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| This is the shipping company that employed my Father from 1947 to 1968. Joining as 2nd Mate he left the company with the rank of Captain (Master Mariner). The company has roots going back to 1853, since then trading with the following names: Henery Cheeswright Cheeswright & Miskin, Cheeswright & Cheeswright, London and Channel Islands Steamship Company Limited (1899). British Channel Islands Shipping Company Limited (1937). London and Channel Islands Steamship Compamy The incorporated company, 21st April 1899, was known in local shipping cicles as Cheeswright and Ford, the names of the first managers and directors, Stanley Cheeswright and Matthew Ford. They had links to the Channel Islands that went back to 1863, and Guernsey to 1855. By 1901 a bi-weekly 'liner' service was established with two vessels the Island Queen and the May Queen sailing from London to Jersey and Guernsey. The vessels were known as "Queen Boats," as each ship's name ended with 'Queen'. British Channel Island Shipping Company In 1936/7 Coast Lines Group (Liverpool) brought out the company and changed its name to reflect a diverse trade. Earlier events are well covered; articles written by Godfrey Ford: The War Record Of The "Queen" Boats (World War 2 accounts of the ships), British Channel Islands Shipping Co., Ltd (Ernest Reader collaborating - September 1953 of Sea Breezes). Giving very good acounts of the company and its service to the Channel Islands. The Coast Lines Group had ship's names ending with the 'Coast'. Good accounts of the Coast Liness company's history are given by: Roy Fenton's 3 part article Coast Lines in Oct/Nov/Dec 1985 of Ships Monthly. Ernest Reader's The World's Largest Coaster Fleet in Feb 1948 of Sea Breezes.. BCIS maintained regular patterns: - Sailing from East Dock, London Docks (till 1951) then East India Docks (till 1967). - Using vessels build by: Goole Shipbuilding And Repair Company (Goole, Yorkshire); Burntisland Shipbuilding Company (Burntisland, Fife, Scotland) and Ardrossan Dockyard Ltd (Coast Lines). - Using Goole for ship repair and dry dock facilities. - Normal 'liner service' would be London to St Peter's Port, then onto St Helier and back. The largest number of vessels run by the company was in 1940 - 12 vessels: Alderney Queen, Guernsey Queen, Bjornvik, Island Queen (5), Channel Queen (3), Jersey Queen, Emerald Queen, London Queen Empire Snowdrop, Norman Queen (3), Foam Queen (2), Saxon Queen. BCIS's last ship was Mountstewart, paid of at Birkenhead 21st May 1968. The company ceased trading on the 31st May 1969. Being dissolved on the 8th August 1975, P&O Building, Leadenhall Street, EC3V 4QL. |
| Mick Meras BCIS History [email protected] |
| British Channel Island Shipping Company (1937 - 1968) |
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