P Henderson & Company

P Henderson & Co. / British & Burmese Steam Navigation Co.

'P Henderson & Co' was formed at Glasgow in 1829 to operate the marble trade from Italy and the export of coal. In 1845, a service from Glasgow to Bombay and Australia was started and in 1848 the company entered the emigrant trade to New Zealand with calls at Burma for cargo on the return voyage, initially with chartered ships. A subsidiary company, Albion Shipping Co. was formed in 1864 and this amalgamated with Shaw, Savill Line in 1882 to form Shaw, Savill & Albion Line.

Irrawaddy Flotilla Company origins were in the East India Company’s preparations for the 2nd Anglo-Burmese War in 1852. The fleet originally consisted of four steamers and four flats (as barges were known in south Asia) . The Company was Scottish-owned, and was managed by 'P Henderson & Company' from Glasgow until May 1864 when the assets were sold to ‘Todd, Finlay & Co’ who already owned the ‘Burma Steam Tug Co’(See Irrawaddy Flotilla Company for more information)

British & Burmese Steam Navigation Co was formed by 'P Henderson & Co in 1874 to operate regular liner sailings to Burma. In 1947, ships were chartered to Elder Dempster Lines who purchased the company and fleet in 1952