departed
in Antwerp and went to Yokohama via Singapore, Shanghai and
Kobe. The service was non-Conference and therefore uncontrolled
and in direct competition with Shire and Glen Lines. When
the Treaty of Portsmouth, signed on 29th August 1905, ended
the Russo-Japanese War, Noble Jenkins approached Brocklebank's
with a view to cooperation.
The effect of the negotiations
was to form a JENKINS-BROCKLEBANK joint venture. On 1st June
1906 Brocklebank's acquired a half share in the Shire Line
but not in David Jenkins & Co.Ltd. It was agreed that
each company would have five ships in the Shire pool but all
of the ships would be crewed and managed by their respective
owners. The ten ships would then operate a weekly service
to Japan with the resultant profits or losses being shared
equally. The ships contributed by Brocklebank's were somewhat
elderly being the Ameer renamed Cardiganshire (4), the Gaekwar
renamed Carnarvonshire (2), the Pindarl renamed Breckonshire
(3), the Marwarri renamed Glamorganshire (4) and the Bengali
renamed Montgomeryshire (2). The latter two vessels were slightly
newer and all ships were given the Jenkin's black funnel and
adopted a new houseflag. The routes were unchanged and the
venture was represented by Jenkins' agent Norris & Joyner
and Brocklebank's agent Alexander Howden & Co.
However, the joint venture
was destined to survive for just over a year as was the Jenkins'
involvement in shipowning. In April 1907 the Royal Mail Steam
Packet Co., which was controlled by the dynamic Welshman Owen
Crosby Philips founder of the King Line and later elevated
to the peerage as Lord Kylsant, purchased a one-third share
in the Jenkins Brocklebank joint venture as it was interest
in the Far East and American west coast routes. The share
came entirely out of the Jenkins' 50% in exchange for Royal
Mail shares and cash which the family willingly accepted.
In July of the same year Royal Mail purchased the remaining
Jenkins' share of the joint venture and, at the same time,
the family resigned their directorships and severed all connections
with the shipping line founded by David Jenkins.
The Denbighshire, the Flintshire and the Monmouthshire became
part of the BROCKLEBANK-ROYAL MAIL joint venture and last
two Jenkins' ships the Radnorshire and the Merionethshire
were sold. Although only a 50% partner Royal Mail insisted
that the ships adopted their black hull and yellow funnel
livery and yet another new houseflag was flown. Harold and
Sir Aubrey Brocklebank, heads of the Brocklebank family, were
not at all impressed with the arrangement as the Far East
trade was in decline and subject to fierce competition. They
were quite happy with their routes to India.
The joint venture was later
formalised with the formation of SHIRE LINE OF STEAMERS LTD,
with both companies having an equal shareholding. The first
act of the new company was to transfer the Breckonshire back
to Brocklebank for their India service which left four Brocklebank
and three Shire vessels to maintain the service. David Jenkins
& Co Ltd went into voluntary liquidation and it wasn't
until seven years later that the winding up was finally completed.
As beneficial owners of the
Shire Line, in 1909 Royal Mail purchased two ship from the
Union Castle Line to boost their service to the West Indies.
For tax reasons the vessels were allocated to the Shire Line
and renamed the Carmarthenshire and the Pembrokeshire.
In July 1911 Royal Mail bought
Brocklebank's share of the Shire Line of Steamers Ltd but
not the Brocklebank ships and, consequently, the Breckonshire,
the Cardiganshire and the Carnarvonshire were sold. The Glamorganshire
and the Montgomeryshire remained on charter to the Shire Line
for several months before reverting to Brocklebank, but still
as 'Shires'.
By 1911, the now Sir
Owen Philips owned Elder, Dempster & Co which, in turn,
had Glen Line as a subsidiary controlled by the Royal Mail
Group. Glen Line and Shire Line had worked together out of
London to the Far East for many years and the strategy of
Owen Philips over the preceding five years was now becoming
apparent. Royal Mail's gradual acquisition of Shire, as opposed
to a costly outright purchase, meant that the company was
firmly ensconced in the Far East trade. It now made sense
to make economies of scale by bringing Shire Line and Glen
Line together but there was still a problem, the companies
used different handling agents. Glen Line used McGregor, Gow
& Co which Philips owned and Glen used the independent
Norris & Joyner. The problem was solved when, on 1st February
1912, Philips bought Norris & Joyner and merged the two
agents as McGregor, Gow, Norris & Joyner Ltd.
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