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The company was founded in 1825 as ship-brokers by two brothers, William
Thomson (1806–1889) and Alexander Thomson (1795–1880). Their sister Jemima married Thomas Henderson, an older brother of Patrick Henderson. Originally the Thomson brothers were "merchants and marble-cutters" and were involved in
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By 1977 The Ben Line Group employed over 2,000 shore-based and sea-going staff, and owned a fleet of four container ships, 13 cargo liners, three chemical tankers, six bulk carriers, and five rigs and drill ships. In addition, three oil tankers and one container carrier were managed on behalf of
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Following the sale of Ben Line's ships and rigs, emphasis was placed on the development of Ben Line
Agencies, which is owned by its key stakeholders, many of whom are managers of the company. Descendants of the original shareholders also retained a substantial interest in the company.
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Over the next decade the company built a portfolio of shipping services including a liner agency, port agency, project logistics, offshore support, international freight forwarding, port representation, tank containers & leasing and P&I club representation and surveying.
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to Canada and returning with timber to Leith, was a
Thomson staple business for years. Several sailing ships acquired in the 1840s were built in Canada. A ship purchased by the Edinburgh brothers and their cousins Captain Watson Thomson and Andrew Thomson in 1848 was the
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Between 1950 and 1972, Ben Line continued to develop its liner services between Europe and the Far East, operating fast, custom-built 'tween deck vessels. Ben Line pioneered a number of new trade routes, and became one of the leading liner companies in the trade.
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In 1973 The company's first three container ships, each with a capacity of 3,000 TEUs and a deadweight of 50,000 tons, were delivered. These ships operated within the 17 strong fleet of a three-nation consortium (the Trio Group) made up of Ben Line,
285:, a Singapore-based shipping agency, operating across Asia. As of 2013, the company had over 110 offices and 2,000 employees operating in four specific areas: port agency, liner agency, offshore support and project logistics services.
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In April 1919 The Ben Line
Steamers, Ltd was formed as a private company. Previously each ship voyage was a separate actuarial entity, with shareholders holding large or small numbers of 1/64 shares. A new trade was the carriage of
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in Fife and used on the Leith–Leghorn run. The marble business declined in the 1830s, and with Alloa cousins Capt Watson
Thomson with his nephew Andrew Thomson and William Mitchell, they acquired in 1840 for £3,500 the wooden ship
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Postwar the line concentrated on the Far East trade, with a base in
Singapore from 1951. In 1953 an underwater formation in the coasts off North Borneo was named "Benrinnes Reef" after the ship that discovered it.
274:, Scotland founded in 1825 which was primarily involved in the Far East to Europe trade. A private company, it was largely owned by members of the Thomson family from Leith and the Thomson and Mitchell family from
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In 1972 Ben Line Ship
Management Ltd was formed to offer a comprehensive range of ship management services to smaller owners, providing them with guidance from knowledge that Ben Line had gained over the years.
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In 1987 a strategic decision to start actively seeking outside shipping agency principals to complement the in-house core business activity of container liner shipping – Ben Line
Agencies was established.
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During World War II, 14 Ben Line ships and four ships placed under Ben Line management by the
Government were lost compared with only two in World War I. Ships managed by the Ben Line included two MAC or
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made history in 1984 as being the heaviest semi-submersible drilling rig (17,200 tons) to be transported on board a semi-submersible carrier, voyaging some 14,000 miles from New
Zealand to Spain.
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By 1914 Ben Line had 14 ships with names starting with "Ben", plus five Baltic steamers of The St Petersburg Steamers, Ltd. Two Ben Line ships were sunk by enemy action and
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During this period Ben Line Agencies operated from offices in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The main business activity was Liner Agency.
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other owners. Furthermore, through the purchase of another company, it owned seven other vessels and became Britain's biggest offshore drilling contractor.
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553:), an experienced operator. The joint company, which was called Ben Odeco, owned and operated semi-submersible rigs, jack-up rigs and drill ships.
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In 1974 The company diversified into offshore oil exploration by forming a partnership with an American firm, Ocean Drilling and Exploration Co (
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Ltd (OCL) all engaged in the Far East trade. The company also entered the bulk trades by purchasing both dry bulk vessels and chemical tankers.
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395:. The Far Eastern ships sailed to China and Japan via a base in Singapore, including the China tea trade. Their first (brig-rigged) steamship,
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in 1825. She was used on the North Atlantic trade, carrying Alloa coal to Canada, and returning with timber to Leith, and was lost on
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Amazon. ISBN 9798854256063. (The Alloa Thomsons' early role in The Ben Line and detail on the 1850s Australian venture).
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375:, launched in 1853. The Thomsons and Mitchells moved into longer and more profitable routes to Australia (the
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The China bird: the history of Captain Killick, and the firm he founded, Killick Martin & Company
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In the 1850s, the earliest ship to use the 'Ben' prefix (the Scottish word for mountain) was the
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as well as cargo. In 1943 the company headquarters was moved from Leith to Edinburgh.
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agents for Ben Line Steamers in 1883, and within a few weeks loaded their first ship
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built nine ships for Ben Line, whose captains nicknamed them "North Country
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Liner Agency, Port Agency, Offshore Support, Project Logistics, Ship Broking
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purchasing nine larger sailing ships in the 1860s, including the iron ship
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In 1991 the remaining ships were sold, and the company combined with the
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The Petrograd Steamers, Ltd (for Baltic trade, wound up in 1941).
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Ben Line Agencies have 130 offices with 2300 employees in 2023.
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of Glasgow. No Ben Line ship was laid up during the depression.
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left Scotland in late 1852 for Australia, arriving in early 1853
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From 1970 to 1982 the line came under the Chairmanship of
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in 1841. But the North Atlantic trade, carrying coal from
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In 1991 all its ships were sold and the company became
717:(2nd rev. ed.). London: Conway Maritime Press.
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782:History of the Ben Line on the Ships List website
637:Sheaf Steam Shipping of Newcastle (acquired 1976)
631:Ben Ocean & Ben Asia Container Service (1975)
817:Defunct shipping companies of the United Kingdom
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634:Ben Odeco (1974, offshore drilling partnership)
356:which would in 1852/1853 venture to Australia.
411:, were acquired in 1877 for the Baltic trade.
399:of 1,557 tons gross was built in Glasgow at
461:to European ports. New ships were built by
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270:was a Scottish shipping company based in
82:Learn how and when to remove this message
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45:This article includes a list of general
827:Transport companies established in 1825
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802:British companies established in 1825
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598:In 2011 it opened its 100th office.
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403:Clydeholm shipyard. Two steamers,
383:) and the Far East (initially the
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51:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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822:1825 establishments in Scotland
744:. Ships in Focus Publications.
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583:Ben Line Agencies (1992 onward)
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367:launched in Alloa in April 1853
257:Italy, Canada, Asia, the Baltic
807:Shipping companies of Scotland
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628:Ben Line Containers Ltd (1970)
619:Elswick Steam Shipping Co. Ltd
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1:
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640:Atlantic Drilling Company Ltd
812:Companies based in Edinburgh
683:(obituaries), 5 January 2001
416:Killick Martin & Company
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713:MacGregor, David R (1986).
616:E.G. Thomson (Shipping) Ltd
610:William Thomson and Company
463:Charles Connell and Company
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760:Sailing Upside Down Under.
706:Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd
622:Salmonier Shipping Co. Ltd
414:William Thomson appointed
331:of 388 tons, built on the
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268:Ben Line Steamers, Limited
192:Ben Line Steamers, Limited
740:Somner, Graeme H (2010).
476:Merchant Aircraft Carrier
339:on the approaches to the
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425:Between 1902 and 1914,
66:more precise citations.
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322:of 218 tons, built at
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301:and The Ben Line ship
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704:. London, Edinburgh:
449:disappeared in 1917.
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96:Ben Line Agencies Ltd
605:Associated Companies
577:East Asiatic Company
544:Overseas Containers
536:Mitsui O.S.K. Lines
422:in Antwerp.
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166:Number of employees
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487:Empire MacKendrick
427:Bartram & Sons
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349:Alloa Coal Company
341:St. Lawrence River
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542:Kaisha (NYK) and
457:from the port of
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16:(Redirected from
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613:Atlantis Air Ltd
515:Michael Strachan
492:Fairey Swordfish
481:Empire MacAlpine
345:William Mitchell
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557:1977 to 1991
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540:Nippon Yusen
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230:Headquarters
198:Company type
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137:Headquarters
113:Company type
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532:Hapag-Lloyd
459:Vladivostok
253:Area served
148:Area served
64:introducing
791:Categories
724:0851773818
669:Blake 1956
645:References
455:soya beans
431:Sunderland
405:Petersburg
385:Araby Maid
310:importing
47:references
373:Bencleuch
365:Bencleuch
329:Australia
324:Limekilns
239:Edinburgh
141:Singapore
742:Ben Line
733:15024735
700:(1956).
566:Benreoch
495:biplanes
447:Benlarig
435:kerosene
409:Stirling
377:Wanderer
303:Wanderer
245:Scotland
209:Shipping
206:Industry
157:Services
121:Industry
72:May 2012
18:Ben Line
538:(MOL),
478:ships,
437:cans".
420:Benarty
397:Benledi
320:Carrara
289:History
237:, then
222:Defunct
214:Founded
201:Private
175:Website
129:Founded
116:Private
60:improve
748:
731:
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381:Signet
354:Signet
299:Signet
49:, but
797:Leith
551:ODECO
314:from
276:Alloa
272:Leith
235:Leith
225:c1991
170:2,000
746:ISBN
729:OCLC
719:ISBN
484:and
407:and
379:and
363:The
333:Tyne
297:The
217:1825
182:.com
152:Asia
429:of
347:’s
266:or
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387:1)
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