From rags to riches. Born in Scotland and orphaned by the age of 10, he was brought up by his uncle then ran away to sea at the age of 16. The book highlights his life at sea starting as a cabin boy and ending up as a captain. Exploits covering piracy, near-death experiences, and what life was like sailing across oceans in the 1830s. Following his life at sea he became an agent selling coal for steam ships to shipping lines. He set up his shipping company in London and became a ships broker. By the 1850s he owned one of the largest shipping companies in the world. He owned 22 ships, some of which were employed as troop transporters in the Crimean War.
He won the seat of Tynemouth and entered Parliament in 1854 where he focussed on shipping matters. He was vocal in his criticism of the Admiralty's management during the Crimean War. He visited the Northern States of America just prior to the American Civil War to discuss shipping laws. He met the President Elect Abraham Lincoln and President Buchanan as well as many politicians in the Senate. In fact, his story includes meetings with an astonishing array of Victorian age luminaries: Livingstone, Garibaldi, Gladstone, Disraeli, Lincoln, Brunel, Nightingale, Dickens, Paxton, Emperor Napoleon III and Queen Victoria. Lindsay strove to improve the shipping laws, not only in England, but abroad, particularly in France and the US, and he persistently advocated the removal of all restrictions on free trade in maritime affairs. His magnum opus, entitled 'History of Merchant Shipping and Ancient Commerce', was a comprehensive reference on the subject.
Industry Reviews
'William Schaw Lindsay's extraordinary career, from seafarer to shipping magnate, Member of Parliament and author, adds a critical dimension to the history of Victorian Britain. His trenchant opinions open a window on a world in transition, war, politics and personal agendas.' -- Andrew Lambert FKC, Laughton Professor of Naval History
'A fabulous book about an extraordinary man.' -- Dr Sam Willis, award-winning naval historian and broadcaster
'A masterly piece of work covering a much neglected segment of mercantile maritime history.' -- Captain Peter King, Master Mariner and author
'William Schaw Lindsay's unpublished journals provide a fresh and fascinating insight into British attitudes to the American Civil War. His personal account of his meetings with Napoleon III and his candid pen-portraits of Palmerston and Lord John Russell are particularly valuable.' -- Charles Priestley, author of The Civil War Abroad: How the Great American Conflict Reached Overseas.
'It's interesting to see, almost at first hand, how a penniless orphan became one of Britain's leading shipping magnates.' -- Regency History
'Here we have a biography produced with great heart by the subject's great-great-grandson William Stewart Lindsay - who believes, understandably, that his 19th century ancestor William Schaw Lindsay (1815-1877) should be better known in merchant shipping circles.' -- Nautilus Telegraph, September/October 2023
'Bill Lindsay has done full justice to his illustrious great-great-grandfather. Anyone with any interest in Victorian history, maritime history or the American Civil War will be grateful to him.' -- American Civil War Round Table, December 2023
'New book charts remarkable success of Victorian orphan who ran off to sea.' -- The Scotsman, January 2024
'This is a comprehensive history of this great Victorian and I would very highly recommend it.' -- Shipping Today and Yesterday Magazine, June 2024
