Wilson, Sons and Co Ltd , coal and steamship agency

Wilson, Sons and Company Limited has its origins in the coal and steamship agency started in 1837 in Bahia, Brazil, by the brothers Edward and Fleetwood Pellew Wilson. This business grew rapidly throughout the South Atlantic, being concerned with coaling, stevedoring, lighterage, towage, ship repairs and general trading. A London office was established in 1845 and incorporation as a British limited company took place in 1877. The records relate to the British company and start in 1877.

Wilsons traded from 57 Gracechurch Street (1873-8); 7 Draper's Gardens, Throgmorton Avenue (1879-1901); Salisbury House, London Wall (1902-59); 5 Queen Street (1960-82); and moved to 14 King Street in 1982.

Wilsons obtained their supplies of Welsh steam coal from the Ocean group of companies and had contracts to supply the Royal Navy and many commercial steamship lines. In 1908 a new British company, Ocean Coal and Wilsons, was formed to formalise this arrangement, and acquired both Wilsons and the Ocean group. Ocean Coal and Wilsons traded from Salisbury House, London Wall, 1909-55.

All these companies traded profitably until the early 1950s, when a recession in South American trade, and the change from coal to oil bunkering, led the group to withdraw from all countries except Brazil. The head office of the group has been in Brazil since 1971.

The collection includes records of several other companies owned or taken over by Ocean Wilsons (including Ocean Coal and Wilsons Limited, British Italian Shipping and Coal Company Limited, Burnyeat, Brown and Company Limited, Glenavon Garw Collieries Limited, Peacock Iberia Coal Company Limited, Petsaly Coal Company Limited, Rio de Janeiro Lighterage Company Limited, Taff Merthyr Steam Coal Company Limited, United National Collieries Limited and Citygate Investment Company).