The Murex, a tanker commissioned in 1892, marked the beginning of a shift in global energy logistics when it successfully transited the Suez Canal carrying kerosene. Its owner, Marcus Samuel, leveraged this engineering milestone to establish the Shell Transport and Trading Company, transforming a family import business into a central pillar of the international petroleum industry.
Foundations in Trade
Born in Whitechapel in 1853, Marcus Samuel was part of a Baghdadi Jewish family. Along with his brother Samuel Samuel, he managed M. Samuel & Co., an import-export firm originally started by their father. The company was deeply involved in Japanese municipal loans and the coal trade. His early education in Edmonton and Brussels, coupled with extensive travel across Asia, provided the commercial experience necessary for his later ventures.
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During an 1890 prospecting trip to the Caucasus, Samuel identified the potential for oil distribution in eastern markets. By 1891, he secured a nine-year contract with the Rothschilds to sell kerosene from the firm Bnito. To facilitate transport, he commissioned a specialized fleet, naming the vessels after seashells. In 1895, he obtained an oil concession in the Kutei region of Borneo, leading to discoveries in 1897. This eventually culminated in the 1907 merger with Royal Dutch Petroleum to form the Royal Dutch/Shell Group.
Civic and Political Engagement
Samuel maintained a parallel career in the government of the City of London. Elected an Alderman for the Portsoken ward in 1891, he later served as Sheriff of the City of London from 1894 to 1895. In 1902, he was elected Lord Mayor of London, a position he held until 1903. Throughout his life, he contributed to the Thames Conservancy board and served as a justice of the peace in Kent. His efforts during World War I were recognized with a peerage, eventually leading to his elevation as the 1st Viscount Bearsted in 1925.
Fast facts
- Born: 1853, Whitechapel
- Died: 1927, London
- Lord Mayor of London: 1902-1903
- Buried: Willesden Jewish Cemetery
- 1st Viscount Bearsted: 1925
- Knight Bachelor: Yes
- Education: Edmonton and Brussels
Questions readers ask
Why was his company named Shell?
The name was chosen as a reference to the business his father founded, which originally traded in sea shells.
What was his primary contribution to oil transport?
He commissioned a safer class of tanker capable of transiting the Suez Canal, allowing for more efficient distribution of kerosene to markets east of Suez.
Achievements
- Knight Bachelor
