The Liverpool Agency

William and Hamilton Laird had been in business together as coal merchants for many years, but when the African Steam Ship Company was formed in 1852 they readily agreed to their brother Macgregor's suggestion and became its Liverpool agents. Until 1856 the agency formed only a small part of their work, but once Liverpool replaced London as the terminal port their responsibilities grew rapidly. This was not only because of the additional effort required to ensure an efficient turnround together with the staffing, victualling and repairing problems which this involved, but also because the control of the Company - formerly undertaken by Macgregor Laird - was placed in their hands. The death of Hamilton Laird in 1860 did not change this situation but after William Laird had taken Mr. J.T. Fletcher into partnership the name of the agency was altered to Messrs. Laird and Fletcher. In 1863 William Laird retired and Mr. L.H. Parr joined the business - the firm being subsequently known as Fletcher and Parr. The retirement of William Laird had, however, a more significant meaning than the mere loss of his name would suggest. Instead of being the organisers of the African Steam Ship Company, the Liverpool agents became solely its representatives and the control passed back to London. In theory this change ought to have placed the board of directors in a better position to guide the Company but in practice the real power was quickly assumed by its secretary, Mr. Duncan Campbell.

The year 1863 was also important for the fact that the Liverpool agents formed a new firm, Messrs. Fletcher, Parr and Company which opened an office in London. This establishment was under the control of two new partners - W. S. Partridge and J.P. Higginson - but it would appear that it was mainly concerned with coal factoring and chartering and was not directly concerned with the West African trade. The Liverpool office remained very small, having only thirteen employees at this time, but the staff included four members whose future work, power and influence were to change the whole of Britain's shipping and commercial relationship with West Africa. These were Alexander Elder, John Dempster, John Holt (who left in 1862) and Alfred Jones.