Grinnell, Minturn & Co
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping, Transportation |
| Founded | 1815 |
| Founder | Preserved Fish, Joseph Grinnell |
| Defunct | 1880 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Transatlantic routes (Liverpool, London, New York), California Line |
Key people | Robert B. Minturn, Henry Grinnell, Moses H. Grinnell, Franklin H. Delano |
| Products | Packet ships, Clipper ships (including Flying Cloud) |
Grinnell, Minturn & Co stood out as a prominent transatlantic shipping enterprise during the mid-1800s, notably recognized for its ownership and operation of the Flying Cloud, one of the most celebrated clipper vessels of that period.
History
Established circa 1815 under the name Fish, Grinnell & Co., the business was initially led by Preserved Fish alongside his cousin Joseph Grinnell, a merchant hailing from New Bedford, Massachusetts. In 1825, Joseph's brothers, Henry and Moses Grinnell, became part of the company, while Joseph retired three years later in 1828. By 1830, Robert Bowne Minturn—originating from a distinguished New England shipping lineage and brother-in-law to Henry Grinnell—joined the partnership, prompting a rebranding to Grinnell, Minturn & Co. The enterprise remained under family control until 1880.
The partners—Robert B. Minturn, Franklin H. Delano, Moses H. Grinnell, and Henry Grinnell—were among New York’s most affluent merchant figures. Together they developed one of the largest transportation networks in 19th-century America, operating a fleet surpassing fifty vessels that serviced international routes. In 1845, Minturn's personal wealth was approximated at $200,000 (equivalent to more than $2.7 billion today), while the combined fortunes of the Grinnells exceeded $6.8 billion. Delano, connected by marriage to the Astor family, held assets valued near $5.8 billion.
Although publicly engaged in philanthropy during the Irish Great Famine (1845–1852)—a period which saw increased emigrant traffic that benefited their operations—observers at the time noted the company’s primary focus on profit. Minturn held the position of vice president on a relief committee dispatching aid to Ireland and played a role in founding the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor. He acknowledged that expenditures amounting to $5 million on ship passage fares in 1847 contributed to reducing freight costs and enhancing trade by lowering prices for American cotton and grain in England. Nonetheless, historical evaluations indicate that financial gain rather than altruism was the main driver behind immigration transport services, with emigrants frequently treated akin to cargo due to minimal regulatory oversight.
Blue Swallowtail Line
The firm’s initial significant enterprise was the Liverpool Line—commonly referred to as the Blue Swallowtail Line (1822–1880) because of its distinctive blue and white swallowtailed house flag. Originally founded as the "Fourth Line of Liverpool Packets," it was launched by Fish, Grinnell and Co. in partnership with Thaddeus Phelps. The line leveraged the surge in Irish immigration following the Great Famine by providing monthly sailings between Liverpool and New York. Prominent vessels included the New World (constructed in 1846 and at that time the world’s largest merchant ship), Queen of the West, Henry Clay, Ashburton, Patrick Henry, Roscoe, American Union, and Albert Gallatin. By 1851, operations had grown to eight regular packet ships departing Liverpool twice each month. In 1854, management responsibilities were divided: Cornelius Grinnell took charge of four ships while the company retained five. Prior to 1860, nine additional vessels were incorporated into the fleet, including the sizable three-deck Aurora (built 1854), which could accommodate up to 1,000 passengers and weighed 1,639 tons. The fleet also featured ships such as the Ontario (1855, 1,501 tons), which unfortunately ran aground near Long Beach Island, New Jersey in 1876.
Red Swallowtail Line
The London (Red Swallowtail) Line commenced operations in 1823, servicing the New York to London passage until 1880. Its flag closely resembled that of the Liverpool line but featured a red hoist. Prominent vessels on this route included Columbia, Sir Robert Peel (1846), Patrick Henry (transferred from the Blue Swallowtail Line in 1852), Prince Albert, Yorktown (1847), London (1848), and Rhine. Ownership of many ships was held in partnership shares rather than being directly owned by the company itself.
As the business flourished, Grinnell, Minturn & Co. gained international recognition, extending its reputation as far as Canada. In 1835, the Quebec Mercury commended their efforts to improve the efficiency of the London line and urged frequent transatlantic travelers to support their services.
California Line
The surge in travel prompted by the California gold rush led the company to establish a California Line composed of clipper ships, which necessitated larger vessels. The Flying Cloud, constructed in 1851, was purchased for $90,000 before its launch to operate on this route. It set a record for the New York-to-San Francisco journey around Cape Horn in 1851 and surpassed its own record in 1853, maintaining the title of fastest sailing ship for more than a century. Ownership of the Flying Cloud was shared among principal figures such as Moses H. Grinnell, Robert Minturn, Henry Grinnell, John E. Williams, Francis S. Hathaway, and Captain Creesy.
Additional significance
Grinnell, Minturn & Co.'s vast shipping enterprise involved them in significant legal cases like Minturn v. United States and Lawrence v. Minturn, underscoring their status as prominent "large shipping merchants of New York."
Edward Minturn, Robert Minturn's cousin, partnered with Woodhull in the 1830s to establish Minturn & Woodhull. By 1841, they had launched the "New Line" of packet ships between New York and Liverpool, eventually operating twelve vessels and expanding operations to Glasgow by 1845. Their fleet included notable ships such as Hottinguer (1843) and Queen of the West (1844). Around 1847, they sold their assets to Grinnell, Minturn & Co.
The Grinnell family also collaborated with John Bowman to form Bowman, Grinnell & Co., which acted as authorized passenger agents for the Swallow-Tail Line with offices located in Liverpool, Cork, and New York throughout the 1850s.
In 1848, partner Robert Minturn appeared before Parliament to testify that American shipowners promoted teetotalism by offering reduced insurance premiums for voyages conducted without alcohol consumption.
After Robert Minturn passed away in 1866 and Moses Grinnell in 1877, leadership transitioned to Minturn’s sons, Robert Bowne Minturn, Jr., and John Wendell Minturn. The company largely discontinued packet service operations by 1880. In 1881, John Minturn died by suicide at the firm’s New York headquarters situated at 78 South Street.
Miscellaneous information
The first name of Preserved Fish—pronounced with three syllables—signified being "preserved from sin" or "preserved in grace"; his distinguished New York family included Hamilton Fish, who served as governor, senator, and secretary of state.
Robert B. Minturn is an ancestor of Edie Sedgwick.
Robert B. Minturn, Jr., born February 21, 1836, held the position of vice president at the railroad responsible for founding Minturn, Colorado—a town named in his honor.
Bibliography
- Donald Gunn III, Building and Launching The New World, The Era of the Clipper Ships
- Donald Gunn III, Era of the Clipper Ships Website (archived)