Introduction

The nineteenth century, especially after 1850, was characterised by a multiplication of specialist trades and functions in ports and the shipping industry. This specialisation led to the rise of trade associations in Liverpool for shipping, distribution, marine insurance, port employment and the commodity trades. Some wielded enormous economic power. For example, the Liverpool Cotton Association's members handled about eighty percent of the country's cotton imports in their exchange. The records in the Maritime Museum provide a useful cross section of their activities, although there are large gaps. References to these associations, their members and matters such as port labour can also be found in the MDHB Collection and the Bryson Collection. The latter has extensive marine insurance records, as has the Danson Collection. The local marine insurance industry is also covered in the “Safe Passage” gallery on the third floor of the museum.

Ship Owners’ Associations

British Liner Committee

This Committee was established jointly by the Chamber of Shipping and the Liverpool Steamship Owners’ Association. There are three bound volumes of the Committee's reports and memoranda in the Bryson collection. These are available strictly by appointment only.

DB/115/p2 (and unnumbered) 1956-1960 3 Volumes

Canadian Atlantic Freight Secretariat

This was a shipping “Conference” set up in 1907 to control freight rates on cargo liner services between Canada and the United Kingdom. The first formal Conference was established in 1875 to regulate the Calcutta trade and the practice spread to other liner trades. This conference was based in Liverpool until its closure in 1985. Greenshields, Cowie and Co. (later McDiarmid Greenshields and Co.) operated as merchants from about 1834 and later became shipowners and agents. From 1974 they were owned by the Crown Agents.

The Archives of shipowners contain a wide range of documents from conferences on other routes, for example in the Brocklebank, Ocean and PSNC Archives (see section 4).

Records

Calcutta Conference circulars, etc., 1879-1919; letters, 1907-1948; freight rates, 1879-1937.