^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

British shipping companies (G)

See also:

John Good & Sons Ltd.

image by Tim Good, 29 November 2019

John Good & Sons Ltd. continue trading to this day and have a long and active association with the maritime world, dating back to 1813 when, as a boy of 11, John Good joined the sailing brig ‘British Volunteer’ and began a career at sea. In 1883 John Good & Sons obtained the company’s first liner agency for the Finnish Steamship Company’s cargo and passenger services between Hull and Finland.

The development of this new trade route meant the company prospered, and in 1908 John Good & Sons became John Good & Sons Ltd. Although two world wars hindered trade, and a series of national strikes did nothing to help matters, John Good & Sons Ltd weathered the storm of bombings and economic depression, gaining new agency business from Europe in the 1950s.

The second half of the 20th century saw the company expand further and remain at the forefront of the shipping industry in the UK. Shipping remains at the heart of the activities of the John Good Group which has developed into one of the UK's largest independent shipping, logistics & travel companies.

Website: www.johngood.co.uk
Active Family Members: John Ambrose Good & Timothy David Ambrose Good
Tim Good, 29 November 2019
Director, John Good & Sons
http://www.johngoodgroup.co.uk/services/shipping-logistics
The Matthew Good Foundation

Variant flags

image by Tim Good, 29 November 2019

image by Tim Good, 20 January 2020

A photograph of the only original House Flag left in existence. This is one which would have flown from a masthead of one of the ships in the 1800s.
Tim Good, 20 January 2020

One of John Good & Sons subsidiaries in 1870 was Good Brothers & Co.

image by Tim Good, 14 March 2022

In the painting you can see the blue flag with the Stag flying at the masthead of the SS Carolina [extracted at original size in upper right]. Sadly the SS Carolina sunk in the North Atlantic only after 2 years service!

image by Tim Good, 14 March 2022

It also appears on original documents. This was the House Flag at the time.
Tim Good, 14 March 2022

George Gordon & Co.

The flag is white with a white canton fimbriated in black and charged with a black pig's head. The letters GG & Co. (black), in a kind of cursive writing, are placed in lower fly.
Source: 1911 Lloyd's flagbook, as illustrated at The Mystic Seaport Foundation.
Ivan Sache, 14 January 2004

George Gordon & Co. The emblem is a boar's head [the boar was an early Royal emblem in Scotland] rather than a pig's [see the attached scan from Lloyds] with the company being shown as a sailing ship operator. They appear to have still been in existence in 1937 still being shown in Lloyds but with no indication as to in what capacity.
Neale Rosanoski, 18 July 2005

Goole & West Riding S.S. Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of the Goole & West Riging S.S. Co., Ltd. (#468, p. 59), a Goole-based company, as blue, charged in the center with a white oval.
https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#24
Ivan Sache, 24 April 2021

Gordon Steam Shipping Co., Ltd.

image by Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021

The Unison Steam Shipping Co., Ltd. was wound up voluntarily on 9 October 1917. SS "Karanja", belonging to the company, if not sold to other buyers, was to be sold to the Gordon Steam Shipping Co?, "at a price to be determined by valuation of independent ship valuers".
The two companies were then managed by Arthur Wiener Gordon.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30332/page/10522/data.pdf
The London Gazette, 12 October 1917

Lloyd's Book of House Flags and Funnels (1912) shows the house flag of Gordon Steam Shipping Co., Ltd., also Unison Steam Shipping Co., Ltd. (#42, p. 38) as horizontally divided (1:3:1) blue-white-blue with a red "G" in the center.

https://research.mysticseaport.org/item/l011061/l011061-c008/#3
Ivan Sache, 21 April 2021

Gotaas-Larsen Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, 11 November 2005

Gotaas-Larsen Ltd., London; white swallowtail, blue circle enclosing blue 5-pointed star.
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 11 November 2005

Goulandris Brothers

image by Jarig Bakker

From Scott, R.M., The Caltex book of Flags and Funnels, Cape Town, Caltex Africa Ltd. (1959).

Goulandris Brothers, Piraeus - actually a Greek company, but with a London agency. A blue flag, white Greek "Gamma" ("G") on Greek ships, but a letter G on ships under other than Greek flag.

However Brown 1951 [Wedge (1951)] shows for the Goulandris brothers in their agency in London a blue flag with a Latin "G".
Jarig Bakker, 6 January 2005

image by Jarig Bakker, 15 February 2006

N.J. Goulandris, London - blue burgee, "G" around "NJ", all yellow.
Source: Loughran (1995)
Jarig Bakker, 15 February 2006

image provided by Anita Russell, 12 November 2007

This image was found on a cup. It is N.J. Goulandris Ltd., one of the "London Greeks". Most sources do not show an edging to the pennant but U.S. Navy 1961 does except none at the hoist. I presume that the dark look to the china image indicates a dark blue.
Neale Rosanoski, 18 October 2008

Govan Shipbuilders Ltd.

image by Jarig Bakker, based on the website of the National Maritime Museum.

From the website of the National Maritime Museum, "the house flag of Govan Shipbuilders Ltd. A rectangular blue flag with a white saltire broken in the centre by the letters 'GS'. The flag is made of a synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and logo. A rope and toggle is attached."
Jarig Bakker, 13 August 2004

British Shipping lines: continued