Harrison Line

• History
• Ships

History

T & J Harrison Ltd. started in Liverpool in 1853 when the Harrison brothers who had previously been partners in the firm of George Brown and Harrison, took over the company when George Brown died. The company’s original trade was importing brandy and wine from Tonnay-Charente, the loading port for the town of Cognac in France. The trade was carried in a variety of sailing ships owned by individual members of the Harrison family through the 64ths system.

In 1860 the business received a major boost as a result of a treaty between Britain and France reducing customs duties on French spirits and wine plus the abolition of duties on British Coal. This encouraged the Harrisons to buy their first two steamships. In the same year they also began to buy much larger sailing ships for services to India and the Caribbean. These were gradually replaced by steamships, especially after the opening of the Suez Canal at the end of 1869 but the last sailing ship was not sold until 1889. Harrisons set up the Charente Steam Ship Co in 1871 and transformed it into limited liability company in 1884 when 24 ships were transferred from the old 64ths system. took over John T. Rennie, Sons & Co Aberdeen Direct Line in 1911. This brought them a fleet of seven ships and passenger services to Natal. Further acquisitions were the Rankin, Gilmour fleet (1918), the Crown Line fleet of Prentice, Service & Henderson, Glasgow (1920) and Scrutton, Sons & Co, London (1920).

Harrisons lost 27 ships to enemy action in WW1 and a further 30 in WW2.

By 1988 with the decline in British shipping, the company only owned three ships and chartered several more, but have subsequently withdrawn from shipowning.

The flag shown on this page is that of the Harrisons Commodore. The usual flag is without the red swallowtails - i.e. a red Maltese Cross on a rectangular white background.

Ships