Sir Charles William Cayzer, 1st Baronet of Gartmore (1843–1916), was a pioneering shipowner and Member of Parliament for Barrow-in-Furness. Born the son of a schoolmaster, he grew up in Poplar, near the bustling London Docks. From a young age, he showed a strong aptitude for figures and communication—skills that would later underpin his success. He began his maritime career as a master’s clerk and, at 18, secured a shore-based position in Bombay in 1861 with the British India Steam Navigation Company’s agent. Over the next twelve years, he developed deep expertise in shipping and cargo operations.

Upon returning to England, now married, Cayzer identified a significant gap: neither Liverpool nor Glasgow offered a regular shipping service to Bombay. Determined to fill this void, he leveraged his extensive knowledge of both the trade and the city of Bombay to launch a new venture. Despite early challenges, he founded Cayzer, Irvine & Co. in Glasgow in 1878. Two years later, he gained the support of John Muir, a prominent India merchant, along with other affluent backers in the city. This financial backing enabled him to grow his modest fleet of cargo vessels.

By the late 1880s, Cayzer had become a major figure in Britain-India maritime trade. He expanded his operations throughout the Indian subcontinent and beyond. Known for his practical grasp of mercantile shipping, he earned wide respect. His captains and crews were deeply loyal, knowing their welfare and the quality of their ships were among his top priorities.

In the 1890s, Cayzer became part of the Scottish establishment. He served as a county councillor in Dunbartonshire and, in 1892, was elected Member of Parliament for Barrow-in-Furness, a key English shipbuilding constituency. Alongside his wife, Agnes, he served the community diligently until losing his seat in the 1906 General Election. He was knighted in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, and elevated to a baronetcy in 1904. His title included the name Gartmore, after the Scottish estate he had recently acquired from the Cunningham-Graham family.

Two of Cayzer’s daughters married Royal Navy officers who would become prominent military leaders during World War I: Admiral Sir John Jellicoe and Admiral Sir Charles Madden. As a result, Cayzer was affectionately dubbed “the father-in-law of the British Navy.”

After his death in 1916, leadership of his business passed first to his son August, and following August’s death in 1943, to another son, Herbert.

Four generations of Charles Cayzers: Sir Charles Cayzer, 1st Baronet, holding his grandson. Opposite, his father and standing his son the 2nd Baronet.

Published in Vanity Fair

9 June 1904