Sibling rivalry, shipping innovation and litigation: Henry Burrell and the ‘Straightback Steamship’

The Glasgow tramp shipping firm of Burrell & Son was well known for its ambitious approach to the trade. Henry Burrell (1866–1924), younger brother and junior partner in the firm, fell foul of his older brothers George and William and attempted to establish an independent business as a ship designer and shipowner. He developed an innovative new design of bulk carrier known as the straightback steamship. The Ben Earn of 1909 was not far removed from the bulkers that became dominant in post Second World War maritime trade. Henry Burrell created the prototype, but it took people with far greater capital and business skill to realize its true potential. This article provides a case study in the business of innovation in shipping in the early twentieth century. It demonstrates the tricky dynamics of sibling rivalry within a family business and offers an insight into the difficulties of establishing a successful business career with an underlying mental health problem. Burrell’s straightback steamship highlights how difficult it was, including potential and actual litigation, to put innovation in ship design into practice.