Red ‘R’ Steamship Co, Newcastle Stephens, Sutton & Co. Daniel Stephens formed a partnership with Roland Mawson in 1872 and took delivery of their first ship in 1874. Their original trade was coal to the Mediterranean, returning with grain from the Black Sea. In 1877 a subsidiary company was formed in Newport as Stephens, Mawson & Goss. After the death of Roland Mawson, Arthur Mawson & Co of Cardiff split from the Newcastle company, R. M. Sutton was admitted as a partner and in 1901 the company became Stephens, Sutton & Stephens. Three ships were lost to enemy action during the Great War and in 1919 management was reorganised and became Stephens, Sutton & Co and by 1939 owned a fleet of ten modern tramp steamers. Three of these were lost during WWII. After the war years, nine new ships were purchased but by 1964 only three ships were owned. The company entered bulk shipping in 1965 but severe machinery problems with several of their ships caused financial losses and all their ships were put up for sale in 1967. The last vessel was sold in 1968 and the company withdrew from shipowning. ( )