John Henry Anning (1823-1885)

Johns parents were Thomas Anning bn 1797 Dawlish Devon and Jane Linkhorn bn C1798. John went to sea at the early age of 15. He served first as a cabin boy and graduated to hand, seaman, mate and by 1850 master on the ships owned by his Anning uncles. and became a Master Mariner and Ship owner. In 1851 at age 28 he applied for and received his Master's Certificate of Service which was issued in Exeter. He was coasting and foreign trade. The family moved to Cardiff Wales where John built prosperous shipping company - Messrs. J.H. Anning. Between 1830 and 1914, Cardiff was a boom town of Victorian Britain and its rise as a commercial and maritime centre was unique in the British Isles. John Henry was one of the first west countrymen to set up in business as a ship owner in Cardiff. The company originally operated on sailing vessels, but from 1877 onwards they began to invest in steamships. They were involved with the shipping of coal to various ports around England. Though never a large company, Anning's were of considerable significance in the history of shipping. The family home in Cardiff was called "Chiverstone House" after for John's home in Kenton. In 1896 Reardon Smith became Master of the Starcross, owned by J.H.Anning of Cardiff.

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