Society of Ship-Owners of Great Britain


The Society of Ship-Owners of Great Britain was an organisation established by British ship-owners in 1802 to defend their interests by opposing breaches of the Navigation Acts. The decision to form the organisation was reached at a meeting held on 22 June in London.
The ship owners were concerned that while their operating costs such as taxation, naval supplies, wages and insurance, had increased, foreign competition meant their freight rates were kept low. Many ships stood idle while others ran at a loss. They campaigned for American ships to be excluded from British colonies and fought the American Intercourse Bill of 1806.

Membership

The SOGB was organised around port committees with the principal committee being that of London.

Members of the London Committee

The committee was composed as follows:
Chairman: John Hill
Nathaniel Atcheson was appointed secretary for both the London Committee and that of the society as a whole.

Other ports

Secretaries were appointed for other ports:
Ship owners from Bristol, Leith, Kirkcaldy, Bridlington and various other ports expressed an interest in supporting the association.

Publications

The SOGB published material relevant to shipowners and their campaigns.