James Freeland
Veteran of the shipping industry whose affable manner smoothed countless deals all over the world
JAMES FREELAND, who has died aged 86, was for half a century a leading shipbroker who stood out for his professionalism and his keen sense of ethics.
He was also both competitive and inventive, building solid relationships with shipowners including the Hong Kong magnate YK Pao. Freeland had heard that whenever “YK” was travelling he liked to take an earlymorning swim, and so when the shipowner arrived at the swimming pool at the RAC club in Pall Mall, there was one person already in the pool.
Freeland made conversation with him, and sure enough he had soon concluded contracts for four large tankers. Two of these he later sold to Norwegian buyers, and they were delivered at a substantial profit for the owners.
His friendship with YK lasted for many years and extended to other members of the Pao family, who remain large-scale shipowners.
Freeland also benefited enormously when the oil crisis of the early 1970s created a strong demand for new ships among Greek tanker owners. He dealt affably with a panoply of names such as Carras, Goulandris, Lemos, Livanos, Kulukundis and Onassis, as well as Stavros Niarchos, with whom he concluded two large deals with a Scottish shipyard – memorable, so it was said, for the copious bottles of Château Haut-brion drunk at the celebration dinner.
Other notable transactions included a series of large tankers for the Thyssen family, a major steel conglomerate in Germany, and a newly formed British-canadian company building in Korea. But he also maintained strong relationships with companies such as Denholms and the P&O Group, which he introduced to Korea when the Korean shipbuilding industry developed in the 1980s.
Freeland took early retirement at 55, intending to join a boutique shipping finance company, but he only stayed for two years before resuming his career at Braemar Shipping, where his reputation opened many doors, and where he proved to be a good mentor to younger brokers.
He also achieved some very lucrative deals for the company, including a series of large bulk carriers in Taiwan and a product carrier for Stelios Haji-ioannou in the days before the allure of the airline business and easyjet turned the Greek-cypriot entrepreneur’s attention elsewhere.
On learning of Freeland’s death, Yasuo Ogawa, a prominent Japanese businessman, recalled his “golf and his funny swing, drinking and humour”, but observed that “in Japan we always trusted him because of his honesty and friendship.”
One of four children, James Gourlay Freeland was born on August 3 1936 in Purley, South London, to Scottish parents, Jimmy and Jessie. His father had qualified as a Scottish lawyer but sought his fortune down South, requalified in English law and found work at the maritime legal firm of Constant & Constant, rapidly becoming a partner. After the war he joined Botterell & Roche, one of the pre-eminent maritime law firms. All his children would become involved in the maritime world.
James won a Classics scholarship to Cambridge from Haileybury, but his academic career was interrupted by National Service, which he served as a second lieutenant with the Royal Marines, thoroughly enjoying operating tank landing craft based in Malta.
In 1960 Freeland joined his father and brother Neil in the London office of the shipowner Naess Denholm, a combination of the Erling Naess shipping empire, and the Denholm family who specialised in ship management.
After six years he moved to H Clarkson, one of the best-known London shipbrokers, and spent 25 years brokering new-build shipping and establishing enduring relationships across the world, but especially in Hong Kong, Japan and Korea.
Freeland brought humour, determination and good manners to all of his dealings and obtained much pleasure from working within a team and contributing to its success. He rarely blew his own trumpet despite the many mega-deals he had brokered himself. His election to president of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers in 2003 reflected his outstanding contribution to the industry.
Freeland spent several days a year racing at Ascot and Goodwood, and most enjoyably at the Cheltenham Festival. He was also a regular member of a Hampshire shoot which took its Saturday breakfast at the Little Chef on the A3 seriously: when he discovered that there was no brown sauce to accompany his black pudding, he took to bringing his own, concealed in an item of family silver engraved with his initials.
The Freeland family are prominent members of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights; his father was Prime Warden in 1977-78, and exactly 20 years after his father James Freeland also served as Prime Warden.
He married Diana “Didi” Dewsbury, who survives him with their two daughters and a son.
James Freeland, born August 3 1936, died October 17 2022