James Baines & Co.
James Baines & Co. of Liverpool was the parent company of a fleet of packet ships running between Liverpool, England and Australia under the name of Black Ball Line.[1][2]
History
The company was headed by James Baines, the owner of 86 of the world's finest sailing clippers such as Champion of the Seas, James Baines, Lightning, Indian Queen,[3] Marco Polo, Red Rover and Sovereign of the Seas.
The flag of the company was a red swallowtail with a black dot.[4]
James Baines (1822-1889) was the son of William Baines and Mary Picton. He married Anne Netherton in 1848 and had two daughters. His mother ran a very successful confectionery manufacturing business which provided sweets to the Royal Family after her husband died in 1829. This may have been the source of some of the funds he used to set up in business.
James Baines has been suggested as an inspiration for the character of James Onedin in the popular BBC drama The Onedin Line, created by Liverpool-born Cyril Abraham. A leading character in the series was Captain Baines, played by Howard Lang.
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