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British shipping companies (C)

Cork Steamship Co.
Cornish Shipping Ltd.
James P. Corry & Co.
John Cory & Sons
Cory & Strick (Steamers) Ltd
Cory Brothers
Cory Colliers Ltd.
Cory Towage Ltd.
Cosens & Co. (Weymouth, Bournemouth & Swanage Steam Packets Ltd.)
Coulouthros Ltd.
Counties Ship Management Co.
J.B. Couper
George Couper

See also:

Cork Steamship Co.

image by Rob Raeside

For details, see British & Continental S.S. Co. entry.

"Flags and Funnels of the British and Commonwealth Merchant Fleets" shows this flag but the star is lighter and smaller, reaching outside the cross.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 16 June 2006

Cornish Shipping Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 20 November 2005

Cornish Shipping Ltd., Plymouth - blue flag, in center three white "C"'s, arranged triangularly.
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 20 November 2005

James P. Corry & Co.

image located by Jan Mertens, 29 November 2005

Source: http://www.red-duster.co.uk/CORRY.htm

A further source (listing routes and years of operation) is http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/corry.htm.

Robert Corry, originally of Co. Down (Ireland) founded a company in Belfast in 1826, active in timber imports from Canada and later sailing to India, Australia and New Zealand, and South America. Relocated to London as a result of this growing trade; by then the firm was already named Corry & Co. (about 1850). During that period, the wooden Canadian-built ships were replaced by iron ones built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast. Representing a new generation, James P. Corry – grandson and name giver to the modified company name, created a baronet in 1885 - saw the acquisition of steamships starting in 1887 and the introduction of refrigeration plants. In cooperation with Thomas Royden & Sons and G.D. Tyser & Co., an emigrant service to Australia was established in 1912. Two years later, Corry’s Star Line (named after a famous series of ships the names of which started with ‘Star of…’), Royden (Indra Line), Tyser, and William Milburn (Anglo-Australian Steam Navigation Co.) were to merge into the Commonwealth & Dominion Line, later known as the Port Line.

The house flag is white with two red horizontal edges (1:2:1) and a red heart in the centre. I am convinced the heart is canting and long used as a mark before the mentioned baronetcy (whatever the armorial bearings may have been). A much smaller heart is shown by the on-line 1912 Lloyds Flags & Funnels, under No. 1386, last on that page, for ‘James P. Corry & Co. (Star Line, Ltd.) London’.
Jan Mertens, 29 November 2005

John Cory and Sons

image by Jarig Bakker, 13 December 2004

Based on Wedge 1926 John Cory & Sons, Limited, Cardiff - blue, in the center red disk charged with white "C".
Jarig Bakker, 13 December 2004

"Flags and Funnels of the British and Commonwealth Merchant Fleets" shows this flag with a serif letter C.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 16 June 2006

Cory & Strick (Steamers) Ltd

image located by Jan Mertens

From http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/strick.html:

“Another Company called Cory & Strick (Steamers) Ltd was formed in 1928. Cory's were long established in the coal trade and between 1928 - 31 they had six ships built with names all similar to that of La Tunisienne Steam. (…)
None of the Strick Companies could escape the depression in 1931 and many of their vessels found their way to lay up in various rivers and ports. (…)
In September of 1939 the three Fleets of Strick comprised 25 vessels of which 12 being Strick Line (1923) Ltd, 1 being Shahristan Steamship, 6 being La Tunisienne Steam Navigation and finally the remaining 6 with Cory & Strick. (…)
(In) 1943 Cory Strick had lost three of its six ships, two of the remaining were sold and the last was transferred to La Tunisienne Steam bringing to an end the Cory Strick association.”
The National Archives identify Cory & Strick as shipping agents based at Plymouth.

Lifted from the funnel image and enlarged, the flag above is seemingly a black lozenge with rounded sides delineating red fields (upper hoist and lower fly) and blue ones (lower hoist and upper fly), respectively. The black centre may symbolize the coal trade.
Jan Mertens, 27 January 2007

Cory Brothers

image by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, "the house flag of Cory Brothers, Cardiff. A rectangular flag divided horizontally into white over green. A pink Welsh dragon is in the centre holding two overlapping black diamonds with a white diamond in the centre stitched with the inscription 'CORY BROTHERS'. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and toggle is attached. The dragon and black diamonds are a reference to their coaling activities."
Jarig Bakker, 10 August 2004

Cory Colliers Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, "the house flag of Cory Colliers Ltd., London. A red, rectangular flag with a white diamond in the centre. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and two Inglefield clips is attached."
Jarig Bakker, 10 August 2004

William Cory & Son. Originally in the coal trade they became tug operators, taking over several other companies and eventually consolidating under the control of Cory Towage Ltd. Around 1985 the flag emblem was altered from a white diamond to a blue one edged white. They were taken over and absorbed effective 20 February 2000 by Bureau Wijsmuller B.V.
Neale Rosanoski, 16 February 2004

Cory Towage Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 3 November 2005

Cory Towage Ltd., London - red flag, blue diamond bordered white.
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 3 November 2005

Cosens & Co. (Weymouth, Bournemouth & Swanage Steam Packets Ltd.)

image by Eugene Ipavec, 8 May 2009

The Simplon PC site presents Cosens & Co. also known as ‘Weymouth, Bournemouth & Swanage Steam Packets Ltd’ at http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/Cosens1.html. We are offered a number of post card pictures, no history this time if you except the quote “later taken over by the Southampton, Isle of Wight & South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. Ltd (Red Funnel Steamers)”. The vessels illustrated were operated between 1852 and 1967.

Quoting from a blurb (book by R. Clanmer): http://www.heritagesteamers.co.uk/publicationssouthcoast.htm,
“The once familiar Buff Funnel paddle steamers of Cosens & Co Ltd were part of the scenery along the Wessex coast of the south of England. They crowded Bournemouth Pier and Weymouth, offering excursions to the Isle of Wight, Swanage and landings on the beach at Lulworth Cove. To the west the paddlers called at Lyme Regis, and visited the south Devon resorts of Seaton, Torquay, Paignton and as far as Plymouth. Closer to home they offered cruises to see the warships in Portland harbour whilst their fleet of speed boats offered trips in Weymouth Bay. This book tells the fascinating story of these services between 1918 and 1996.”

More history here (highlights taken over): http://paddlesteamers.awardspace.com/CosensandCo.htm
Founded 1852 by Capt. Joseph Cosens and newspaper owner J. Drew wishing to link Weymouth to Portland transporting goods, workers at Portland dockyard, and tourists. Later also Channel crossings. Takeover of competitors Dodson (1858) and Tizard (1860). Ltd in 1876; expansion of company to include repair, engineering, towage, and salvage. 1946 taken over by Southampton, Isle of Wight and S. of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Co./Red Funnels (separate flags). Last sailing Sept. 1966; Cosens Engineering Ltd had to close down in 1999.

Some pennants and flags appear on the Simplon cards – some of them coloured in – but none so clear (excepting the Red Duster) as the house flag rendered in b/w. A picture in colour is found in the on-line 1912 Lloyds Flags & Funnels: http://library.mysticseaport.org/initiative/ImPage.cfm?PageNum=67&BibId=11061&ChapterId=8.

No. 1384 ‘Cosens & Co. Ltd, Weymouth’: horizontally divided red-blue-white, the middle stripe appearing somewhat wider and in any case containing a white disk almost touching the red edges. The b/w renderings shown by Simplon have equal stripes and the disk touches the edges. Direct link: http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/CosensPCs/Brodick_Castle-01_900.jpg.

Jan Mertens, 7 May 2009

Coulouthros Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 15 January 2006

Coulouthros Ltd., London - horizontal blue-white-blue flag, in center blue cross.
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 15 January 2006

Counties Ship Management Co.

image by James Dignan

Based on Sampson (1957)
James Dignan, 8 October 2003

Stewart & Styring (1963) lists a Counties Ship Management Co. Ltd. and London and Overseas Freighters Ltd. from London UK, but shows a different flag.

It's a little difficult to follow the history of the company, but Counties Ship Management was originally Rethymnis and Kulukundis, which set up different companies to manage each ship they owned - these each named after an English county. Three companies merged in 1937, apparently Rethymnis and Kulukundis Limited (London) being the primary concern. By 1950 it became the largest tramp steamer company in London. Its affiliated company London and Overseas Freighters Ltd. was started as a "tramp tanker" company by Rethymnis and Kulukundis. Counties Ship Management appears to have gone out of business in 1968 and London and Overseas sold the last of its tankers in 1997 (actually the company being purchased by Frontline Ltd. a Swedish company flying under the Bermuda flag).
Phil Nelson, 9 October 2003

Brown 622: Counties Ship Management Co., Ltd., London
Funnel: Buff with a red C surrounded by a red circle, over this a black top.
Flag: Triangular 2:3; white with a red border, in its center a red C surrounded by a red circle. (The C in Brown's is about one-fourth of the flag in height; the circle is
pictured as a line, slightly thinner than the letter, and both considerably thinner than the border. C for County?)
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 20 October 2003

image by Jarig Bakker, 27 December 2004

Counties Ship Management (Rethymnis & Kulukundis), London - burgee white over blue; in center red 5-pointed star.
Rethymnis & Kulukundis (Piraeus) have an identical tapered swallowtailed houseflag, according to Brown (1951).
From Scott, R.M., The Caltex book of Flags and Funnels, Capetown, Caltex Africa Ltd. (1959).
Jarig Bakker, 27 December 2004

Counties Ship Manaagement. The biband white-blue pennant with red star was apparently adopted post WW2 [Sampson being late picking up the change once again] as a group flag for Rethymnis & Kulukundis. I suspect that the swallowtailed tapered pennant shown by Brown 1951 referred to by Jarig is an error. Nobody else mentions it and Brown 1958 shows the pennant shown.
Neale Rosanoski, 14 April 2005

In the 1960’s I worked for Rethymnis and Kulukundis and the Counties ship were named after hills in London, e.g., Streatham Hill, Tulse Hill, etc., and were all WWII built Canadian Forts or Parks.
Colin Brown, 6 April 2006, Bob Boxer, 3 January 2008

J.B. Couper

image by Ivan Sache, 10 April 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "J.B. Couper" (#259, p. 49), a company based in Glasgow (Scotland), as blue with a red descending diagonal stripe charged with a white "C".
Ivan Sache, 10 April 2008

George Couper

image by Ivan Sache, 10 April 2008

Lloyds Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of "George Couper & Co." (#261, p. 49), a company based in Helmsdale (Scotland), as red with a red rectangle bordered in white and charged with a white "C".
Ivan Sache, 10 April 2008

British Shipping lines: continued