Edward W. Turner & Son, ship broker etc

B/EWT

Information

From the Guide to the Records of Merseyside Maritime Museum volume 2: Edward W. Turner (c.1840-1936) was born at Queensborough, Kent, and began his seafaring career in the Royal Navy. He left the Royal Navy in 1861 and qualified as a master in 1865. In the 1880s he became master of the barque Mertola, carrying copper ore from Portugal to Garston Docks. He bought the Mertola in 1882 and founded the business that bore his name in 1883. From being a sailing ship company it diversified into ship agency, brokerage, forwarding and surveying, all initially based at Garston. In 1911 Edward took his son, C.E. Turner, into partnership, and in 1938, C.E. Turner made his elder son, J.C.E. Turner, a partner. After World War II the firm expanded and acted as loading brokers for a regular monthly deep-sea liner service and also developed an insurance and merchant business in Nigeria. In addition to the head office which had been opened in Liverpool in 1903, and the original office at Garston Docks, branch offices were also opened at Ellesmere Port, Preston and at Lagos, Nigeria. The firm also became involved in travel agency work and the canal pleasure boat business, and has now been absorbed into Vogt & Maguire. The archives include a large number of personal and business papers, ranging from the age of sail to jet flight, and include a typescript history of the firm (c.1980) and Captain E.W. Turner’s career papers for voyages to the West Indies and Russia. For further details see the attached catalogue or contact The Archives Centre for a copy of the catalogue.