Society of Ship-Owners of Great Britain

The Society of Ship-Owners of Great Britain (SOGB) was an organisation established by British ship-owners in 1802 to defend their interests by opposing breaches of the Navigation Acts.^[1]^: 308 The decision to form the organisation was reached at a meeting held on 22 June in London.

The ship owners were concerned that while their operating costs such as taxation, naval supplies, wages and insurance, had increased, foreign competition meant their freight rates were kept low. Many ships stood idle while others ran at a loss. They campaigned for American ships to be excluded from British colonies and fought the American Intercourse Bill of 1806.^[1]

Membership[edit]

The SOGB was organised around port committees with the principal committee being that of London.

Members of the London Committee[edit]

The committee was composed as follows:^[2]^: 250 Chairman: John Hill (also trustee)

Joseph and Peter Ainsley
John Akenhead
Thomas and Robert Brown
John Blacket
Ralph Clarke
William Clark (junior)
Norrison Coverdale
Robert Curling
William Curling
Anthony Collins
Joseph and W. Dowson
Thomas Davison
James Dunning
George French
William Fairles
Henry Fletcher
Thomas Gillespy (Trustee)
Sir Cuthbert Heron
Heathfield, Pycroft and Heathfield
William Havelock
Thomas Hayman
Ives Hurry
Hough and Jackson
Archibald Heurtley
John Jackson
Thomas Keddey
Peter Kennion
John Lyall
William Marshall
Richard Mordey
William Moorsom
Thomas Metcalfe
William Masterman
D. Macarthy
Robert Pedder
Thomas Rowcroft
Joshua Reeve
Isaac Robinson (trustee)
John Shuttleworth
Henry Smithers
Daniel Stephens
J. R. Sherman
William Thompson
John Tulloch
Thomas and George Wilkinson
Richard Wilson (junior)
Thomas S. Williams
John Woodcock

Nathaniel Atcheson was appointed secretary for both the London Committee and that of the society as a whole.

Other ports[edit]

Secretaries were appointed for other ports:^[2]^: 250

North Shields: William Harrison
South Shields: William Blackburn
Sunderland: Thomas Sanderson

Ship owners from Bristol, Leith, Kirkcaldy, Bridlington and various other ports expressed an interest in supporting the association.^[2]^: 250

Publications[edit]

The SOGB published material relevant to shipowners and their campaigns.

Collection of Interesting and Important Reports and Papers on the Navigation and Trade of Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Colonies in the West Indies and America, 1807

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b Crouzet, François (2000). McCusker, John J.; Morgan, Kenneth O. (eds.). "British Imperial Economy 1803-7". The Early Modern Atlantic Economy. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521782494.
^ ^a ^b ^c Clarke, James Stanier; McArthur, John, eds. (2010). The Naval Chronicle: Volume 8, July-December 1802: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-01847-0.

[Crouzet-1] Crouzet, François (2000). McCusker, John J.; Morgan, Kenneth O. (eds.). "British Imperial Economy 1803-7". The Early Modern Atlantic Economy. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521782494.

[Naval_Chronicle-2] Clarke, James Stanier; McArthur, John, eds. (2010). The Naval Chronicle: Volume 8, July-December 1802: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-01847-0.

[1]

[2]