HISTORY OF THE SSBA
The Glasgow Ship owners’ and Shipbrokers’ Benevolent Association was constituted following a meeting held within the Christian Institute Glasgow on 10th February 1899.
The original gathering was attended by many local ship-owners and brokers, some of the names of which would be recognisable by shipping people today. This was followed by the first general meeting of members held on 9th May 1899 at which Mr. Nathaniel Dunlop was appointed President.
A quote by Mr. Dunlop’s first Director’s Report captures the spirit behind the Associations birth, “for many it has been considered something of an anomaly that the shipping trade of the City of Glasgow – should have no Benevolent Association to identify with it.” The anomaly had been righted.
It was a natural development that the Directors, in 1998, decided the Association should broaden its geographical limits to embrace Scotland as a whole. This recognising that, unlike earlier times, many in the shipping community are now based in east coast ports.
If the need exists for a Benevolent Association such as this, its support should not be confined a particular part of the country: our membership is nationwide, our recipients are nationwide and our interests are nation wide.
As a consequence, on 15th April 1999 a special meeting was held at which members unanimously approved new rules and regulations extending the Association’s sphere of influence. The Charity’s name was changed to the Scottish Shipping Benevolent Association to reflect this.
The Association has held an Annual Dinner since its inception over 100 years ago with the exception of the war years. This is traditionally held on the second Tuesday in November in one of Glasgow’s major hotels. It’s the Association’s only formal affair and it also provides the ideal channel through which our members and their guests can be addressed by senior figures from the maritime industry.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Since the early days of her legal training, she has advised on a range of international maritime issues including vessel sale and purchase, shipbuilding contracts, ship management and crewing contracts, vessel financing and chartering, transport of goods and arrangements with port authorities.
Her clients have included ship owners, funders, insolvency practitioners and major players in the offshore industry.
In 1992 Matt joined the first fast ferry in the Irish Sea “Seacat Scotland” with Sea Containers working his way up to the position of Chief Officer. During his later stages with Sea Containers Matt found himself part of the operations team who dealt with the companies’ vessels Dry docks, Charters and Type Rating training from Customer Services to Master.
Matt joined Clyde Marine Training in 2006 as Training Officer, progressed to General Manager where he managed the day to day running of Clyde Marine Short courses, Clyde Uniforms and Clyde Safety.
Today sees Matt with 46 years in the Marine industry, Business Operations & Development Manager with the City of Glasgow College with his second term as Director of the Scottish Shipping Benevolent Association.
He has helped grow the original base of just two directors and two engineers to now being part of a large group made up of six companies.
In total there’s a staff base of around 60 people and the group covers everything from design to engineering, fabrication and marine operations.
After starting at sea on Large Ocean going Container Ships in the mid-90s with P&O Nedlloyd, and later Maersk Line, he rose up to the rank of Chief Officer. Then from 2010 until 2017, he pursued a career in the oil and gas industry on anchored semi-submersible rigs, serving three years as OIM/Master with Dolphin Drilling.
He first heard about the SSBA when he joined The Clyde Group in 2017, and is very grateful to be on the board of directors with such a great team, and helping those in need.
PAST PRESIDENTS
- 2019 – Captain Alistair McLundie – Western Ferries
- 2018 – Angus Ferguson – City of Glasgow College
- 2017 – Captain Charles Mawer – Serco Marine
- 2016 – Gregorie C. Marshall – J & C Peacock
- 2015 – Gavin W Roser – Pantrak
- 2014 – Kenneth MacLeod – Northern Marine
- 2013 – Guy Platten – CMAL
- 2012 – Ron Bailey – Clydeport
- 2011 – Roger Lockwood – Northern Lighthouse Board
- 2010 – Colin MacMurray – The Clyde Group
- 2009 – Philip Preston – CalMac Ferries
- 2008 – John Adams – Teekay Shipping (Glasgow)
- 2007 – R M Bishop – V.Ships (UK)
- 2006 – D Jane Harris – J & J Denholm
- 2005 – James Cowderoy – Harrisons Clyde
- 2004 – Bruce Lucas – V.Ships (UK)
- 2003 – John Wignall – OBC
- 2002 – Andrew Nicholson – J & J Denholm
- 2001 – Stephen Abram – Henry Abram
- 2000 – Patrick Harrison – Harrisons Clyde
- 1999 – Harley Marshall – J & C Peacock
- 1998 – Jo Maclay – Acomarit
- 1997 – Douglas Nisbet – Svitzer / Wijsmuller / Cory Ship Towage
- 1996 – Alastair Tear – J & A Gardner
- 1995 -Michael Abram – Henry Abram
- 1994 – Ken Cadenhead – Harrisons Clyde
- 1993 – John Denholm – J & J Denholm
- 1992 – Peter Cooney – Acomarit
- 1991 – Colin Paterson – Calmac
- 1990 – H L Leitch – J & A Gardner
- 1989 – Andrew Wilson – Harrisons Clyde
- 1988 – Peter Henderson – J & J Denholm
- 1987 – David Cowan – Henry Abram
- 1986 – Peter Wordie – Harrisons Clyde
- 1985 – Gordon Mucklow – Clyde Shipping
- 1984 – Archie Ross – J & J Denholm
- 1983 – P J T Kendall – Clyde Shipping
- 1982 – Max Cheales – H Hogarth
- 1981 – W A Cameron – Warden & Bell
- 1980 – Iain Harrison – Harrisons Clyde
- 1979 – A J Struthers – J & A Gardner
- 1978 – D J Haley – Anchor Line
- 1977 – W M Cuthbert – Clyde Shipping
- 1976 – H C Abram, VRD*DL – Henry Abram
- 1975 – Sir Ian Denholm – J & J Denholm
- 1974 – J Percival Agnew – Lyle Shipping
- 1973 – W F Blackadder – Runcimans
- 1972 – Alistair Aitchison – Furness-Houlder
- 1971 – J C Robertson – Wm Robertson
- 1970 – John Dunn – Harrisons Clyde
- 1969 – Robert Hunter – Roxburgh Henderson
- 1968 – T R Warden – Warden & Bell
- 1967 – P S MacCallum – Steel & Bennie
- 1966 – Thomas S Shearer – Lyle Shipping
- 1965 – John Urquhart – J Hay & Sons
- 1964 – J B Shaw – John Bruce & Co
- 1963 – R D Easton – James Dunn & Co
- 1962 – H M Dickson – Houlder Bros
- 1961 – A G McCrae – P Henderson / Clyde Navigation Trust
- 1960 – W F Robertson – Wm Robertson
- 1959 – Wm Nicholson – Lyle Shipping
- 1958 – James Lindsay Keir – City Line
- 1957 – GGS Cayzer – Cayzer Irvine
- 1956 – Alan D Cuthbert – Clyde Shipping
- 1955 – W L Denholm – J & J Denholm
- 1954 – Hugh Hogarth – H Hogarth
- 1953 – J H Stuart Black – Donaldsons
- 1952 – W Logan – Clyde Shipping
- 1951 – T M Lawrie
- 1950 – Sir John Denholm – J & J Denholm
- 1949 – L Harper Gow – Gow Harrison & Co
- 1948 – L Harper Gow – Gow Harrison & Co
- 1947 – Norman P Donaldson – Donaldson Bros & Black
- 1946 – The Hon Sir Joseph O Maclay – Maclay McIntyre
- 1945 – James Shearer – Lyle Shipping
- 1944 – James Shearer – Lyle Shipping
- 1943 – James Shearer – Lyle Shipping
- 1942 – James Shearer – Lyle Shipping
- 1941 – James Shearer – Lyle Shipping
- 1940 – James Shearer – Lyle Shipping
- 1939 – J H Maurice Clark
- 1938 – S Crawford Hogarth – H Hogarth
- 1937 – Claud A Allan – Allan Line
- 1936 – G W Service – Prentice Service & Henderson
- 1935 – Thomas Dunlop, Jr – Sir Thomas Dunlop
- 1934 – Robert Galloway
- 1933 – William McInnes
- 1932 – William S Miller
- 1931 – William S Miller
- 1930 – Wm F Robertson – Wm Robertson
- 1929 – T L Duff – T L Duff
- 1928 – John C Graham
- 1927 – Lawrence Glen – Glen Line
- 1926 – John Greig
- 1925 – George Sloan
- 1924 – The Right Hon Lord Maclay – Maclay McIntyre
- 1923 – Wm Henderson
- 1922 – John Denholm – J & J Denholm
- 1921 – Andrew Houston
- 1920 – John Malcolm
- 1919 – R J Dunlop – Queen Line
- 1918 – R J Dunlop – Queen Line
- 1917 – R J Dunlop – Queen Line
- 1916 – Wm Cuthbert – Clyde Shipping
- 1915 – Wm Cuthbert – Clyde Shipping
- 1914 – Wm Cuthbert – Clyde Shipping
- 1913 – Francis Henderson – P J Henderson
- 1912 – Sir W H Raeburn – Raeburn & Verrell
- 1911 – W S Workman
- 1910 – The Right Hon Lord Inverclyde
- 1909 – Robert Clark
- 1908 – William Robertson – Robertsons
- 1907 – J A Roxburgh – Roxburgh Colin Scott
- 1906 – T W McIntyre – Maclay McIntyre
- 1905 – John Innes
- 1904 – W F G Anderson
- 1903 – Henry Watson
- 1902 – Sir Charles W Cayzer – Cayzer Irvine
- 1901 – J S Dickie
- 1900 – Sir Nathaniel Dunlop – Dunlops
- 1899 – Sir Nathaniel Dunlop – Dunlops