British Corporation Register of Shipping
British Corporation for the Survey and Registry of Shipping, one of the 3 classification societies which supervised the construction of ships.
The symbol B. S. * signified "Under the rules and inspection of the British Corporation."
1890 Founded by two or three Glasgow ship owners, in association with several shipbuilders. Its object was to provide an alternative classification to those already existing, but based on modern and scientific lines.
Professor Jenkins was engaged to prepare the rules; associated with him were Mr. Archibald Denny, Mr. Courtier Dutton and Mr. Foster King (later chief surveyor).
The advent of the new society provided a stimulus to the older societies to update their rules.
On the retirement of Sir Archibald Denny, the first chairman of the technical committee, Fred J. Stephen was temporarily appointed as chair. His appointment later became perman ent; he held the post for 18 years.
1930 William Carslaw was secretary of the Corporation at the time the name was changed to British Corporation Register of Shipping and Aircraft
1949 Amalgamated with Lloyd's Register of Shipping