W H Stott and Company Limited, Shipowners and Shipbrokers.

From Maritime Archives Guide to Collections volume 2: W.H. Stott was born in 1835 into a family active in several aspects of port services. He was apprenticed to the Liverpool shipbroking firm of Smith, Edwards & Co., and in 1856 he joined Bahr Behrend & Co. as a chartering clerk. In 1860 he re-joined Smith, Edwards & Co. which, shortly after, took the title Allen & Edwards. He became a partner in that firm in 1862 and the name of the firm was altered to Edwards, Stott & Co. In 1866 the firm of W.H. Stott & Co. was established, obtained the sole agency for several important merchants, and in 1876 branched into shipowning with two sailing vessels. They acquired their first steamer in 1886. About twelve vessels were owned over the next thirty years employed in trade between the Mersey and Baltic ports. In 1894 one of their vessels, the Neva, was the first vessel to carry cargo (wood pulp) to the port of Manchester via the Ship Canal before it was officially opened. In 1895 Alfred Coker became a partner and the name of the firm was altered to Stott, Coker & Co. This lasted three years until, in 1898, Coker left to set up business as a shipbroker on his own account and the firm resumed its former name of W.H. Stott & Co. A year later W.H. Stott (II) was admitted as a partner with his father. The firm became a limited liability company in 1902 and two years later W.H. Stott (I) died. The Stott Line Ltd. was formed in 1906 to take control of the fleet, with W.H. Stott & Co. as the majority shareholder. The Stott Line operated regular services from Liverpool and Manchester to Baltic ports including St. Petersburg. In 1924 the line disposed of its last services with chartered tonnage until its interests were acquired by Ellerman Wilson Line of Hull, which adopted the style Ellerman’s Wilson & Stott Line in 1931. W.H. Stott & Co., Ltd. continued to act as agents, representing amongst others, the Finland Steamship Co. and the Johnson Line of Stockholm. W.H. Stott & Co., Ltd. was dissolved in 1994. For further details see the attached catalogue or contact The Archives Centre for a copy of the catalogue.