House flag, Bibby Line Brothers and Co.

The house flag of Bibby Brothers and Co., Liverpool. A rectangular red flag with a crest of a yellow hand holding a dagger. The mantling is yellow and black. The Bibby family crest was added the to the original plain red flag in 1926 to avoid association with the Bolshevik red flag. The flag is made of a wool and synthetic fibre bunting. It has a cotton hoist and is machine sewn. A rope and Inglefield clip is attached. Stencilled on the hoist is '7 x 5 Bibby H/F'.

The Bibby Line originated from the Liverpool ship broking business, John Bibby & Co., set up in 1805. The shipping interests of the company began in the coastal trade and were extended to Ireland, South America and the Mediterranean. By the 1830s Bibby Ships were sailing to Bombay and Canton. After the death of John Bibby in 1840 (he was found drowned, apparently having been robbed), the business was taken over by his sons and become John Bibby & Sons. In the 1850s iron steamers were added to the fleet. The trade was primarily with the Mediterranean, exporting British manufactures in return for local agricultural produce. When James Bibby retired, his partner Frederick Leyland acquired a majority shareholding in the firm and the Bibby family formed another company, Bibby Brothers & Co., to exploit trade with newly annexed Burma.