Stephenson Clarke close the doors

[northeast]

Craig Carter's book on the company (WSS) shows that their first 5 vessels were named after people, then the 6th was SHOREHAM and with few exceptions they were then named after Sussex and Hampshire settlements. Perhaps this reflected that their main trade in coal was from the NE to power stations in those counties. The family of course were from the NE but opened a London office in their early days.
Interesting to note also that the company went into voluntary liquidation in 1928, as many did in the depression and was re-formed in the same year under a slightly different name and mainly the same directors (no doubt shedding a lot of creditors in the process!) ... but by 12/1928 the whole of the share capital of the new company was acquired by Powell Duffryn.

[Poyntonian]

To illustrate George's first point, here's a view from Shoreham (Sussex) on 16/8/1961. STEYNING (also in Sussex, 5 m from Shoreham) having just unloaded coal, probably from the NE.
For more on STEYNING, seer viewtopic.php?f=170&t=2598&p=4742&hilit=steyning#p4742

[northeast]

I did once get a contact from a lady running one of the 'village websites' in that part of England, she was delighted to get a photo and some details of 'their ship'.
Can't remember which one it was, though