The Cayzer Family of Sir Charles Cayzer stretches back into the 18th century, and continues to the present day. This Chronology contextualises events in family history against milestones in world history, some of which involved family members.
15th July 1843
1856
Union Steam Ship Company formed
1861
Charles William Cayzer employed by William Nicol & Co. in Bombay
1862
Donald Currie & Company formed
1874
Charles William Cayzer leaves Nicol & Co and briefly moves to Cardiff
21st January 1876
1877
Charles William Cayzer moves to Liverpool where he begins trading as Charles Cayzer & Co
1878
Charles William Cayzer establishes Cayzer Irvine & Co in Liverpool, having made business contacts in Glasgow
1878
Clan Alpine, Charles William Cayzer’s first steamship, built in Glasgow
23rd July 1881
Herbert Robin Cayzer born
1881
Clan Line Association Steamers formed, managed by Cayzer Irvine & Co, and 109 Hope Street, Glasgow becomes company headquarters
1881
Castle Packet Company becomes Castle Mail Packet Company
1890
Clan Line Steamers Limited is formed
1892
Charles William Cayzer becomes Member of Parliament (Conservative) for Barrow-in-Furness
1897
Charles William Cayzer knighted
1900
Union Steam Ship Company and Castle Mail Packet Company amalgamate to become the Union-Castle Steamship Company
12th December 1904
Charles William Cayzer created 1st Baronet of Gartmore
28th April 1904
August Bernard Tellefsen Cayzer marries Ina Frances Stancomb
1907
Cayzer Irvine & Co becomes a limited company
1908
Sir Charles William Cayzer fails in his attempt to be elected MP for Monmouth Boroughs
21st January 1910
1912
Union-Castle Line taken over by Royal Mail Steam Packet Company
1914
Britain enters the First World War. Six Cayzer family members and company directors are called to active service.
28th September 1916
Sir Charles William Cayzer 1st Bart., dies
October 1916
August Cayzer becomes chairman of Cayzer, Irvine & Co. He appoints his brother Herbert Cayzer as deputy chairman, with an identical salary to his own.
1918
Assets of the Scottish Shire Line acquired, adding refrigeration capacity to the fleets.
1918
August Cayzer is instrumental in the purchase of the Greenock Dockyard Company, putting Cayzer Irvine & Co in the unique position, for a shipping line, of possessing its own shipyard. The company headquarters move to No. 2 St Mary Axe in the City of London
1918
August Cayzer begins to rebuild the firm by acquiring the British & South American Steam Navigation Company.
1920
August Bernard Tellefsen Cayzer is created 1st Baronet of Roffey Park in recognition of his and the Clan Line’s services to the war effort.
1922
Sir Charles Cayzer, 3rd Bart., wins the parliamentary constituency of Chester for the Conservatives and remains their M.P. for 20 years.
January 1924
Herbert Robin Cayzer is created 1st Baronet of Tylney in the New Year’s Honours list
1926
Clan Line’s capital is reduced from almost £4 million to under £2 million. It is forced to sell the British & South American Steam Navigation Company to the Royal Mail Group
1929
The crash of the New York Stock Exchange brings dire consequences for world economics and trade. The Great Depression begins.
1933
Fred Bedford the Managing Director of Cayzer, Irvine & Co., is forced to introduce a 10% salary cut across the firm as a result of the worldwide economic depression.
1936
Union-Castle Line becomes independent again
1939
Both the Clan Line, its associated Greenock Dockyard, and Union-Castle are much affected by wartime requisitioning.
8th June 1939
Sir Herbert Cayzer created 1st Baron Rotherwick of Tylney in the King’s Birthday Honours
28th February 1943
Sir August Cayzer dies. Lord Rotherwick becomes the chairman of the family business
1945
By the end of the war Clan Line have lost 37 ships and Union-Castle 11 through enemy action.
1946
Clan Line buys eight freighters, limited shipyard capacity and high building prices preventing the construction of new ships.
1947
Union-Castle negotiates new mail and freight contracts with the South African government.
1947
Mrs Smuts launches the Pretoria Castle in Belfast by radio from South Africa.
15th October 1953
Clan Line take over Hunting Group‘s air transport and servicing business. Hunting-Clan Air Transport is formed.
1955
Hunting-Clan Air Transport begin a weekly ‘Africargo‘ service.
1956
Clan Line group merges with the Union-Castle Line group to form the British & Commonwealth Shipping Company Limited.
1957
Hunting-Clan begins to offer passenger flights and package holidays.
17th March 1958
Lord Rotherwick dies. Sir Nicholas Cayzer 2nd Bart., (of Roffey Park) becomes Chairman of British & Commonwealth
1959
British & Commonwealth purchase Springbok Shipping Company.
1960
Hunting-Clan merges with Airwork to form British United Airways.
1962
British & Commonwealth purchases Hector Whaling Company.
1964
The decision is made that the Clan Alpine will be the last ship built for Clan Line.
1965
Air Holding Limited is formed, bringing together major shipping companies with an interest in air freight including British & Commonwealth
1966
British & Commonwealth take a 36 per cent interest in the South African Marine Corporation [Safmarine]
1970
British United Airways is bought by Caledonian Airlines. It becomes British Caledonia.
1st January 1982
Sir Nicholas Cayzer is created Baron Cayzer of St Mary Axe in the City of London in the New Year’s Honours.
1987
Caledonia Investments separates from British & Commonwealth