From your handle I presume your from the NE. If so its well worh a visit to South Shields Library as they have quite alot on the Tyne Companies.

 

gdynia thanks for the reply, yes im from Newcastle, sailed with scottish ship management a couple of times, loved it, they have a website and its great, unable to find anything about comon bros on the net, sailed on the Ria jean Mcmurtry in 74 and i know the office was in Newcastle, but that about all i know.

 

Commons head office was in Exchange Buildings, Quayside, Newcastle. The building is still there and I'm sure it is signed Exchange Buildings still, just walk along the quayside starting at the Tyne Bridge and you will see it, if you get to the Court building you have come too far.

 

Commons head office was in Exchange Buildings, Quayside, Newcastle. The building is still there and I'm sure it is signed Exchange Buildings still, just walk along the quayside starting at the Tyne Bridge and you will see it, if you get to the Court building you have come too far.

Thanks Jeff, all the best

 

Hi Geordie,
Why not pop into the maritime museum just behind the courts, I am sure they will give you all the info you need, it,s on the quayside, cheers bill (North Shields)

 

Hi Geordie,
Why not pop into the maritime museum just behind the courts, I am sure they will give you all the info you need, it,s on the quayside, cheers bill (North Shields)

Bill
Change of orders got sent out to the Red Sea instead of South Korea. Now offshore Ras Shekheir

 

I Sailed On A Tanker S.s Border Minstrel That I Think Was A Commons Bro. Ship.her Sister Ship Was The Border Reiver And Both Were About 113oo Tons G.r.t. This Was In 1955/56, She Was On Time Charter To B.t.c.with Their Colours But In A Tartan Configuration. I Done Two Trips On Her And She Was One Of The Best Ships Iever Sailed On. Her Crew Was Lasker But The Officers Were All Scotts Except Me And The O.m,...sparks.

 

I was on the "Border Pele" in 69/70.
She was managed by Common Brothers but was owned by the Lowland Tanker Co.

 

Common Bros

Hi Jack,
I was on the Border Minstrel for the most of 1957, Joined her in Hamburg in the early spring and paid off at the TOB prior to her discharge
at Finnart in December.
Indeed a good ship and we had a variety of good discharge ports.
Will post a photograph of her in the Tanker Gallery.

Archie.

 

Hello Everyone.

Nice to hear someone talking about Common Brothers. I started as Deck Cadet in 1970 and Border Reiver was my first ship. Joined her in Oita and after leaving Japan one of the big end bolts sheared on the old Doxford. The engineers made a temporary repair in the South China Sea and we made it back to the Uk ( 4 months later) on 5 legs, via a few ports on the way.

Commons Brothers moved from Exchange Buildings some time in the 70's to a place called Bamburgh House which I think was on Market Street?

I stayed with them for 7 and a half years and had a great time serving with all kinds of really good blokes.

The ships I sailed on were...Border Reiver, Fina Britannia, Kazimah, Simonburn, Border Shepherd, Nimos (the one everyone wanted to get on...Aussi Coast), Joseph.R.Smallwood (which then became the 'Afghanistan')
Afghanistan and finally Sirine.

I have some old 'Common Crier' house magazines with a long list of ships that were managed, along with the crews along with some intersting articles.

I have to say those days with Commons were hard to beat. Are there any old shipmates out there?

All the best

Steve Mills

 

My god the common crier rings a bell .i was a cadet on. The border sentinel in 1961 and stayed with them for 6 years aboard the Daghistan Border Falcon Iron Age Iron Crown Iron Barque

 

Hindustan Steam Ship Co. Ltd. Formed in 1893 by J.W. Squance & Co. who changed their name to Common Brothers Ltd. in 1906 following the retirement of Captain Squance. The company faded out of sight in Lloyds in the late 1980s after it was acquired by Norex Corporation before resuming briefly in the late 1990's.

 

Border Terrier

I sailed as Second R/O on the Border Terrier in 1962.
She was my first ship and I quite liked her.
Nice food and the ship was always very clean and tidy.

P.S. The attached pic is of the Border Reiver. I believe the Terrier was of the same class.

 

I sailed as Second R/O on the Border Terrier in 1962.
She was my first ship and I quite liked her.
Nice food and the ship was always very clean and tidy.

P.S. The attached pic is of the Border Reiver. I believe the Terrier was of the same class.

Ahoy Wainui,
Here you are, the Terrier;

 

Welcome fsmillsy, abiet a little late , enjoy the site and all it has to offer.

 

Border Terrier

Thanks Ruud,

I do have a pic of the Terrier now, couldn't find it at the time I posted the last message. Very clean ships arn't they ?

Cheers.

Wainui.

 

I sailed as Second R/O on the Border Terrier in 1962.
She was my first ship and I quite liked her.
Nice food and the ship was always very clean and tidy.

P.S. The attached pic is of the Border Reiver. I believe the Terrier was of the same class.

My Father sailed on various Common Brothers ships from 1962 to about 1975. His name was Alan Robinson and he was a cheif engineer. I am at present doing my family history and would be interested if anyone knew him and had any photographs, as my mother lost ours when she moved house.

 

hi Liz

I sailed with your dad as second engineer on the Border Pele for the most of 1968.
"Big Al!" was a real smashing bloke and one of the best engineers that I ever
sailed with and knew "Doxfords" inside out.
I relieved him (and your Mam) at Singapore in 1974 and got a typical Big Al
handover!
I never heard much of him after that and often wondered what happened to him.
I have only fond memories of your Dad and even though i was and still am a keen photographer Im sorry to say have no photos of that time.
I was on the "Pele" when Al joined early 68 in I think the "Isle of Grain", he relieved a Chief called Harry Watson another well known "Commons" chief.
I hope your family history goes well and you hear from more Ex Commons men for your father was well known and liked.
regards
mel allen

 

Liz,

The name rings a bell and I can picture a face but I think he may have been second engineer when I met him.( sometime between 1970 and 1975... it may have been on the Simonburn)

I have no photo's but I will look in some House magazines for his name on any of the ships in there.

Regards
Steve Mills

 

Sailed as Electrician on Afghanistan 1962 (My first trip to sea) and Iron Crown 1962-1963, left Commons to go with Bank Line!

 

My Dad Robert Thompson, was with Commons for a good while, I did a couple of trips with him when I was 3 -4 yrs old w ith brother and sisters on the Border Laird and Border Hunter. My earliest memories are of the Gillie Gillie man in Suez and the lights of Hamburg. Sad but true My Dad became a Super in '59 and we moved to the NE from L'pool

 

World Ship Society published an excellent history: The Trades Increase, A Centenary History of Norex plc, Founded in 1893 as The Hindustan Steam Shipping Co. Ltd, Managed by Common Brothers. I sailed for them 1985-7 in SPRING DELIGHT.

 

Hindustan Steam Shipping Company

Tony
Having served my time and sailed with Common Bros. from 1963 till 1970 I was wondering if the book "The Trades Increase" includes a history of Commons as well as the Hidustan Shipping Company.
I did four stints on the Afghanistan and the Daghastan as well as the Iron Ore and the Border Laird and was one of the few engineering cadets that Commons ever employed. In fact when I was with them they managed forty ships

 

Tony
Having served my time and sailed with Common Bros. from 1963 till 1970 I was wondering if the book "The Trades Increase" includes a history of Commons as well as the Hidustan Shipping Company.
I did four stints on the Afghanistan and the Daghastan as well as the Iron Ore and the Border Laird and was one of the few engineering cadets that Commons ever employed. In fact when I was with them they managed forty ships[/QUOTE

hi dave,
if you are D L Anderson and were on the "Laird" in 1966 i was the second engineer and did over a year on her, the good all days!
i did over 20 years with commons and took their last ship, a gas carrier, the Bo Bengtson to the knackers yard.
ive just found this site so maybe i,ll hear from some "old" commons men,

best regards

Mel Allen

 

Hello all
Did anyone sail with comon brothers shipping company, does anyone have a list of thier ships, anyone know the history of the company, i would be pleased to hear from anyone, also searching for a picture of the small bulk carrier Ria Jean Mcmurtry, can anyone help, would love to hear anything about the company Kind regards Geordie

Hi-- there are a couple of pics on shipspotting of a 1973 ship,now "Adriatic Arrow", ex Ria Jean McMurtry-- would this be the one? A link is:
http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=275256
there is a stern view at the preceding photo in the shipspotting list

The ship is also listed here,where it appears pics may be ordered;
http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache...dundeecity.gov.uk/archives/calsort.htm+ria+jean+mcmurtry&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd

Finally, I attach a rather small and indistict pic of the ship in the Channel, details/date of pic unknown. Regards

P.S. it subsequently occurred to me that if it was a Channel shot,it was probably from Skyfotos, so I searched their site and it is in fact available from Skyfotos World Ships Club, for about £3.50 inc. p&p.The link is:
http://3277.e-printphoto.co.uk/skyf...ndex.cfm?z=z&CFID=4642908&CFTOKEN=57233482&y=y&p_id=40783&c_id=2798&action=view

 

Hi Dave,

The book "The Trades Increase" ISBN 0 905617 74 6 consists of 200 pages & lists all ships in a total of 51 companies owned, controlled or managed by Commons. It is very complete & in the normal style of WSS each ship is photographed with an acompanying brief but essentially complete history. All of your ships are included & over half of the book is dedicated to histories of Commons & their associated companies. My only interest in the company was my last ship, SPRING DELIGHT, which was owned by W&G Industrial Leasing of London, flagged in Hong Kong, demise chartered to Hopemount Shipping for time charter to Salen Reefer Services, later Cool Carriers. Hopemount was a Commons company by that time part of Kristian Siem's Norex empire and W&G, for Williams & Glynns Bank, was part of (I think) Royal Bank of Scotland or maybe Bank of Scotland. That may indicate how some obscure ships are listed.

It is an excellent book & I have read it cover to cover a couple of times & use it regularly for reference purposes so it well exceeded my expectations.

Regrads, Tony

 

well halo geordie
Iworked for comons 1972-1979 and done a trip on rea jean, seen apic of her somewhere on this site you might know me brian nelson 3rd eng from south shields if you do drop a line.

 

common bros

hello geordie
found this site last night and was supprised to see Common brothers
and a few ships that I had sailed on, NOT TO GOOD AT, getting around
the site as a bit complicated for me, never mind ! You might know me from
the ria jean or the fina britannia brian nelson 3rd eng.
hope to here from you
best regards
brian.

 

hello geordie
found this site last night and was supprised to see Common brothers
and a few ships that I had sailed on, NOT TO GOOD AT, getting around
the site as a bit complicated for me, never mind ! You might know me from
the ria jean or the fina britannia brian nelson 3rd eng.
hope to here from you
best regards
brian.

Hi Brian,
I joined the Al Badiah in Milford Haven in February 1972 as the 2nd Radio Officer. It was my first trip to sea and a most enjoyable one. You may remember me as the guitar playing member of the crew!! Hope to hear from you. Best regards, Brian Flynn (Dublin)