Clan Line Steamers

Clan Line Steamship Co

The Early Years

Clan Line

Royal Navy Duties

Manned by Royal Navy

The Evolution of The Fleet

Vessel

1870s

1880s

1890s

1900s

1910s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

Jalawar

North Star

Clan Alpine 1

Clan Fraser 1

Clan Ranald 1

Clan Gordon 1

Clan Lamont 1

Clan Stuart 1

Amy

Clan MacLean 1

Clan MacDuff

Clan MacLeod 1

Clan MacNab 1

Clan Monroe 1

Clan Buchanan 1

Clan Cameron 1

Clan Drummond

Clan Forbes 1

Clan Graham 1

Clan MacDonald 1

Clan MacGregor 1

Clan MacKay 1

Clan MacKenzie 1

Clan Murray 1

Clan Ogilvie

Clan Sinclair 1

Clan Grant 1

Clan MacArthur 1

Clan MacIntosh 1

Clan MacPherson 1

Clan Matheson 1

Clan MacAlister 1

Clan MacIntyre 1

Clan MacKinnon 1

Clan MacLeod 2

Clan MacNeil 1

Amara

Clan Campbell 2

Clan MacKay 2

Clan MacRae 1

Clan Ross 1

Gorji

Tigris

Bullionist

Clan Chisholm 1

Clan Lindsay 1

Clan Menzies 1

Clan Ogilvy 1

Clan Shaw 1

Clan Sutherland 1

Clan MacDonald 2

Clan Monroe 2

Clan Murray 2

Clan Robertson 1

Clan Ferguson 1

Clan MacFarlane 1

Clan Alpine 2

Clan Colquhoun 1

Clan Cumming 1

Clan Farquhar

Clan MacAulay 1

Clan MacFadyen 1

Clan MacLaren 1

Clan Urquhart 1

Clan Cameron 2

Clan Fraser 2

Clan Gordon 2

Clan Lamont 2

Clan MacLachlan 1

Clan Ranald 2

Clan Stuart 2

Clan MacGregor 2

Clan MacMillan 1

Clan Chattan 1

Clan Grant 2

Clan Leslie

Clan Lindsay 2

Clan MacKinnon 2

Clan Shaw 2

Clan Forbes 2

Clan MacAlister 2

Clan MacIntyre 2

Clan MacLeod 3

Clan MacNeil 2

Clan MacDougall 1

Clan MacNab 2

Clan MacIntosh 2

Clan MacLean 2

Clan MacPherson 2

Clan Matheson 2

Clan Buchanan 2

Clan Graham 2

Clan MacInnes 1

Clan MacIver 1

Clan Sinclair 2

Clan Davidson 1

Clan MacGillivray 1

Clan MacKenzie 2

Clan MacNaughton 1

Clan MacPhee

Clan MacRae 2

Clan MacBride 1

Clan MacKellar 1

Clan MacArthur 2

Clan MacEwen

Clan MacTavish 1

Clan MacBeth 1

Clan McCorquodale

Clan Campbell 3

Clan Keith 1

Clan Ogilvy 2

Clan Ross 2

Clan MacBrayne 1

Clan MacKay 3

Clan Malcolm 1

Clan Stuart 3

Clan MacBean 1

Clan MacKenzie 3

Clan MacMaster

Clan Matheson 3

Clan Ranald 3

Clan Alpine 3

Clan Kennedy 1

Clan Kenneth 1

Clan MacBeolan

Clan MacKinlay 1

Clan MacMillan 2

Clan MacVey

Clan MacVicar

Clan MacWilliam

Clan Monroe 3

Clan Morrison

Clan Murray 3

Clan Skene

Clan Matheson 4

Clan Murdoch 1

Clan MacIndoe 1

Clan MacInnes 2

Clan MacNab 3

Clan MacTaggart 1

Clan MacTavish 2

Clan MacIver 2

Clan MacKay 4

Clan MacNair 1

Clan MacNaughton 2

Clan MacFarlane 2

Clan MacNeil 3

Clan MacFadyen 2

Clan MacWhirter

Clan MacIlwraith 1

Clan MacDonald 3

Clan Graham 3

Clan Grant 3

Clan MacPherson 3

Clan MacDougall 2

Clan MacAlister 3

Clan Colquhoun 2

Clan Farquhar 2

Clan Urquhart 2

Clan Robertson 2

Clan MacArthur 3

Clan MacAulay 2

Clan Buchanan 3

Clan Cameron 3

Clan Campbell 4

Clan Chattan 2

Clan Chisholm 2

Clan Cumming 2

Clan Forbes 3

Clan Ferguson 2

Clan Menzies 2

Clan Fraser 3

Clan Lamont 3

Clan MacDonald 4

Clan Brodie

Clan Buchanan 4

Clan Campbell 5

Clan Chattan 3

Clan Davidson 2

Clan MacDougall 3

Clan Urquhart 3

Clan Chisholm 3

Clan Alpine 4

Clan Angus

Clan Allan

Clan Cumming 3

Clan MacKay 5

Clan MacKinlay 2

Clan MacKinnon 3

Clan MacLachlan 2

Clan MacLaren 2

Clan MacRae 3

Clan MacFadyen 3

Clan MacFarlane 3

Clan MacKenzie 4

Clan MacLean 3

Clan MacLennan

Clan Keith 2

Clan Kennedy 2

Clan Kenneth 2

Clan MacBean 2

Clan MacBeth 2

Clan MacBrayne 2

Clan MacBride 2

Clan MacKellar 2

Clan MacKendrick

Clan MacLay

Clan MacLeod 4

Clan MacQuarrie 2

Clan MacQueen

Clan MacTaggart 2

Clan MacTavish 3

Clan Shaw 3

Clan Sinclair 3

Clan Sutherland 2

Clan MacIntosh 3

Clan MacIntyre 3

Clan MacInnes 3

Clan Robertson 2

Clan Stewart

Clan Ross 3

Clan Malcolm 2

Clan Matheson 5

Clan Menzies 3

Clan MacIndoe 2

Clan MacIlwraith 2

Clan Murdoch 2

Clan Murray 4

Clan Fergusson

Clan Forbes 4

Clan Fraser 4

Clan MacNab 4

Clan Farquharson

Clan Finlay

Clan Graham 4

Clan Grant 4

Clan MacGillivray 2

Clan MacGowan

Clan MacGregor 3

Clan MacNair 2

Clan Ranald 4

Clan Ramsay

Clan Robertson 4

Clan Ross 4

Clan Alpine 5

Staff Register

Masters

Deck Dept

Radio Officers

Chief Engineers

Engineering Dept

Pursers, Catering & Medical Depts

Other Staff

Commodore Masters

Commodore Chief Engineers

Commodore Purser

The company that would become the Clan Line was first founded as C. W. Cayzer & Company in Liverpool in 1877 by Charles Cayzer (see Cayzer Family). It was set up to operate passenger routes between Britain and Bombay, India via the Suez Canal. The next year, Captain Alexander Irvine joined the company and it was renamed Cayzer, Irvine & Company.

In 1881 the company was joined by an influential Glasgow businessman, and the Clan Line Association of Steamers was established. The company opened a new head office at 109 Hope Street, Glasgow. Cayzer Irvine built and managed ships for the association and Cayzer himself retained ownership of the original six Clan ships.

At the same time, they expanded their operations to South Africa. In 1890 the company became The Clan Line of Steamers Limited with Cayzer holding the majority interest.

The company again expanded its operations with the purchase of the Persian Gulf Steam Ship Company in 1894, bringing four more ships into the company. They used these new assets to expand their routes into the Persian Gulf and to North America, and to begin to carry cargo.

The company was incorporated in 1907 as Cayzer, Irvine & Company, Limited, with the Cayzer family retaining control.

Charles Cayzer died in 1916, with his sons continuing to run the company. In 1918 they acquired and incorporated the assets of the Scottish Shire Line.

Despite suffering losses in the First World War, the company had recovered by the 1930's to become the largest cargo carrying concern in the world.

A more detailed History of Clan Line

1877-1965

Glasgow - Liverpool / Birkenhead - Suez - Bombay / Calcutta.

1887-1981

Glasgow - Birkenhead - South Africa and later East Africa.

This became a round Africa service.

1893-1946

South Africa - New York.

1894-1967

UK - Persian Gulf.

1895-1981

Manchester calls.

1910-1975

UK - South Africa - India - Australia.

1901-1964

UK - Chittagong.

1926-1933

Mexico and then UK - Great Lakes.

After 1919 with the acquisition of Houston and Scottish Shire Lines there was some cross-company chartering resulting in ships being used on unusual routes.