It was founded in Liverpool, England, by two brothers, Alfred and Charles Booth to export English light leather to the US.

[1] It grew into a significant merchant shipping company with its head office in Liverpool and interests in the United States and South America.

In 1851 Lamport transferred minority shareholdings in a cargo steamship, the Nile, to several associates including Charles Booth and George Holt.

[3] Once again they were part-owners; relatives including Alfred Holt and his brother Philip held most of the remaining 64 shares in each ship.

In 1866 Booths started a regular steamship service between Liverpool and ports in northern Brazil and on the Amazon River.

In 1915 Charles senior returned from retirement to help the company in the First World War, despite suffering from worsening heart disease.

11 were requisitioned for war service and enemy action sank nine[3] including two ocean liners, the sister ships Antony and Lanfranc.

[citation needed] Booths lost one ship in peacetime between the two World Wars, when the Gregory ran aground and was wrecked.

The cargo steamship Clement was launched in 1934 and sunk by the German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee in September 1939.

He died in 1960 and was succeeded by his son Sir Douglas Allen Booth, 3rd Baronet, a television producer and writer living in New York City.