;1840–1850 Thomas Wilson and Company of the Thomas Wilson Sons and Company (1840-1916) The two Hudson partners retired in 1840–41 allowing Thomas Wilson to take full control. He brought his eldest son David into the business as his partner. ;1850–1916 Thomas Wilson Sons and Company :(became a Limited company in 1891) In 1850 his other sons
Charles and
Arthur joined and became active partners, the name changing to Thomas Wilson Sons and Company, though usually known as the
Wilson Line of Hull. 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. In 1878 the company purchased the seven ship fleet of Brownlow Marsdin and Co., bringing the Wilson fleet to 52 ships. In 1906 part of the operation was merged with the
North Eastern Railway creating
Wilson's & North Eastern Railway Shipping Co. Ltd. Though it kept the Wilson name (Ellerman's Wilson Line of Hull) and continued for several years, it never saw the same success, despite a brief revival in the 1950s, and was eventually closed in 1973 when the Ellerman company turned its focus elsewhere.
Development From a background in iron importing, the focus was on steam shipping, still in its early stages and eventually saw the company become a prominent figure in modern steam shipping. Initially, the firm concentrated on Swedish iron ore importing for the Sheffield iron trades but gradually turned to focus on shipping all over the world, with Hull becoming one of the most significant ports to flourish under the advent of steam. 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.
Relevance At one time the firm was well on its way to becoming the world's largest private shipowner. The company stands out as one of interest in the maritime and business world of the period, as it provides an example of the changing fortunes of a family business. It has been suggested that Thomas Wilson is a good example of the emergence of specialist shipowners at this time.
Livery Funnels: Red with black top. Hull: black (Thomas Wilson Sons) or dark green (Ellerman's Wilson) but occasionally white where the vessel had refrigerated capacity. ==Passenger vessels of Thomas Wilson Sons & Co. / Ellerman's Wilson Line==