The Webster Line
This is an incomplete record and history of the Webster shipping line, a line founded by J S Webster, my great-grandfather, in Kingston, Jamaica.
I have long held a (largely uninformed) interest in the Webster line, but it was not until 2015 that I began to research and catalogue the ships that made up the fleet and their respective histories. That research has mainly been web-based; I have not referred to original records or scholarly texts (except where available online) and, consequently, there remain significant lacunae and, no doubt, some errors.
Perhaps the most interesting and, for me, compelling facet of the Webster line is its significant complement of former luxury yachts, amongst them examples of the largest and most opulent yachts ever built.
Ship acquisitions appear to have been the responsibility of Olney (Clive) Webster, J S Webster's son (and my great-uncle) and it seems that uncle Clive was something of an aesthete. By the time these yachts entered service for the Webster line, they had likely lost some of their original gloss - in each case having been requisitioned for naval service during one or other of the world wars - but nonetheless they will have remained a cut above the usual tramps and steamers.
Sharing uncle Clive's weakness for pretty lines, I have tended to concentrate my research efforts on the great yachts, but this project remains, I hope, a work in progress and, in time, the balance may be redressed.
Notes, Acknowledgements and Disclaimers
The official records reveal that the ships of what I refer to as the Webster line were registered to J. S. Webster & Sons Ltd, to various associated entities (including the Cayman Islands Co. Ltd and the Webster Shipping Co Ltd) and to various members of the Webster family. This was not (and is not) an unusual practice and I have elected to regard them as one line.
I have relied heavily on the excellent Miramar Ship Index for my research of official records. A further list of references and sources remains a work in progress and will be included here in due course.
As mentioned above, this is not a complete record and may contain errors. I welcome comments, suggestions and corrections.
Alex Webster
[email protected]
I have long held a (largely uninformed) interest in the Webster line, but it was not until 2015 that I began to research and catalogue the ships that made up the fleet and their respective histories. That research has mainly been web-based; I have not referred to original records or scholarly texts (except where available online) and, consequently, there remain significant lacunae and, no doubt, some errors.
Perhaps the most interesting and, for me, compelling facet of the Webster line is its significant complement of former luxury yachts, amongst them examples of the largest and most opulent yachts ever built.
Ship acquisitions appear to have been the responsibility of Olney (Clive) Webster, J S Webster's son (and my great-uncle) and it seems that uncle Clive was something of an aesthete. By the time these yachts entered service for the Webster line, they had likely lost some of their original gloss - in each case having been requisitioned for naval service during one or other of the world wars - but nonetheless they will have remained a cut above the usual tramps and steamers.
Sharing uncle Clive's weakness for pretty lines, I have tended to concentrate my research efforts on the great yachts, but this project remains, I hope, a work in progress and, in time, the balance may be redressed.
Notes, Acknowledgements and Disclaimers
The official records reveal that the ships of what I refer to as the Webster line were registered to J. S. Webster & Sons Ltd, to various associated entities (including the Cayman Islands Co. Ltd and the Webster Shipping Co Ltd) and to various members of the Webster family. This was not (and is not) an unusual practice and I have elected to regard them as one line.
I have relied heavily on the excellent Miramar Ship Index for my research of official records. A further list of references and sources remains a work in progress and will be included here in due course.
As mentioned above, this is not a complete record and may contain errors. I welcome comments, suggestions and corrections.
Alex Webster
[email protected]