The first known Williamson is a certain Francis, a fisherman in the North Sea waters in 1750. His great-great-grandson Richard, in 1830, armed a 101-ton brig called the JUBILEE, with which he began a trade route between Liverpool, Bristol, and Tonnay-Charente (a small river port near Rochefort), from where Cognac, much appreciated by the English, was shipped.
From England, the JUBILEE imported coal to France and then exported Cognac on its return journey to its home port, Liverpool.
Richard sailed until 1855, while investing in other ships of which he was only the owner. This activity was transformed by the Harrisson brothers and the Williamsons under the name The Charente Streamship Company until 1980.
Across Oceans and Generations
Richard’s son, Richard-Pierre, a long-distance captain, sailed very early on his father’s ships and traveled the world with his wife for over two years, reaching Guinea, Central America, Cape Horn, and Shanghai, where their youngest child Grenfell was born—Stéphane’s great-great-grandfather.
After selling the ship, Richard settled ashore in Tonnay-Charente, where he was a Lloyd’s shipping agent until his death.
Continuing the Maritime Legacy
Following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather Robert and his grandfather François, who were shipping agents in La Pallice until 1965, Stéphane Williamson carried on this commitment by founding the delivery company Gulf Stream in 1994. This creation reflects the continuity and lasting presence of the Williamson family in the nautical sector, illustrating a rich and passionate family heritage.
The apple does not fall far from the tree.
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