Part of the
Acorn Archive
Hearts of Oak
Athel Line
Ships
British Molasses
Co Ship
Manx Isles
MANX ISLES
ON 120891
Built 1905 by Wm. Hamilton & Co, Port Glasgow; Yard
No.176.
For Manx Isles SS Co (W. Lowden & Co), Liverpool.
2,642 grt - Cargo steamer.
315ft 3ins x 44ft 8ins
Single screw, speed 9 knots.
1915 Fitted to carry molasses in bulk.
1917 Managers became Lowden, Connell & Co; Chartered
to British Molasses Co.
1921 Sold to British Molasses Co.
1926 Owners became United Molasses Co, Liverpool.
1929 Scrapped, Holland.
In 1907, a young Dane, Michael Kielberg, presented his
letter of application in Liverpool, to the small company of Marquis Clayton.
The firm traded in all sorts of products. In 1910, he became a partner in the
firm, his prime responsibility would be for molasses. He realised that molasses
needed to be transported ‘in bulk’, so as to be able to offer the product
inexpensively. In 1915 an independent company was established - The British
Molasses Company. The managing director was Kielberg, Marquis Clayton remained
the senior partner. In 1917, Clayton became the majority shareholder of the
BMCo. In early 1920, after the firm had taken over Molasses Merchants in
Glasgow, Clayton retired from BMCo. In 1921, Kielberg established the Pure Cane
Molasses Company, of which he held 85% of the shares. Kielberg kept the name BMCo,
which he used in his shipping company. In 1921, Kielberg then purchased his
first ship, the MANX ISLES, which had been chartered by BMCo since 1917. January
1st 1926, the United Molasses Company was established. It acted as a
holding company for the Pure Cane Molasses Company and the British Molasses
Company.
Raymond
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