Furness Withy was a major British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 transport business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange

London Stock Exchange

The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...

.

History

The Company was founded by Christopher Furness and Henry Withy in 1891 in Hartlepool

Hartlepool

Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...

. This was achieved by the amalgamation of the Furness Line of steamers

Steamboat

A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...

 with the business of Edward Withy and Co., iron and steel shipbuilders and repairers, of West Hartlepool

Hartlepool

Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...

. An early acquisition in 1900 was a controlling interest in Richardsons Westgarth & Company

Richardsons Westgarth & Company

Richardsons Westgarth & Company was a leading British shipbuilding and marine engineering business. The Company was based in Hartlepool and was a major employer in the area.-History:...

, a marine engineering

Engineering

Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...

 business. It started with 18 vessels and over the subsequent years it owned in excess of a thousand ships. It bought the Prince line in 1916.

The Furness family sold its interests in the Company to a consortium led by Frederick Lewis

Frederick Lewis, 1st Baron Essendon

Frederick Lewis, 1st Baron Essendon , known as Sir Frederick Lewis, Bt, between 1918 and 1932, was a British shipping magnate.-Biography:...

, a Director in the business, in 1919. The Company acquired the Red Cross Line in 1928 and Royal Mail Lines (formerly Royal Mail Steam Packet Company

Royal Mail Steam Packet Company

The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was a British shipping company founded in London in 1839 by Scot James Macqueen. After good and bad times it became the largest shipping group in the world in 1927 when it took over the White Star Line....

, once the largest shipping group in the world) in 1965. In 1968 it went on to buy the Houlder Group

Houlder Line

The Houlder Line were a number of related British Shipping companies originally established by the Houlder brothers. was operated by the Houlder Line and was torpedoed in the North Atlantic in 1940. was operated by the Houlder Line...

, a company with offshore oil

Oil

An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....

 interests.

In 1969 British and Commonwealth Shipping, Furness Withy, P&O

Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company

The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O...

 and The Ocean Steamship Company

Ocean Group plc

Ocean Group plc was a major British transport business. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...

 established Overseas Containers Limited

Overseas Containers Limited

Overseas Containers Limited was a container shipping company formed by a consortium of British shipping companies in 1965. It is not to be confused with Orient Overseas Container Line .-History:...

 to exploit containerisation. Furness Withy bought Manchester Liners

Manchester Liners

Manchester Liners was a cargo and passenger shipping company, founded in 1898, based in Manchester, England. The line pioneered the regular passage of ocean-going vessels along the Manchester Ship Canal. Its main sphere of operation was the transatlantic shipping trade, but the company also...

 in 1970.

The Company was acquired by the Orient Overseas Container Line

Orient Overseas Container Line

Orient Overseas Container Line is a Hong Kong-based container shipping and logistics service company.OOCL is one of the world's largest shipping and logistics companies with more than 280 offices in 55 countries around the world, providing 78 services covering international trading markets with a...

 of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

in 1980.