Baron Nicholas Cayzer (1910–1999)

Sir (William) Nicholas Cayzer, 2nd Baronet of Roffey Park and Baron Cayzer of St. Mary Axe in the City of London, was the elder son of Sir August Cayzer, Baronet, and the last of his distinguished family to be properly called a ship-owner.

Educated at Eton and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, Nicholas began his career in 1939 in the outward freight department of Cayzer, Irvine’s London office, under the renowned Fred Bedford.

In 1935, he married Elizabeth Catherine Williams of Aberpergwm, South Wales. Soon after, he was appointed Assistant Manager in Glasgow and joined the boards of both Clan Line Steamers and Cayzer, Irvine & Company.

Shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, he was sent to Liverpool—then the country’s busiest port—to manage the family office there. After a brief period of military service, he was recalled in 1941 to oversee the ships and vital convoys departing from the Mersey. During the war, he became a member of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board and, in 1944, Chairman of the Liverpool Steamship Owners’ Association.

By the late 1940s, Nicholas had become a prominent figure in British shipping. Upon the death of his uncle Harold in 1948, he succeeded him as Vice-Chairman of the company and took charge of day-to-day operations. He was instrumental in the 1956 merger of Clan Line and Union-Castle Line, which resulted in the formation of British & Commonwealth Shipping—a holding company aptly named for its global reach. Its motto, Tendimus ("We Press Forward"), echoed the enduring spirit of his grandfather, Sir Charles Cayzer, whose legacy of diversification and loyalty to employees Nicholas continued.

Following the death of another uncle, Herbert ("Bertie") Cayzer, in 1958, Nicholas became Chairman of the group. Over the next decade, he held several of the industry’s most prestigious roles: President of the Chamber of Shipping and the General Council of British Shipping in 1959, President of the Institute of Marine Engineers in 1963, and Prime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights in 1969.

Under his leadership—and with the support of his family and a skilled management team—British & Commonwealth expanded into new sectors. By 1960, the company had entered the airline industry, transitioning from Hunting-Clan to British United Airways and later to Air UK. Eventually, the firm shifted focus again, maintaining stakes in the highly profitable Bristow Helicopters and Servisair, a successful ground services business.

Despite his efforts to preserve the maritime tradition, the 1966 Seamen’s Strike marked the beginning of the end for Clan Line and Union-Castle Line as major shipping powers. Gradually, their fleets were sold off or scrapped, and the business diversified into engineering, hotels, canning, insurance, investment trusts, and banking. British & Commonwealth flourished in this new direction.

By 1987, concerned about the family’s diminishing control, the Cayzers chose to divide the group—retaining Caledonia Investments and selling British & Commonwealth, with the transaction underwritten by five major banks.

In 1982, Nicholas was created a life peer as Baron Cayzer, in recognition of his contributions to shipping and public life. His involvement in politics had begun during his years in Liverpool, where he was active in the local Conservative Party and later served as Chairman of the Chester Constituency Association. In the early 1960s, he advised the Minister of Transport, Ernest Marples, and during the 1970s played a key role linking the business community with the Centre for Policy Studies, founded by Sir Keith Joseph and Margaret Thatcher.

His legacy also extended to the next generation: his elder daughter, Nichola, married Michael Colvin, who served as Conservative MP for Bristol North-West and later for Romsey and Waterside.