Thomas Wilson Sons & Co.
[1] The company expanded and by the early 20th century operated a relatively large fleet, but in 1906 part of the operation was merged with the North Eastern Railway creating Wilson's & North Eastern Railway Shipping Co. Ltd[2] and later in 1916 the remaining company was sold to Sir John Ellerman who created Ellerman's Wilson Line which continued to trade until closed in 1973.
Thomas died in 1869 and the company was taken over by his sons Charles and Arthur Wilson, with David remaining a silent partner.
A few years later the brothers were beginning to question the ability of their own sons to continue running the firm and brought in a non-family member, Oswald Sanderson, to become the new Managing Director.
There can be little doubt that the loss of three of its largest and most prestigious ships to enemy action (Aaro and Calypso sunk; Eskimo captured) in a three-week period in the summer contributed greatly to the Wilson family's decision to sell the company.
Previously getting out of the Humber Estuary was difficult despite the convenient location of Hull, but with steam, it became easy to reach the sea and navigate around Britain.
[5] Transferred to London–Riga service in about 1904 and operated alongside Bailey & Leetham's Jaffa and Zara until the outbreak of the First World War.
Changed hands several times within the Greek shipping industry being renamed Mykali Togia before finally being scrapped in Italy after a 49-year career in 1933.
[19] She undertook occasional cruises during the winter off-season, and in January 1890 her itinerary took her from Hull to Madeira, Nice, Malta, Constantinople and Odessa returning home in early April.
Transferred to Grimsby–Gothenburg route in 1911, and was withdrawn from service to become a cadet training ship and was moored in Hull's Railway Dock very close to Wilson's head office.
Ariosto was withdrawn from Wilson service in 1910 after an uneventful career She was sold to Spanish owners La Roda Hermanos of Valencia and renamed Luis Vives.
[20] She was badly damaged in a collision in poor visibility with 18,000 ton Hamburg America Line ship President Lincoln in January 1911 and escorted to Dover by the liner.
[5][21] She became surplus to requirements in 1910 and sold to Spain's Compania Valenciana and renamed Barcelo, operating between Spanish ports and the Canary Islands.
[23] Under Wilson ownership she traded mainly from Hull or Newcastle upon Tyne to Copenhagen in a joint service with DFDS.
Her career continued until June 1960 when this remarkable ship became wrecked on Cape Penas whilst on passage from Bordeaux to Gijon, 61 years after her launching.
She was employed on northern patrols but was found to be too small for the high seas often encountered and was returned to ferry services between London, Kristiansand and Oslo.
[26] Requisitioned by the Admiralty in November 1914 she was fitted out as an armed merchant cruiser, but like the Calypso before her, was found to be too small for the Atlantic in all weathers and was returned to her owners in July 1915 and resumed her North Sea services.
[4] Her reign was sadly cut short after only seven months when she grounded whilst creeping up a fog-shrouded Humber Estuary in January 1912.
Changes in U.S. immigration quotas in 1923 reduced the level of carryings in this trade and the vessel was laid up in July 1928 being eventually sold to Danish shipbreakers in 1932.
Purchased by Ellerman's Wilson in November 1920 and renamed Calypso in memory of the vessel lost during the war.
In 1933 she started a series of cruises out of London to Copenhagen and return, via Kristiansand, which continued until 1936 when she was withdrawn and sold for scrapping in Bruges by Van Heyghen Freres.
[31] Mini cruises on the round voyage became very popular but the increasing competition from the faster North Sea ferries gradually reduced her passenger carryings resulting in her being withdrawn at the end of 1966 and eventually sold for scrapping in Bruges in mid-1967 when no buyer for further trading could be found.
