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The FleetsR.P. Houston & Company
/ Houston Line
The company was formed in 1880 in Liverpool as R.P. Houston & Company to carry frozen meat
from the Argentine to the UK. They commenced passenger operations in 1885. In 1898 the
British & South American Steam Navigation Company was formed and all existing ships
transferred to it. New York to the River Plate services commenced in 1899 and in 1900 outward
services from the UK to South Africa were instituted before crossing to the River Plate.
In 1904 agreement was reached with the Union-Castle Line for the Houston Line not to run passenger services to South Africa, in return for which Union-Castle purchased one of Houston's ships. In 1918, with the prospect of replacing an ageing fleet, Robert Houston sold out to Clan Line, but the company retained their own ship names and livery.
South American services were sold to the Royal Mail Group in 1926. In 1932 the company was renamed Houston Line (London) Limited and inter-group ship transfers became common. British & Commonwealth Shipping Company was formed in 1956 with the merger of Houston, Clan,
Union-Castle, Bullard King, and King Lines. By 1970 the Houston Line had disappeared as a seperate company.
Many thanks to Ted Finch for his assistance in collecting this data. The
following list was extracted from various sources. This is not an all inclusive
list but should only be used as a guide. If you would like to know more about
a vessel, visit the Ship Descriptions (onsite)
or Immigrant
Ship web site.
Routes:
- 1875-1926 Liverpool - River Plate.
- 1899 UK - South Africa; USA - South Africa - East Africa; USA - South America.
- 1899-1912 Cape Town - Buenos Aires - Montevideo.
- 1903-1906 British / Continental ports feeder service to Liverpool.
- 1921-1936 South African Coastal services / Mauritius / Madagascar.
See Clan Line for post 1918 routes.
Funnel:
Red with black top.
Fleet:
|
 |
| Vessel |
Built |
Years in Service |
Tons |
| Athlete |
1855 |
purchased from Liverpool, Bristol & London SS Co., 1880 scrapped
(part owned by R.P.Houston) |
363 |
| Dauntless |
1890 |
ex- Ptarmigan, 1903 purchased from City of Cork SP Co., renamed Dauntless,
feeder services, 1907 sold to Liverpool & Hamburg SS Co., renamed Lapland. |
2,157 |
| Fearless |
1878 |
ex- Dotterel, 1903 purchased from City of Cork SP Co., renamed Fearless,
feeder services, 1906 scrapped after collision in River Mersey. |
1,422 |
| Halesius (1) |
|
see Clan Macbeolan, Clan Line. |
|
| Halesius (2) |
|
see Clan Murdoch (1), Clan Line. |
|
| Haliartus |
1919 |
ex- Dennistoun, 1919 purchased from Shankland, Russel & Co, Glasgow,
renamed Haliartus, 1932 wrecked South Africa. |
5,294 |
| Halizones (1) |
1902 |
1915 captured and sunk by U-boat off Italy. |
5,093 |
| Halizones (2) |
|
see Clan Macwhirter, Clan
Line. |
|
| Halizones (3) |
1920 |
1943 bombed and sunk off Spain. |
5,298 |
| Halizones (4) |
|
see Clan Murray (3), Clan Line. |
|
| Halocrates |
|
see Clan Skene, Clan Line. |
|
| Harmodius (1) |
1892 |
ex- Warrnambool, 1900 purchased from Blue
Anchor Line, renamed Harmodius, 1919 sold to Kaye, Son & Co.,
London, renamed Kut. |
3,515 |
| Harmodius (2) |
1919 |
1941 torpedoed and sunk in Atlantic. |
5,229 |
| Harmodius (3) |
|
see Clan Matheson (4), Clan
Line. |
|
| Harmonides (1) |
1891 |
ex- Woolloomooloo, 1901 purchased from Blue
Anchor Line, renamed Harmonides, 1919 sold to Kaye, Son & Co.,
London, renamed Khartum. |
3,251 |
| Harmonides (2) |
1919 |
1942 torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine off Ceylon; loss of 13
lives. |
5,288 |
| Heliades |
1885 |
1910 scrapped. |
2,965 |
| Helius |
1888 |
ex- Dresden, 1903 purchased from North
German Lloyd and renamed, 1906 sold to Turkish Government, renamed
Tirimujghian. |
4,579 |
| Hellenes (1) |
1884 |
1897 sold to Blohm & Olsen, Norway renamed Fram. |
2,023 |
| Hellenes (2) |
1900 |
1925 scrapped. |
3,332 |
| Hellenes (3) |
1942 |
ex- Farningham, 1952 purchased from Thompson SS Co., London and renamed
Hellenes, 1958 sold to India, renamed Janmada. |
7,174 |
| Hellopes (1) |
1889 |
1911 capsized and sank off Penzance. |
2,774 |
| Hellopes (2) |
1890 |
ex- Arbroath, 1920 purchased from Dundee, Perth & London Shipping
Co. and renamed Hellopes, African coastal services, 1927 sold to Turkey,
renamed
Konya. |
1,703 |
| Heraclides (1) |
1886 |
1907 wrecked German South West Africa. |
2,977 |
| Heraclides (2) |
1916 |
ex- Anglo Chilean, 1930 purchased from Lawther, Latta & Co., London,
renamed Heraclides, 1939 sold to Vergottis Ltd, London, renamed Hermes. |
6,987 |
| Hercules |
1881 |
1888 sold to Danziger Schiffahrts, Danzig. |
1,095 |
| Hermes (1) |
1882 |
1885 wrecked Uruguay. |
2,175 |
| Hermes (2) |
1899 |
1901 wrecked at Cape Town. |
3,400 |
| Herminius (1) |
1898 |
1919 sold to Greece, renamed Spyridon. |
3,548 |
| Herminius (2) |
|
see Clan Macqueen, Clan Line. |
|
| Hermione |
1891 |
ex- Yarrawonga, 1903 purchased from Blue
Anchor Line and renamed, 1917 mined off Ireland, condemned and scrapped. |
4,011 |
| Hesione (1) |
1899 |
ex- Mamari, 1903 purchased from Shaw,
Savill & Albion Line, renamed Hesione, 1915 captured and sunk
by U.Boat off Fastnet. |
3,583 |
| Hesione (2) |
1915 |
ex- Itajahy, Hamburg South America
Line, 1921 war reparations, renamed Hesione, 1937 sold to Stanhope
SS Co., London, renamed Stanwood. |
4,125 |
| Hesione (3) |
1943 |
ex- Empire Capulet, 1946 purchased from MOWT, renamed Hesione, 1960 scrapped. |
7,044 |
| Hesperia (1) |
1919 |
ex- Patria (2), Hamburg America Line,
1921 war reparations, renamed Hesperia, 1938 sold to Euxine Shipping Co,
London, renamed Christine Marie. |
3,895 |
| Hesperia (2) |
|
see Clan Murdoch (2), Clan Line. |
|
| Hesperides (1) |
1884 |
1895 sold to O.Williams, Cardiff. |
2,404 |
| Hesperides (2) |
1899 |
1917 torpedoed and sunk off Fastnet. |
3,393 |
| Hesperides (3) |
1919 |
ex- Parthia (2), Hamburg America
Line, 1921 war reparations, renamed Hesperides, 1937 sold to Germany,
renamed Bertha Fisser. |
3,928 |
| Hesperides (4) |
|
see Clan Murray (4), Clan Line. |
|
| Hilarius (1) |
1894 |
ex- Afghan Prince, 1899 purchased from Prince Line, renamed Hilarius,
1919 sold to N.G.Livanos, renamed Livanos. |
3,261 |
| Hilarius (2) |
|
see Clan Keith, Clan Line. |
|
| Hippomenes |
1889 |
1912 sold to Italy, became coal hulk Ippomenes at Genoa. |
2,742 |
| Homerus |
1890 |
ex- Storm King, 1903 purchased from Puritan Line, renamed Homerus, 1919
sold to Burns, Philp & Co.,
Sydney, renamed Malayan. |
3,279 |
| Honorius |
1899 |
1925 scrapped. |
3,476 |
| Horatius |
1898 |
1918 sold to Brown, Jenkinson & Co., London. |
3,552 |
| Hortensius |
1899 |
1925 scrapped. |
3,472 |
| Hostilius |
1900 |
1926 sold to Byron SS Co., Liverpool, renamed General Napier. |
3,325 |
| Hyacinthus |
1902 |
1930 scrapped. |
5,756 |
| Hyades |
1899 |
1914 captured and sunk by German cruiser Dresden north of Pernambuco. |
3,352 |
| Hyanthes |
1899 |
1923 scrapped. |
3,427 |
| Hydarnes |
1889 |
1897 went missing in Atlantic; loss of 43 lives. |
2,774 |
| Hydaspes |
1899 |
ex- Manchester Port, 1900 purchased from Manchester
Liners Ltd, renamed Hydaspes, 1930 sold and scrapped. |
5,658 |
| Hylas |
1899 |
1917 torpedoed and sunk off Scotland; no loss of life. |
4,233 |
| Hypatia |
1902 |
1929 wrecked on Robben Island, Cape Town. |
5,663 |
| Hyperia |
1895 |
ex- Pinners Point, 1903 purchased from Norfolk & North American SS
Co., Liverpool, renamed Hyperia, 1918 torpedoed and sunk near Port Said;
loss of 75 lives. |
3,908 |
| KingAlfred |
1968 |
1977 transferred from King Line,
1983 sold to China, renamed Luo Fu Shan. |
24,419 |
| Stirlingshire |
1945 |
ex- Empire Falkland, 1946 purchased from MOWT, renamed Stirlingshire,
1966 scrapped. |
6,987 |
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