Alfred Holt

For other uses, see Alfred Holt (disambiguation).

Alfred Holt, from the Sudley House collection. Oil on canvas, ca. 1880–1903, by Robert Edward Morrison

Alfred Holt (13 June 1829 – 28 November 1911) was a British engineer, ship owner and merchant. He lived at Crofton, Sudley Road, Aigburth in Liverpool, England.[1] Holt is credited with establishing the long distance steamship by developing a type that replaced sailing clippers on the route from Britain to China.[2]: 159 

Alfred Holt was one of six brothers, born to George Holt and his wife, Emma.[3] In 1866, he and his brother, Philip Holt founded the Alfred Holt and Company and the Ocean Steam Ship Company, which owned and operated the majority of the company's vessels.[4] Alfred Holt & Co later became Blue Funnel Line.

One of his other brothers, George Holt, was also a noted Liverpool merchant and ship owner. His youngest brother, Robert Durning Holt, was Mayor of Liverpool. All were Unitarians.[5]

  1. ^ Read, J. Gordon (2004). "Holt, Alfred (1829–1911), engineer and shipowner". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/47428. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jarvis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Smith, Crosbie; Higginson, Ian; Wolstenholme, Phillip (2003). ""Imitations of God's Own Works": Making Trustworthy the Ocean Steamship". History of Science. 41 (4): 379–426. Bibcode:2003HisSc..41..379S. doi:10.1177/007327530304100402. S2CID 142885956.
  4. ^ "Merchant Navy Nostalgia: Blue Funnel". Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  5. ^ "'William Durning', Thomas Arrowsmith". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 9 February 2017.