Records of Thomas Wilson Sons & Co Ltd, shipowners, Kingston-upon-Hull, England, known as Ellerman's Wilson Line
- Reference:GB 248 UGD 131/10
- Dates of Creation:1898-1975
- Name of Creator:
- Language of Material:English
- Physical Description:0.3 metresThere are no physical characteristics that affect the use of this material.
Scope and Content
- Ship records 1898-1922;
- Photographs 1913-1975;
- Cabin plans 1947-1954;
- Publicity materials 1925-1961.
Administrative / Biographical History
In 1822 , Wilson & Co was established as a shipowning firm in Kingston-upon-Hull, England by John Wilson and initially specialised in the importation of Swedish iron ore for use in the Sheffield iron trades. The company became Wilson, Hudson & Co in c1836 , becoming Thomas Wilson Sons & Co in 1841 . The company prospered, diversified into other trades and, under Thomas Wilson's sons Charles Henry (later 1st Baron Nunburnholme) and Arthur, became the largest privately owned shipping company in the world by the early twentieth century, with over 100 ships sailing to destinations around the globe.
This company was incorporated in 1891 as Thomas Wilson Sons & Co Ltd before being acquired by the Ellerman Lines Ltd , shipowners, Glasgow, Scotland, in 1916 . The Ellerman group of companies included Ellerman City Line Ltd , Ellerman Lines Ltd , Ellerman & Bucknall (Steamships) Co Ltd , Ellerman & Papayanni Lines Ltd and Hall Line Ltd . Even though the Ellerman group acquired the company, it continued to be run independently of the group and was generally known as Ellerman's Wilson Line . The company latterly specialised in luxury cruises from Kingston-upon-Hull and London to Scandinavia, Spain and Portugal, the Mediterranean, India, the USA and Australia. By 1965, the company was operating 24 vessels, all bearing the distinctive Ellerman groups "City of" nomenclature. The company went into demise in the early 1970s and ceased to trade.
Arrangement
This material is arranged into series as shown in the scope and content. Within series, the items are generally arranged chronologically.
Access Information
None expected
Acquisition Information
Indefinite loan : P&O Containers :London: 1992 : ACCN155*, 159*, 160*
Indefinite loan : 6 February 1992 : ACCN157*
Other Finding Aids
Digital file level list available in searchroom
Manual file level list available at the National Registers of Archives in Edinburgh (NRA(S)3480) and London (NRA17571)
Alternative Form Available
No known copies
Conditions Governing Use
Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the University Archivist
Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use & condition of documents
Appraisal Information
This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 248 procedures
Custodial History
Unknown
Accruals
None expected
Related Material
- GB 248 UGD 131/1 : Records of Ellerman City Line Ltd
- GB 248 UGD 131/2 : Records of Ellerman Lines Ltd
- GB 248 UGD 131/3 : Records of Ellerman & Bucknall (Steamships) Co Ltd
- GB 248 UGD 131/4 : Records of Ellerman & Papayanni Lines Ltd
- GB 248 UGD 131/5 : Records of Ellerman's Arracan Rice & Trading Co Ltd
- GB 248 UGD 131/6 : Records of Hall Line Ltd
- GB 248 UGD 131/7 : Records of Montgomerie & Workman Ltd
- GB 248 UGD 131/8 : Records of Mossgiel Steamship Co Ltd
- GB 248 UGD 131/9 : Records of Westcott & Laurance Line Ltd
See also University of Glasgow ASC source lists on shipping companies and the shipbuilding industry
Material in other repositories: GB 050 DEW Business and family papers (Hull University, Brynmor Jones Library), and GB 323 Records of Thomas Wilson Sons & CO Ltd (Hull Maritime Museum)
For contact details of all repositories with a GB code, see the Find an Archive search page
Bibliography
No known publications using this material
Additional Information
This material is original
Amended by Emma Yan, Assistant Archivist (Cataloguing), 31 January 2008
Subjects
Corporate Names
Geographical Names