Clan Lines Cayzer Irvine

[vic mcclymont]

Its well documented that Cayzer Irvine's Clan Line made a bid for Union Castle Line 1955, which eventually led to the merger of both companies.
This was not the first attempt by the Cayzer's to acquire U-C, after the break of the Royal MAil Group in 1934, the Cayzer's made a bid for the nearly bankrupt U-C. Vernon Thomson with the help of the UK treasury managed to block any bids for U-C. In 1945 agin the Cayzer's mad an unsuccessful bid for U-C with the chairman Vernon Thomson fending off any bids by the Cyzer family/ companies.
With the death of Vernon Thomson in 1953 a power vacuuum was created.
P&O were reported in 1955 as wooing U-C, but the bid was usurped by the arrival of the Cayzer bid.
Many in U-C didn't want takeover by Clan Line, and the Cayzer sought and gained the hep of the Stanhope shipping Company in an attempt to secure their bid. Stanhope were actively encouraged by the Cayzer's to make noises that they were interested in gaining control of U-C.
Fears that U-C could be taken over by a tramp steamship outfit, drove U-C to negotiate with the Cayzer's.
Eventually the merger as agreed at 60-405 with Cayzer being the larger partner.
Before the merger was completed U-C released its 1954 financial statement which showed that its profits were higher than expected, this in turn led a re-negotiation of the terms of the merger, which led to a reduction to 57% and increase to 43% of both company interest.
Needless to say within a year the Cayzer family dominated the board of U-C and the takeover was complete.

Things could have been different Lord Kyslant (Owen Cosby Philipps) Chairman of the Royal Mail Group made an unsuccessful attempt in 1910 to purchase the shipping interests of the Cayzer family. Sir Charles Cayzer denied that any attempt was made, but historical records in the Scottish press note that a take over attempt had been made and thwarted.
This attempt was made prior to RSMP takeover of U-C in 1912.

[happy daze john in oz]

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Some further information on this issue.

[robpage]

in the years I was with them there was still a lot of anti feeling from older hands , on both sides , about the Take Over ( Clan Line men ) and the Merger ( UCL men ) . Some of the older men would never integrate , both resenting the other company , I was employed by British and Commonwealth and worked on ships of a few different companies within the group . I liked the Pendennis Castle , but found some of the "Mail Boat " regulars were less interested in the engineering and more interested in the Social life , given a choice the old Clyde built twin screw steamships , with a window scoop if on the weather deck cabins , DC electrics , Ruston Generators and sixteen knots flat out

[happy daze john in oz]

I know what you mean about engineers Rob. As officers steward living in officers quarters I saw some very odd goings on. Females appearing and dissapearing at all odd hours. Social skills were as important as engineering ones.

[robpage]

Yes even ugly women stood a chance , and sometimes mummy came too . There. Was an awful lot of it going on , and the Master at Arms Mr W Speakman VC , kept a good eye out , he could spot a can of beer left out to cloud his. Eyesight two corridors away . I was a married man living in Southampton and I got off them , I could not afford the trips. Without working by

[Andrew Sculthorp]

To Rob Page from Andrew Sculthorp R854596. I sailed as Engineer Cadet and Junior Engineer on the Clan MacTaggart, a lovely Parsons Reaction Turbine Twin Screw Steamship, all DC, Ruston Generators, Babcock Wilcock Header Boilers. We had several Engineers sent to us from the 'Mailships' as I guessed at the time they had been getting to close to the passengers and needed to be retrained.
Definitely the best ship I ever worked on, although those 'Double Headers took a bit of doing.

[Ian Malcolm]

You may be interested in FROM CADET TO COMMODORE by Robert Royan who left the Conway in 1946 and spent 44 years at sea with the Clan Line.