Benjamin Boyd and his Two Honey-BeesEntrepreneur Benjamin Boyd was the proprietor of Boyd &

Benjamin Boyd and his Two Honey-BeesEntrepreneur Benjamin Boyd was the proprietor of Boyd & Co., ca. 1840s and according to the Australian Dictionary of Biography was born in Scotland, worked in London as a stockbroker before adventuring to New South Wales and becoming involved as a shipping magnate, merchant banker, pastoralist and station owner, member of the Legislative Council, town planner, whaler.The Royal Bank of Australia funded his schemes to set up several locations on the Australian coast to establish harbours and coaling stations.“Common to most shipping concerns, a house flag is used to distinguish vessels more readily as between various owners; Benjamin Boyd had his own particular design of flag, and in this he exhibited a unique play upon his own name.  Using two honey-bees to represent the initial letters of his name, his flag was of a white back ground with two honey-bees depicted in blue.” (H.P. Wellings p39).The search for the two honey-bee house-flag started with the works of Oswald W.B. Brierly, who was a passenger aboard Boyd’s vessel the Wanderer, which departed Plymouth arriving in Port Jackson 18 July 1842.   The State Library of NSW has a collection of Brierley’s paintings, some depicting Boyd & Co., vessels.Boyd owned the following 14 vessels:Cornucobia a wooden paddle ship of 143 tons (1841-1849)Juno a wooden paddle ship of 362 tons (1841-1848)Seahorse a wooden paddle ship of 439 tons (1840-1849)British Sovereign a wooden 3-mast ship of 351 tons (5 months in 1845)Edward a wooden schooner of 87 tons (1843-1848)Fame a wooden 3-mast barque of 203 tons (1844-1848)Juno a wooden 2-mast snow of 212 tons (1843-1848)Lucy Ann a wooden 3-mast barque of 214 tons (1845-1848)Margaret a wooden brig of 185 tons (1844-1848)Portentia wooden brig of 185 tons (1844-1848)Rebecca a wooden 3-mast barque of 343 tons (1845-1848)Terror a wooden 3-mast ship of 257 tons (1843-1848)Velocity a wooden brigantine of 138 tons (1844-1848)William a wooden 3-mast barque of 334 tons (1844-1848)Wanderer a wooden topsail schooner of 84 tons, which belonged to the Royal Yacht Squadron (1841-1851) The library collections include the following image:The Australian Steam Packet Sea Horse - On her trial cruise by O.W. Brierly V*/Ships/Sea H/2In the catalogue record, is a reference to a colour lithograph print of the same image at call number DGV*/SHIPS/32.The lovely coloured depiction by Brierly of the two honey-bees on a triangle flag that represent the initial letters of Benjamin Boyd’s name on the flag is on a white back ground with two honey-bees depicted in blue on the coloured image above. (Call number DGV*/SHIPS/32 and black & white sketch depiction The Australian Steam Packet Sea Horse - On her trial cruise by O.W. Brierly,  Call number V*/Ships/Sea H/2.) To view images that have not been digitised at the State Library of New South Wales, please visit the Library website and Plan Your Visit or send us your questions through our Ask-a-Librarian Service -- source link

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