The Port of Las Palmas, once a vital hub for British coal supply, holds within its memories the imprint of Cory Brothers, known as Casa Cory. Although its presence has been overshadowed in collective memory by other companies like Miller & Cía. and Elder Dempster, recent discoveries in its last concession at the Explanada Tomás Quevedo (Muelle Grande) have brought to light vestiges that offer a deep insight into its past.
Among the recovered items is a well-preserved portrait of its president, Sir Clifford John Cory (1859–1941), first Baronet of Llantarnam Abbey. This portrait, likely a copy sent to the Gran Canaria branch, symbolizes Cory's status and influence, as he enjoyed the backing of the British Crown and held industrial power crucial to the British Empire.
Las Palmas was like the jewel in the crown, the most strategic station in the Mid-Atlantic, where all ships bound for America or South Africa refueled.
The Casa Cory office, located between Albareda (No. 6) and Gran Canaria streets, also preserved original noble wood furniture and safes from Milners’ Safe Co. Ltd., manufactured in Liverpool and London. These safes, with their distinctive Phoenix logo, guaranteed fire resistance, an essential feature in a port where fires were frequent and where salaries, ledgers, and contracts were handled daily.
A unique architectural element that still crowns the rooftop of the old headquarters is a watchtower. Its purpose was to scan the horizon to be the first to spot ships arriving in the bay, thus securing coal supply contracts in a fiercely competitive market. Furthermore, the metal structure of the old coal warehouses at the Refugio dock, repurposed as a skating rink until February 2023, will be restored and relocated as a symbol of the city's industrial heritage.
The company, which Hispanized as Cory Hermanos SA to adapt to market changes, operated in the port until the 1970s with its fleet of tugboats, with the Tamarán being an emblem of its service. Although the Cory Hermanos brand was legally extinguished in the Port of La Luz in 1983, the global company Cory Brothers Limited, now part of the VertomCory group, remains active in the maritime and logistics sector, recently celebrating over 180 years of history in Cardiff, its city of origin.
