Hong Kong Shipping

[leggoaft]

Can anyone tell me what became of Butterfied Squires ?

[fredkinghorn]

Was he not married to Dorothy?

fred

[Boots]

No, you're thinking of Butterfield 8, that was Liz Taylor's phone number
Boots

[fredkinghorn]

Was 8 not the number of husbands?

fred

[benjidog]

There was definitely a Cushy Butterfield in Geordieland but I am not sure if he was the squire. (LOL)

(Hang in there Leggoaft - someone will eventually provide a sensible reply I'm sure - at least this crap shows that those of us with too much time on our hands read the posts.)

[leggoaft]

Sorry my mistake, Should have read Butterfield Swire They had quite a few ships trading out East

[Mac]

John Swire's China Navigation Co was formed in 1872. Butterfield and Swire was the agency company with offices in most far eastern countries.
In 2000 China Navigation Co had twelve ships still operating, being engaged in world wide trades with strong feeder connections. Chief Container Services trade from Australia and NZ to Pacific Islands. I believe they also own Bank Line.
Duncan Hawes Merchant Fleets No 39 has full history.

[R651400]

John Swire was instrumental in creating the Far East conference system dividing up routes and cargoes to the benefit of members eg China Conference in the late 1870's.
Though Blue Funnel reluctantly joined, it benefitted to the extent where it became one of the the major players.
Butterfield & Swire became the Swire Group, still in container shipping, Cathay Pacific airlines and Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank. HSBC.
Other main 50's HK shipping companies, Jardine Matheson and Manners.

http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=1929

[leggoaft]

Very many thanks for that information Mac

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Short answer here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swire_Group

The Swire Group are alive and well and the current websites for the deep sea merchant shipowning business, CNCo, is here:

http://www.cnco.com.hk/?content=32&articleid=58

whilst the website for CNCo's offshore oil support business, SPO, now bigger than its parent, is here:

http://www.swire.com.sg/

and then of course there is Cathay Pacific, etc,.

But who was Butterfield and what happened to him?

The answer is that for one single year in the 1860's he was John Samuel Swire's business partner in Shanghai; they had a falling out and The Senior bought him out but a century went by before it was thought worthwhile to take his name off!