s.s. NEATH ABBEY is based on extensive research using original documents held in archives as well as nineteenth century newspapers. There is a brief account of the development of the Neath Abbey Iron Works in the first half of the nineteenth century, especially its marine engineering business and the innovative approach of its owners and managers as demonstrated by the company's adoption of screw propulsion when there was great scepticism about its suitability for ocean-going ships.
The construction of the ship in 1846 is described and also later lengthening and repairs. There is a substantial account of her cross-channel working life and of a period of work along the Somerset and Devon coast. Passenger traffic, goods traffic and the effect of the coming of railways are discussed. Her excursion work and the varied reactions of the people of English coastal towns to excursionists who were to a great extent workers in the coal, iron and copper industries are described.
There is information about offices, wharves and warehouses, accidents and thefts.
Details of all the ship's owners and masters, most of the mates, many engineers and a few other crew members are included as well as information about crew wages and how they compared with wages of tinplate workers and railwaymen. Finally there is a detailed account of the wreck of the ship in 1894 compiled from statements and evidence given by the survivors and men involved ashore.
The s.s. Neath Abbey may be regarded as representative of the many other steamers that provided cross-channel services.
By:
Allan Sutcliffe
Imprint: The Choir Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 10mm
Weight: 293g
ISBN: 9781789634464
ISBN 10: 1789634466
Pages: 150
Publication Date: 01 June 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Foreword; List of Illustrations; Notes on the Spelling of Welsh Place Names, Currency; and the Use of Italics; Acknowledgments; Sources; CHAPTER 1 Neath Abbey Iron Works; CHAPTER 2 Marine Engineering and Shipbuilding at Neath Abbey; CHAPTER 3 The Screw Steamer Neath Abbey; CHAPTER 4 Navigation of the River Neath; CHAPTER 5 The Neath Abbey's Working Life; CHAPTER 6 Passenger Traffic; CHAPTER 7 Excursions; CHAPTER 8 Evan Evans's Personal Use of the Neath Abbey; CHAPTER 9 Goods Traffic and the Coming of Railways; CHAPTER 10 Thefts from Warehouses and the Ship; CHAPTER 11 Accidents, Other Mishaps and Rescues; CHAPTER 12 Crew; CHAPTER 13 Owners; CHAPTER 14 Agents; CHAPTER 15 Offices, Wharves and Warehouses; CHAPTER 16 Disaster; CHAPTER 17 Conclusion; APPENDIX 1 Is the steamer in the painting by C. Hill the Neath Abbey?; APPENDIX 2 Joseph Lloyd Matthews (1834-1897) Agent at Neath for the Neath Abbey 1859 to 1880; APPENDIX 3 A Note about R. H. Gunning; Endnotes;
The author is a native of Neath in South Wales but the greater part of his adult life has been spent in England. After attending Neath Grammar School he studied at University College London and graduated in Law in 1957. He qualified as an accountant while a graduate trainee on British Railways. After some years he moved to the gas industry and followed a career mainly in Finance but with a few years in general management. Ill health forced early retirement during which he has built up a significant collection of ephemera related to pre-1940 entertainment derived from the writings of Charles Dickens with an emphasis on music hall and variety theatre turns. After the death of his wife in 2018 he returned to South Wales to live at Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan to be near his family. Having become unable to pursue his collecting interests he has had more time to concentrate on his interest in the history of Neath.
