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British shipping companies (B)

Bristol City Line of Steamships Ltd.
Bristol Steam Navigation Co.
British & African Steam Navigation Society, Limited
British and Commonwealth Shipping Co. Ltd.
British & Continental S.S. Co.
British Channel Islands Shipping Co.
British India Steam Navigation Co.
British Tanker Company / British Petroleum Tanker Company
British Waterways Board

See also:

Bristol City Line of Steamships Ltd.

by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, "the house flag of Bristol City Line of Steamships Ltd, Bristol. A swallow-tailed white burgee with a five-pointed blue star in the centre. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and toggle is attached.

Bristol City Line was part of a company with shipping, shipbuilding and ship repairing interests that started in the 18th century. The founder Charles Hill, took over the Hilhouse business from his partner, George Hilhouse in 1845 and changed the name to Messrs. Charles Hill & Sons. The Bristol City Line, began in 1879, running steamships to New York in competition with the Great Western Steamship Line. In contrast to its rival, the Bristol City Line carried cargo rather than passengers and was based in Bristol docks rather than at Avonmouth. Following the closure of the floating harbour at Bristol by Bristol City Council in 1980, shipbuilding ended in Albion Dock and Charles Hill of Bristol PLC was taken over in 1981."
Jarig Bakker, 5 August 2004

Bristol City Line of Steamships Ltd. According to Loughran (1979) an ordinary rectangular version was used between 1935 and 1950 with the swallowtail version being the original and then reverted to. However no early source seems to support with their portrayals as they all show the rectangle until Stewart in 1953. Most sources show the livery under or also in the name of Charles Hill & Co. whilst the Bristol City Line itself was acquired by the Bibby Line in 1972 but this may not have included the livery as Charles Hill continued in their prime activity as a shipbuilder.
Neale Rosanoski, 19 May 2005

Bristol Steam Navigation Co.

by James Dignan

Based on Sampson (1957)
James Dignan, 11 October 2003

by Rob Raeside

Bristol Steam Navigation Co. Coastal company with origins said to go back to around 1822, sources vary on the flag letters under two points. The first is whether the letters were black or blue and the second whether they were "BSNC" or "BSNCo." with the "o" being enhanced and the dot under it. According to Loughran (1979) the answer is that they were always black and he ascribes the confusion as resulting from an experiment in the 1950s when the colours on the funnel panel were changed to blue by a mate (I presume this only affected one ship therefore) but after he upgraded to a brighter blue the company, which had been gauging the effect, instructed a return to black but sources used this experiment as meani