The Allen Collection|Elder Dempster Line

History

The African Steam Ship Company Ltd was incorporated by Royal Charter on 7 August 1852 ‘for the purpose of establishing a postal and other communication, by means of steam navigation, between Great Britain and Ireland and the west coast of Africa…’. In 1868 the British & African Steam Navigation Company was founded in Edinburgh and on 1 October Alexander Elder and John Dempster formed Elder, Dempster & Co to act as Liverpool agents for the new company. In 1880 they became managers of the company.

In 1878 Alfred Jones founded his own company in Liverpool, also trading to West Africa, but the following year became a partner in Elder Dempster and incorporated his business into it, subsequently becoming the senior partner. In 1891 Elder Dempster also became managers of the African Steam Ship Company. Beaver Line and its Canadian services was acquired in 1898 and sold to Canadian Pacific in 1903. The Imperial Direct West India Mail Service Company established in 1901.

The company became part of Royal Mail Group in 1910 by which time it controlled a fleet of 109 ships. The Royal Mail Group collapsed in 1931 and as a result management passed to Alfred Holt until 1944.

In 1951 Elder Dempster purchased the British and Burmese Steam Navigation Company and in 1953 the Group name became Liner Holdings. Ocean Steam Ship Co Ltd, the largest shareholder, bought the remaining Liner Holdings shares in 1965 and also acquired John Holt’s Guinea Gulf Line.

In 1972 the group was renamed Ocean Transport & Trading. The remaining British flag West African trader, Palm Line, was acquired in 1984 but in 1989 the Elder Dempster name, along with those of Palm Line and Guinea Gulf, was sold to Delmas-Vieljeux.

Ships