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Kaye, Son and Co. Ltd / Kaye Steam Navigation Co. / Kaye Tanker Management Co.

Kaye, Son and Co. Ltd. became established as shipowners in 1912, but the origins of the business can be traced back to 1893 when Frederick Kaye left the employment of Houlder Brothers to form F. Kaye and Company. Operating from an office in Great St. Helens, London, the business was mainly concerned with the management of steamers of the River Plate Fresh Meat Company (later the British and Argentine Meat Company Ltd.), but also included a coaling service, insurance department and the London Agency for the Prince Line River Plate Service, and later their Mediterranean Service.
Such was the success of the firm that on the 27th March 1905 it was incorporated as a limited liability company under the title of Kaye, Son and Co. Ltd., with Frederick Kaye as Chairman. By that time they had moved offices to 5, Fencourt, and later to 118, Fenchurch Street, London. As a result of Frederick Kaye's knowledge of the live cattle trade, the company was entrusted with the task of negotiating freight on the homeward route on behalf of a number of companies for the American Armour and Swift meat organisations.
In 1912 it was decided to enter shipowning on their own account, and in consequence a subsidiary company, the Chasehill Steamship Co. Ltd. was formed, and their first vessel the 21 year old steamer CHASEHILL (4,853 gross tons) was acquired, followed a year later by the 30 year old CHASE MANOR (2,084 gross tons). The latter vessel only remained in the fleet for about one year; thus at the outbreak of the First World War, the company still owned only one ship. However, on the 22nd February 1915, whilst carrying a cargo of coal southwards she was captured by the German cruiser KRONPRINZ WILHELM and her cargo was removed. Thereafter having been heavily damaged she was released and on 12th March arrived at Pernambuco. The company did not trade her further and she was sold and the Chasehill Steamship Co. Ltd. was wound up.
On 31st December 1918, Frederick Kaye relinquished his post as Managing Director but retained his position as Chairman. His son, Sydney, was appointed Managing Director. Sydney had been awarded the OBE in recognition of his services throughout the War as the Secretary of the Refrigerated Tonnage Committee of the Ministry of Food, a post he undertook again on the outbreak of the Second World War. A number of developments occurred during 1918, including the opening of an office at Liverpool, and the acquisition by The Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. Ltd. and Furness, Withy and Co. Ltd. of a large shareholding in the company. Thereafter an Advisory and Executive Committee was formed with a representa tive of Royal Mail and Houlder Brothers acting in conjunction with the Board of Directors.
On 13th February 1919 a new company, The K Steamship Co. Ltd., was incorporated with a fully paid up capital of £5,000 and in that year three ageing steamers were acquired. During 1922 a further subsidiary was formed, Kaye Steam Navigation Co. Ltd., and the first vessel built to their own order, the KAYESON (3518 gross tons), was placed under its ownership. The first chapter in the company's history closed during 1924 with the death of the founder Frederick Kaye, but his son Sydney succeeded him as Chairman. By 1925 there were eight vessels being operated by Kaye, Son and Co. Ltd. of which one was owned by the management company, five by The K Steamship Co. Ltd. and two by the Kaye Steam Navigation Co. Ltd.
The most significant event in the company's history occurred during 1926 when Kaye, Son and Co. Ltd. acquired the trading rights of R. P. Houston and Company in the United Kingdom/River Plate trade from Cayzer, Irvine and Co. Ltd., and Bell's Agency in Buenos Aires was taken over. Thereafter the Liverpool office traded as R. P. Houston and Co. Ltd. and to take full advantage of this new venture orders were placed with Lithgows Ltd. of Port Glasgow for the construction of four new steamers. The ships were financed by a partnership between Kaye, Son and Co. Ltd. and the shipbuilders in the form of the jointly owned Walmar Steamship Co. Ltd. A further new company, the Kaye Transport Co. Ltd., was formed during 1930.
Meanwhile during 1929 negotiations had taken place with Jamaican interests for the management by Kaye, Son and Co. Ltd. of four former Nelson Line refrigerated steamers which were placed under the ownership of the Jamaica Direct Fruit Line Ltd. These vessels were converted for the carriage of bananas and inaugurated a direct service from Kingston to Rotterdam and London.
Prior to the Second World War a further nine ships were acquired, of which two were newbuildings from the yard of Lithgows Ltd. Two further companies were formed, the Coolham Steamship Co. Ltd. in 1934 and a single ship company, the Marconi Steamship Co. Ltd. in 1937. Whilst the company had a regular liner service between the United Kingdom and the River Plate, and managed the Jamaican vessels, they also maintained an active interest in world-wide trades and committed a number of ships to general tramping.
At the outbreak of the Second World War they owned a fleet of eleven ships, of which eight were lost through enemy action and one through collision. Two Jamaican vessels were lost through enemy action, plus a further Jamaican vessel through collision. In addition, three ships managed on behalf of the British Government were also lost.
Meanwhile in 1941 Sydney Kaye died. His son Marsden spent a period in the business, but after his death in 1952 there was no member of the family involved in the management of the company.
The fleet owned by the company at the end of hostilities consisted of two ships, the MARGALAU of 1926 and the MARSDALE delivered by Lithgows Ltd. during 1940. Of the Jamaica Banana Producers Steamship Co. Ltd. fleet, only the JAMAICA PRODUCER of 1934 survived. In order to remedy this, four ships were acquired during 1946 from the British Government under their Ship Disposal Scheme, plus a further vessel the following year. With this rebuilt fleet the company resumed the peace?time pattern of trade and whilst the majority were engaged in the River Plate service a timehonoured participation was maintained in general tramping.
During 1953 the final dry cargo vessel to join the fleet, the MARYLYN, was delivered from J. Readhead and Sons Ltd. of South Shields. In 1959 Lithgows Ltd. completed the JAMAICA PLANTER, which was the first banana carrier to join the fleet for 25 years. In common with other British shipowners, Kaye also entered the field of tanker operation when, in 1961, the KAYESON (28,132 gross tons) was delivered by Hawthorn Leslie (Shipbuilders) Ltd., Newcastle. Although registered in the ownership of The K Steamship Co. Ltd. she was managed by a newly formed company, Kaye Tanker Management Co. Ltd. Gradually the trade from the River Plate was taken over by the Argentine Government owned Empresa Lineas Maritimas Argentinas (E.L.M.A.) and the company served as agents for this service for many years at Liverpool and London. By 1965 the last of the dry cargo ships, the MARYLYN, had been disposed of, leaving only the tanker KAYESON in the fleet together with the two managed Jamaican ships.
During 1973, Kaye, Son and Co. Ltd. was absorbed into the Furness, Withy Group and in consequence the KAYESON was transferred to the ownership of Royal Mail Lines Ltd., but still remained under the management of Kaye Tanker Management Co. Ltd. With the formation of a Jamaican national line under the title of J.M.M. Atlantic Line, the banana carriers passed out of Kaye management. Between 1973 and 1977 the motorship LIMPSFIELD, later renamed LINDFIELD, was registered under the ownership of The K Steamship Co. Ltd. The last connection with Kaye ended during 1981 with the sale by Furness, Withy of the tanker KAYESON. Thus ended the history of this well known and respected company, which will be remembered for the wide range of its activities in the shipping industry.

Many thanks to Henk Jungerius and 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.

• Fleet including ships owned by:
  • Chasehill S.S. Co. Ltd.
  • Coolharn S.S. Co. Ltd.
  • General Trading Co. Ltd.
  • The K S.S. Co. Ltd.
  • Kaye S. N. Co. Ltd.
  • Kaye Transport Co. Ltd.
  • Marconi S.S. Co. Ltd.
  • Northland Ltd.
  • Walmar S.S. Co. Ltd.

Funnel: Fleet:
	Kaye, Son and Co.		Kaye Steam Navigation Co.

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