A fleet history of cargo vessels carrying a Clan name and owned by The Clan Line Steamers Ltd or regularly used on Clan Line services. This includes ships nominally owned by the Houston Line (British and South American Steam Navigation Co Ltd) and Scottish Shire Line (Turnbull, Martin & Co), both acquired in 1918; later ships of the King Line (a subsidiary of Union-Castle) and four reefers with Clan names owned by Union-Castle but chartered by Houston and used on Clan Line services. The ships covered comprise the major part of the fleet managed by Cayzer, Irvine and Co Ltd, and a substantial part of the tonnage controlled by the British and Commonwealth Group. The vessels themselves are primarily arranged in groups of similar ships although a chronological list is also included. The history covers the Line's foundation by Sir Charles W Cayzer and Captain Alexander Irvine in 1878 to establish a direct service to Bombay, its evolution into the partnership Clan Line Association Steamers formed in 1881 and the limited liability company Clan Line Steamers Ltd in 1890 and its ultimate merger with Union-Castle in 1955, creating British and Commonwealth. In 1950, Clan set up the Scottish Tanker Co Ltd and bought the Thompson Steamshipping Co Ltd. Also includes a listing of ships built by The Greenock Dockyard Co Ltd following its acquisition by Clan in 1918. Illustrated throughout with photographs of the vessels, general arrangement drawings and cargo documents. Crew stories and narratives highlighting cargoes, routes, specific voyages and key events are profiled.