| Description |
The house flag of Furness Withy & Co. Ltd, London. A pale blue swallow-tailed pennant. In the upper hoist is a white letter 'F' and the centre of the pennant bears a black disc with two red horizontal stripes of irregular width. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting with a linen hoist. It is machine sewn. A rope and toggle is attached.
The company was started by Thomas and Christopher Furness in West Hartlepool. They commenced shipowning in 1878. In 1883 Christopher Furness purchased an interest in the shipyard of Edward Withy and in 1884 bought the company outright. In 1885 Christopher Furness collaborated with Thomas Wilson to form the Wilson Furness line to operate services between Newcastle and New York. By 1891 the fleet contained 18 ships and Furness Withy & Co. was founded.
The firm, combining shipbuilding, ship owning and ship management, grew into a very large group. Their routes ran mainly between the UK and the East Coast of North America. They were extended through the Panama Canal to the Northern Pacific coast in 1919 and from 1932, they ran a route between New York and Bermuda. Under the ownership of C.Y. Tung of Hong Kong ship holdings dwindled during the difficult conditions of the 1980s. In 1990 the company was sold to Rudolf A. Oetker and remains operational as a ship broking business. |