Records of Thomas Wilson Sons & Co Ltd, shipowners, Kingston-upon-Hull, England, known as Ellerman's Wilson Line

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Bookmark:http://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb248-ugd131/10

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Dates of Creation
Name of Creator
Language of Material
Physical Description

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

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