The Fleets
Formed in 1881 as general traders by Captain Charles Barrie, the company soon turned to the jute trade between India and Dundee. However, the company was also involved in the emigrant trade from Britain to Australia and in trooping. In 1883 Barrie commissioned his first steamship, but did not own another until 1895. In 1915 it was decided to sell the fleet and by 1916 the company owned no ships. A brief return to shipowning occurred between 1921 and 1923 with the purchase of DEN OF AIRLIE, but she was also sold and the company then became solely shipping agents.
Boswell Nairn was a shipowner in a small way between 1886 and 1908 when the company became shipping agents. In 1966 Charles Barrie & Sons merged with B. L. Nairn & Co. to form Barrie & Nairn.
Many thanks to Ted Finch for his assistance in collecting this data. The following list was extracted from various sources. This is not an all inclusive list but should only be used as a guide.
Ships
Sailing Ships
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Baker | 1863 | wooden ship, 1881 purchased from J. F. Fowlie, Barrow, 29th Jan.1889 stranded in gale on Florida Keys on voyage Pensacola to Grangemouth. | 810 |
| Calcutta | 1860 | iron barque, ex- City of Calcutta, 1881 purchased from George Smith & Sons, Glasgow renamed Calcutta, 16th Sep.1895 sprang a leak and abandoned off Staten Island, South Atlantic while on voyage Huanillos to London and drifted ashore on Staten Island. | 984 |
| Chittagong | 1864 | iron ship, ex- Arundel Castle, 1883 purchased from Donald Currie & Co., London, rerigged as barque and renamed Chittagong, 1896 sold to J. A. Henschien, Lillesand, Norway renamed Imperator, 1901 hulked at Port Elizabeth after storm damage, 1918 re-rigged as barque by Mitchell, Cotts & Co., 1920 sold to Greece renamed Annitsa Zalocosta, 1922 scrapped. | 1,042 |
| Dacca | 1865 | iron ship, ex- Tantallon Castle, 1883 purchased from Donald Currie & Co., London, renamed Dacca, 1890 rerigged as barque and 1896 sold to M. Bruusgaard, Drammen, Norway renamed Macca, 1911 scrapped. | 1,057 |
| Dudhope | 1894 | steel ship, 1905 sold to Ship Dudhope Co., Liverpool. 15th Jul.1917 captured by U.49 and scuttled 200 miles west of Fastnet. | 2,088 |
| Dundee | 1882 | iron barque, 1907 sold to Robert Mattson, Mariehamn, Russia, 1920 sold to Italy, 1925 scrapped. | 2,063 |
| Errol | 1868 | iron ship, ex- Carisbrooke Castle, 1889 purchased from Donald Currie & Co., London renamed Errol, 1900 sold to A. P. Ulriksen, Mandal, Norway, 1909 wrecked Middleton Reef, South Pacific. | 1,500 |
| Glasgow | 1863 | iron ship, ex- Pembroke Castle, 1883 purchased from Donald Currie & Co., London, rerigged as barque and renamed Glasgow, 25th Dec.1893 abandoned dismasted and sinking in position 47.04N 20.47W on voyage Carrizal to Middlesbrough. | 1,222 |
| Juteopolis | 1891 | steel barque, 1899 sold to Juteopolis Sailing Ship Co., London, 1900 transferred to Anglo-American Oil Co., London, 1911 sold to G. Windram, Liverpool, 1917 sold to Marine Navigation Co. of Canada, London, 1920 renamed Garthpool, 1929 stranded on Cape Verde Islands. | 2,842 |
| Lawhill | 1892 | steel barque, 1899 sold to Lawhill Sailing Ship Co., London, 1900 transferred to Anglo-American Oil Co., London, 1911 sold to G. Windram, Liverpool, 1914 sold to A. M. Troberg, Mariehamn, Russia, 1917 sold to Gustaf Erikson, Mariehamn, Finland, 1941 seized by authorities at East London as war prize and sold. 1947 sold to Marcio da Silva, Lourenco Marques and laid up. 1954 beached and abandoned, 1957 scrapped. | 2,942 |
| London | 1863 | iron ship, ex- Roslin Castle, 1883 purchased from Donald Currie & Co., London, rerigged as barque and renamed London, 27th Dec.1892 stranded in Gulf of Florida on voyage Pensacola to Rio de Janeiro. | 1,229 |
Steam Ships
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Den of Airlie (1) | 1895 | 1911 sold to Chr. Nielsen & Co., Larvik, Norway renamed Vasco da Gama, 1914 sold to Westfal Larsen, Bergen renamed Samnanger, 1916 sold to K. Einersen, Christiania renamed Bestum, 12th Aug,1917 shelled and sunk by U.17 west of Bishops Rock. | 3,512 |
| Den of Airlie (2) | 1911 | 1912 sold to Lamport & Holt Ltd renamed Archimedes. | 5,364 |
| Den of Airlie (3) | 1913 | 1916 sold to Cunard SS Co. renamed Valeria. | 5,865 |
| Den of Airlie (4) | 1914 | ex- Santa Clara, 1921 war prize from Hamburg South America Line renamed Den of Airlie, 1923 sold to Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie renamed Ulanga. | 5,485 |
| Den of Crombie (1) | 1905 | 1905 sold to Hamburg America Line renamed Istria, 1914 captured by HMS Black Prince renamed Polesley, 21st Sep.1918 torpedoed and sunk by UB.88 off Pendeen Lighthouse. | 4,510 |
| Den of Crombie (2) | 1907 | 8th Nov.1915 shelled and sunk by U.35 off Crete. | 4,949 |
| Den of Ewnie | 1913 | 1916 sold to Johnston Line, Liverpool renamed Pinemore. | 4,645 |
| Den of Glamis | 1910 | 1915 sold to Furness Withy & Co. renamed Tamaqua. | 5,191 |
| Den of Kelly (1) | 1905 | 1905 sold to Hamburg America Line renamed Illyria, 1914 interned at Las Palmas, 1921 sold to Glover Bros, London renamed Keats, 1933 scrapped. | 4,306 |
| Den of Kelly (2) | 1905 | 1914 sold to Nautilus SS Co., Sunderland renamed Oak Branch, 1932 scrapped. | 4,430 |
| Den of Kelly (3) | 1906 | ex- Dalhanna, 1915 purchased from J. M. Campbell & Son, Glasgow renamed Den of Kelly, 1915 sold to Neptune SN Co. (Furness Withy) renamed Snowdon Range, 28th Mar.1917 torpedoed and sunk by UC.65. | 4,662 |
| Den of Mains | 1905 | 1913 sold to Nautilus SS Co., Sunderland renamed Maple Branch, 1914 captured by German cruiser Karlsruhe and scuttled. | 4,647 |
| Den of Ogil (1) | 1899 | 1911 sold to P. Bogen, Sandefjord renamed Capella I, 10th Aug.1917 torpedoed and sunk by U.86 off Ireland. | 3,929 |
| Den of Ogil (2) | 1913 | 1916 sold to Cunard SS Co. renamed Volodia. | 5,689 |
| Den of Ruthven | 1907 | 1915 sold to Furness Withy & Co. renamed Wyncote. | 4,937 |
| Den of Seaton | 1901 | 1904 sunk in collision in fog with s/s Shepperton off Barry Island. | 3,892 |
| Invertay | 1883 | 1896 sold to Nippon Shosen KK, Tokyo renamed Bushu Maru, 1904 scuttled as blockship at Port Arthur. | 1,289 |
Steamships owned by B.L. Nairn
| Name | Built | Additional Information | GRT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashurst | 1881 | 1886 purchased from W. B. Ritchie, Dundee, 15th Feb.1888 sank off Lundy, Bristol Channel. | 153 |
| Lewisport | 1903 | 1908 sold to Leonhardt & Blumberg, Hamburg renamed Charlotte Blumberg. | 1,840 |
| Vulcan | 1892 | 1898 sold to Pass & Co., Manchester. 1909 sank off Haisboro' Sands, Norfolk. | 386 |