South American Saint Line

Register

In 1926 the Barry Shipping Co. was formed.

R.G.M.(Dick) Street of Penarth, who had worked for Gould Steamships and Industrials Ltd., set up this company in 1926 with three steamers bought from the Times Shipping Co. of Cardiff.

The company continued until amalgamated with the St.Quentin Shipping Co. in 1933 to form the B & S Shipping Co.

The company were mostly engaged as tramps undertaking seasonal voyages to Montreal and were also heavily involved in the coal trade to Buenos Aires, bringing back cargos of grain.

Formed in 1933 by the amalgamation of the Barry Shipping Co. Ltd. and the St. Quentin Shipping Co. Ltd. In 1935 the company scrapped their four old steamers and replaced them with three new ones with passenger accommodation, under a government scheme to modernise the country's fleet. The intention was to set up a Liner service to South America. The new ships were both given names prefixed Saint.

With financial backing from Lord Howard de Walden the firm commenced its liner service in 1936, changing its name to the South American Saint Line.

In 1940 the Shakespear Shipping Co. was taken over.

During the Second World War the company lost 12 of its vessels to enemy action, but in 1945, whilst continuing to operate in the tramp steamer trade, the company ordered two new passenger/cargo liners, the St Essylt (delivered in 1947) and the St Thomas (delivered in 1948).

Initially these two ships were to work between Cardiff and South America, carrying both passengers and freight. Unfortunately there was not sufficient business at Cardiff to maintain the service and much of the freight business was from the Continent and passengers from Dover.

Nevertheless the firm continued to expand, adding the St John in 1954 and ordering the St Rosario in 1960. They also continued to operate their older ships in the tramp steamer trade.

The leading light of the company had always been Dick Street and when he died suddenly in 1961 Lord Howard de Walden, who had supplied the financial backing, decided to wind up the company and in 1965 the company finally closed.

In 1965 the fleet was sold and the service passed to Houlder Line.

The iconic Saint Line funnel

Vessel

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

Bryntawe






Levnet






Withington






St Quentin






Monkswood






Charlbury






Gantoise






Rodskar






Maria






Coalby






Nerbudda






St Margaret






St Clears






St Helena






St Margaret






St Woolos






Kambole






St Glen






St Mellons






St Merriel






St Usk






St Winifred






Syrie






St Rosario






St Elwyn






St Lindsay






Chaucer






Orminster






Ripley






Shakespear






St Essylt






Tolten






Charlton Hall






St Merriel






St Briavels






St Elwyn






St Ina






St Jessica






St Margaret






St Arvans






St Helena






St Essylt






St Thomas






St Merriel






St John






St Rosario






1933 - 1960

General tramping

1935 - 1965

London - Antwerp - Hamburg - Bremen

- Lisbon - Brazil - River Plate.

Staff Register

Ship Register

Other Items

Routes

Advertisement - c1942

A Brief History

B&C Management - 1961

The Evolution of The Fleet

The End of The Line - 1965

Review - June 1965


1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

25 - 30






20 - 25






15 - 20






10 - 15






5 - 10






0 - 5






Fleet Size in Each Decade

Significant Persons

Masters

Deck Dept

Chief Engineers

Engineering Dept

Owned Ships

Managed Ships

Documents

Losses

Catering Dept

Cadet Ship

Commodore Master

South American Saint Line
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South American Saint Line