Evan Thomas, Radcliffe and Company

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Messrs. Evan Thomas, Radcliffe and Company
TypeLimited Company
IndustryShipping
Founded1882, as Messrs. Evan Thomas, Radcliffe and Company in Cardiff, UK
HeadquartersCardiff, UK
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Captain Evan Thomas, Henry Radcliffe (founders)

Evan Thomas, Radcliffe and Company was one of the more prosperous and better-known of Cardiff-based shipowning companies, established in 1882 by a Ceredigion sea captain, Evan Thomas, and a Merthyr Tydfil businessman, Henry Radcliffe. Until 1939 one of the main trades of the company was to carry Welsh steam coal, which reached its peak in the years immediately before World War I. The company was ceased trading in the 1980s.

History[]

Origins[]

In 1881, Evan Thomas, a Master Mariner from Aberporth in Ceredigion who had served with Jones Bros. of Newport an JH Anning of Cardiff, went into partnership with Henry Radcliffe, a Merthyr Tydfil businessman and they bought their first ship together. The combination of master mariner and businessman as partners was not uncommon at this time in Cardiff.

It was not hard for the partners to raise money to buy their first ship, with most of the capital being raised in Wales. The partners risked very little of their own money, instead buying the ship on mortgage. The capital being raised as shares in a single ship company.

Evan Thomas[]

Captain Evan Thomas (1832–91)
Captain Evan Thomas (1832–91)

Captain Evan Thomas was a master mariner from the West Wales village of Aberporth in Ceredigion. His family lived at Dolwen, a substantial house overlooking the beach.

Dôl-wen, Aberporth
Dôl-wen, Aberporth

He was the son of Hezekiah Thomas (1805–1869) who owned a 47-ton ketch, Pheasant, and part-owner of a number of other vessels. From Aberporth coal and limestone was imported by coastal vessels from South Pembrokeshire and Cardigan Bay. Evan Thomas's brother, Thomas Thomas (1836–1911) was a part-time sailor, part-time farmer, and became secretary of the Aberporth Mutual Ship Insurance Society.

Capt. Evan Thomas obtained his master's certificate and after eight years as Master in Steam in the tramps of the Baltic, Mediterranean, Black Sea, and United States of America proposed the setting up of a new ship-owning company in Cardiff, the booming coal metropolis.

Evan Thomas commanded Gwenllian Thomas, the first ship bought by Evan Thomas, Radcliffe.

Gwenllian Thomas 1882
Gwenllian Thomas 1882

By 1884 Evan Thomas gave up the sea, and on his death at the age of 59 on 14 November 1891 the company he had established less than ten years previously owned 15 tramp steamships.

Evan Thomas had a son and four daughters.

Henry Radcliffe[]

Henry Radcliffe (1857–1921)
Henry Radcliffe (1857–1921)

Henry Radcliffe (1857–1921) was a businessman from Merthyr Tydfil, an important Welsh industrial town. On the death of Evan Thomas in 1891, Henry Radcliffe took into partnership his younger brother Daniel. Henry Radcliffe died in 1921 at the age of 66 at his home in Druidstone, St Mellons. He left a son, Wyndham Ivor Radcliffe and two daughters, Clarissa Gwendoline Gwynne Maitland and Sarah Ethel Radcliffe.

He was an extensive owned of land in the Vale of Glamorgan and held shares in a large number of companies in South Wales including the Taff Vale Railway, Barry Railway Co., Vale of Glamorgan Railway Co., Tempus Shipping Co., Cardiff Port Iron & Coal Storage Co., North's Navigation Collieries Ltd., Great Western Colliery Co. Ltd., P. & A. Campbell Ltd., Cambrian Railways, Alexandra Docks Newport and Guest Keen & Nettlefolds.

On the death of Henry Radcliffe, chairmanship of the company passed on to his younger brother Daniel.

Daniel Radcliffe[]

Daniel Radcliffe of Tal-y-werydd, Penylan, Cardiff, joined the company at the age of 24 in 1892 having previously worked for Cardiff shipowners JH Anning and the Turnbull Brothers. On joining the company he promoted rapid growth with the result that in 1900 the business owned a total of 24 ships.

Daniel Radcliffe died on 29 March 1933.

Early years[]

SS 'Anne Thomas' of Cardiff, by Joseph Witham

As Evan Thomas, Radcliffe's business succeeded, more and more ships were added to the fleet. As many as 31 single-ship companies were registered in the company's name. Gwenllian Thomas went to sea under the command of Evan Thomas, his partner taking charge of the office at 4 Dock Chambers and all the chartering arrangements. In 1882, a second ship, Iolo Morganwg (1,292 tons) was bought from Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company of Jarrow who has already built Gwenllian Thomas. In 1883 came Kate Thomas (1,588 tons) and Anne Thomas (1,419 tons) followed by Wynnstay (1,542 tons) in 1884. Around this time Evan Thomas gave up the sea.

The Black Sea trade[]

All the Evan Thomas, Radcliffe ships were tramp steamers, sailing not along fixed routes but to whatever port in the world the charterers wished. Nevertheless, from 1882 when the company was established until about 1914 there was a pattern of trading with the ships taking out cargoes of coal from the Tyne ports and South Wales to west European or Mediterranean ports, then proceeding in ballast to the Black Sea, to such ports as Odessa, Taranrog and Novorossisk, returning to British, but more likely a continental port, with grain. This became so much the normal pattern of trading that the annual reports of the company constantly refer to the Black Sea traffic.

This pattern of trading was repeated for almost all the Evan Thomas, Radcliffe ships with little variation until 1912–13 when there was a decline in the trade. Gradually the Black Sea trade declined and Evan Thomas, Radcliffe, in common with other Cardiff shipowners, had to look elsewhere for their trade. The Black Sea trade in its heyday was a very lucrative business and the carriage of coal from South Wales outwards and grain from southern Russia inwards really provided the basis of success for Evan Thomas, Radcliffe. Ships rarely sailed in ballast except for short voyages from the points of discharge of coal to the Black Sea and from continental ports to Cardiff or Barry.

The Black Sea trade did continue until the early years of the First World War, but some of the ships were making more frequent appearances in America and south east Asia. For example, Washington, from its construction in 1907 until December 1912, was concerned exclusively with the carriage of coal from South Wales to the Mediterranean and the carriage of grain from the Black Sea ports to Hamburg, Rotterdam and Marseille. In December 1912 she sailed from Barry with a cargo of coal from Rio de Janeiro. She then returned from Bahía Blanca to London with grain and left on another voyage from Barry to Rio de Janeiro returning to Rotterdam with general cargo from New Orleans. She then returned to the Black Sea trade for another five voyages before sailing in ballast after unloading coal at Taranto for Pondicherry, returning with a cargo of ground nuts for Marseille. She then sailed across the Atlantic to New Orleans returning to Marseille in February 1914 with a cargo of wheat.

Llangorse, another example, was used exclusively for the normal Black Sea coal and grain trade from 1907 to 1912; she then crossed the Atlantic to Baltimore returning to Hamburg with grain. After six more voyages to the Black Sea the ship visited Galveston, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Philadelphia, Rosario, San Nicholas and Aguilas being concerned with the transport of grain and iron ore, to Naples, Barcelona, Glasgow, Genoa and Avonmouth. Gradually, the trans-Atlantic trade was becoming more and more important in the activities of Cardiff shipowners.

First World War[]

At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Evan Thomas, Radcliffe was the largest of the Cardiff shipowners owning a fleet of 28 ships. In the war the company lost 20 ships.

Post-war depression[]

Although substantial sums of money were received in compensation for the ships lost in the war, Evan Thomas, Radcliffe, unlike some other Cardiff shipowning companies, did not immediately enter the post-war market for very expensive ships. In 1919, the company owned only nine ships, with a total gross tonnage of 41,254. The company bought only one ship, Ethel Radcliffe, in 1920 as a replacement for the 20 ships lost in the war. As a result the company was well able to weather the storm of the slump in the 1920s.

The one new ship, Ethel Radcliffe, of 5,673 gross tons was built for the company by Craig Taylor & Co. of Stockton-on-Tees at a very inflated price of £274,019. She sailed on her maiden voyage under the command of Captain M Mathias of Cardigan with a cargo of coal for Port Said. She then sailed in ballast to Mauritius returning to London with a cargo of sugar, then to Norfolk, Virginia in ballast to return to Immingham with a cargo of coal.

In 1919 and 1920 many of Evan Thomas, Radcliffe's ships were time chartered to other companies, but 1921 saw the slump really biting with the result that many of the company's ships were laid up for extended periods because no cargoes were available for them. Despite this, some of the Evan Thomas, Radcliffe ships were fully occupied in the first few years of the 1920s, although substantial losses were made on many of the voyages. Despite the fact that some of the ships were in constant employ in the early twenties, the golden era was obviously over and the annual reports of the various single ship companies that made up Evan Thomas, Radcliffe & Company reflect the general gloom and depression that seemed to have prevailed among the Cardiff shipowners in the early twenties.

In anticipation of those better times, Evan Thomas, Radcliffe began to invest money in new ships in 1925. The new ships were considerably cheaper than Ethel Radcliffe of 1920, built when the prices of new and old ships were very inflated. Nevertheless, in the 1920s substantial losses were made in the trading of all the ships.

The Great Depression that started in 1929 caused a worldwide slump in merchant shipping. After a few years trade began to recover, and the company invested in two new ships from Bartram & Sons of Sunderland: the sister ships Llanashe launched in 1936 and Llandaff launched in 1937. Unusually for steamships built in the 1930s Llanashe and Llandaff each had a compound engine.[1][2][3] Triple-expansion engines had largely superseded compound engines in the 1860s. But in Llanashe and Llandaff the compound engine was combined with a exhaust steam turbine[1][2][3] to achieve a third stage of steam expansion and hence economy in bunkering.

Second World War[]

Evan Thomas, Radcliffe lost 11 ships in the Second World War.


This left the company with a greatly depleted fleet, for only five ships survived the war. They were Llanberis, Llangollen, Peterston, Flimston and Llandaff. UK ships were lost much faster than they could be replaced and the Government decided that it would be impossible to back a new shipbuilding programme entirely in this country which was so vulnerable to enemy attack. Therefore a British Merchant Shipbuilding Mission left for the USA in September 1940 and the terms of its brief was to endeavour to obtain at the earliest possible moment the delivery of merchant tonnage...of vessels of the tramp type of about 10,000 tons deadweight.

Canadian shipyards built 198 Fort ships and US shipyards supplied Ocean and Liberty ships. Evan Thomas, Radcliffe obtained six of these ships together with Samskern, a ship lent to the MoWT under the Lease-Lend system at a charter rate of a dollar a year.

With the great depletion in the fleet as a result of war, the company was forced to look elsewhere for extra tonnage. It bought US and Canadian standard ships of the Fort type.

Latter years[]

The period after 1945 was a period of reconstruction and rebuilding, but Evan Thomas, Radcliffe, in common with all other South Wales shipowners, never repeated the prosperity of the beriod before the First World War. Cardiff saw a gradual decline in the fortunes of its docks as coal exports diminished. Cardiff was, above all, a coal exporting port and it was on this that its fortunes had been built. Many of the Cardiff tramp steamers were concerned in the coal trade and the ships owned by Evan Thomas, Radcliffe were mainly designed for transporting coal.

The company had to look elsewhere for its freight and with the change of ownership to the Evans and Reid group, as a fully integrated company within the group after some years in partnership with Evans and Reid, the Radcliffe fleet became mainly an oil tanker fleet.

In 1946 the company had only five ships of its own: Llanberis (built 1928); Llangollen (built 1928); Peterston (built 1925); Flimston (built 1925) and Llandaff (built 1937). It was operating another eight standard ships on behalf of the Ministry of Transport or on charter.

The pattern of trading had changed considerably. The tankers mainly carried oil from the Persian Gulf, Sumatra and elsewhere to European ports, but the other steamers – Llanover and Llanwern were concerned with worldwide tramping, rarely visiting their home port of Cardiff.

In 1950 and 1951 too, the pre-war ships Llandaff and Llangollen were sold which left the company with only one ship, the tanker Llanishen of 1945 with a new motor ship, Llantrisant, a freighter of 6,140 tons being built by Bartram's. She was launched on 27 March 1952 and delivered to her owners on 5 September 1952. She was in the fleet for five years as a worldwide tramp. In 1957 she was sold to a Vancouver company as Lake Burnaby.

In the early 1950s the company had few ships, so a number were chartered. After the delivery of Llantrisant in 1952, another new ship, the oil tanker Llandaff was built by Lithgows of Port Glasgow. She remain in the fleet until 1960, for much of the time being chartered to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum. but on 16 February 1960 she was sold to the Island Shipping Company of Bermuda.

In 1957 Bartram's delivered a new motor ship, the freighter Llantrisant. The next year Swan Hunter at Wallsend delivered the oil tanker Llanishen. In 1960 the tanker Hamilton, built at Tamise, Belgium, was delivered on time charter and the Furness Shipbuilding Company of Haverton Hill delivered the tanker Llangorse. In October 1962 Bartrams delivered the freighter Llanwern.

In 1964–5 therefore, the Evan Thomas, Radcliffe fleet comprised five ships. By 1970 Llanwern and Llantrisant had been sold and in 1971 SA Boelwerf of Tamise, Belgium delivered Stolt Llandaff, the last ship to be built for the company. She was a specialised oil and chemical tanker and remained as an Evan Thomas, Radcliffe ship on charter to the company from the Stolt Corporation of Monrovia until December 1981. With the sale of Hamilton, Llangorse and Llanishen, Stolt Llandaff remained the sole ship in the fleet until 1980 when two small coastal ships, Radcliffe Trader and Radcliffe Venturer, were bought.

Fleet[]

Ship Built GRT Length, Beam, Draft (ft) Notes
Aden 1905 2,482 313.5x43.8x13.3
Aden 1905
Aden 1905

Built by W. Rodgers & Co., Port Glasgow as Craigmore for Craig Line S.G.Co.
Bought in 1908
1915 – sold to Colonial Coal & Shipping Co. as Thysa later renamed Kostis
1934 – sold as Azbassein
1936 – sold to USSR as Georgi Dimitrov

Alex 1914 3,907 380x51.5x22.1

Built by J. Priestland, Sunderland as Constantinos XII; then Ionia, then Nicos
1938 – Bought by ETR and named Alex
1943 – sold to S. Casteli & Co. – no change of name
1946 – renamed Noemi
5 June 1958 – scrapped at Split

Alma 1896 2,863

Built by J. Priestland, Sunderland. Managed on behalf of Shipping Controller 1919–26

Anne Thomas 1882 1,418 260x35.3x17.8
Anne Thomas 1882
Anne Thomas 1882

Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow

Sold Grogstad & Co., Norway and renamed Lord

Anthony Radcliffe 1893 2,865 315x42x20'11"


Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow
1908 – renamed Bonvilston
Attacked three times in 1916 and 1917 and was finally sunk by torpedo 17 October 1918, 9.5 nautical miles (17.6 km) northwest by west of Corsewall Point

Asgard 1906 4,181 360x48x20

Built by Northumberland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. Managed on behalf of Shipping Controller 1919–20

Bala 1884 2,013 280x35.7x20.1

Built by William Gray & Co., West Hartlepool
Sold in December 1903 to the Glanhowny S.S. Co. (Bartlett & Owen) as Glanhowny. Like Evan Thomas, Capt. Thomas Owen was a native of Aberporth and HA Bartlett was a Cardiff businessman. The ship was sold for £8,750 and sailed under the command of Thomas Owen, who died aboard her on her third voyage to the Black Sea.

Balingdale 1949

She was a managed ship. Bought from Societo al Navigazione Tomei, Genoa, 29 April 1949.

Boverton 1910 2,958 325x46x23.4
Boverton 1910
Boverton 1910

Built by John Blumer & Co., North Dock, Sunderland for £26,500
3 May 1928 – name changed to Llangorse
20 February 1930 – sold to Tallinn Shipping Co. of Estonia for £17,244 and renamed Maret
Seized by U.S. (USMC) June 6, 1941 and renamed Sysonby with Panamanian registry[13]
28 September 1951 – Broken up

Catherine Radcliffe 1925 5,589 415x55x28

Built by Craig, Taylor & Co., Stockton-on-Tees at a cost of £99,439
22 February 1935. Abandoned after stranding off coast of Japan (Master – T. Owens, Aberporth) Insured for £70,868

Clarissa Radcliffe 1889 2,544 296x40.2x20.6

Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow
On a voyage from Odessa to Rotterdam with a cargo of grain, the ship met a gale off Cape St. Vincent on 30 December 1897. The cargo shifted and the ship sank with the loss of 16 lives.

Clarissa Radcliffe 1904 4,703 351.5x53.1x27.6

Built by Ropner, Stockton-on-Tees (Yard No. 410). A trunk-decked ship
1913 – Renamed Llanover
1917 – Renamed Llangorse
1926 – Sold to Watts, Watts & Co. as Laleham for £17,758
1930 – Sold to A. A. Kyrtaras, Andros as Marionga D. Thermiotis
1947 – Sold to Ciu de Nav. Ponanza Ltd., Panama – Antonios K
25 May 1952 – scrapped at Milford Haven

Clarissa Radcliffe 1915 6,042 415x55.5x28.7

Built by Craig Taylor & Co., Stockton-on-Tees in 1915 as Windsor at a cost of £251,000
1916 – Renamed Gwent
1917 – Renamed Clarissa Radcliffe
On 5 March 1943 the ship left New York for Barrow-in-Furness; a straggler within convoy SC-122. She had a crew of 41 and 10 gunners. She was torpedoed on 18 March by U-663 in position 42°0′N 62°0′W / 42.000°N 62.000°W / 42.000; -62.000 (Clarissa Radcliffe (ship)). There were no survivors.[12]

Douglas Hill 1890 2,171 285x37.8x20

Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow
March 1908 – name changed to Iolo
August 1909 – sold to Frederick Childs – Selworthy
Lost March 1910.

Dunraven 1896 3,333 338x46x27

Built by Ropner of Stockton-on-Tees, launched 2 October 1896.
The name of the vessel was changed to Sarah Radcliffe on delivery of a new Dunraven in 1910.
Sunk 11 November 1916 by submarine U-50 170 nautical miles (310 km) southwest of Ushant.[14]

Dunraven 1910 3,117 341x48x24'41.5"

Built by Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co. Willington Quay on Tyne.
1917 – Transferred to Royal Navy as a Q-ship
10 August 1917 – sunk by torpedo and guns of submarine UC-71 in Bay of Biscay.[15]
Two Victoria Crosses were awarded, one to the ship's First Lieutenant, Lt. Charles George Bonner RNR, and the other, by ballot, to a gunlayer, Petty Officer Ernest Herbert Pitcher.

Empire Eddystone 1945 7,318 431x56x38

Built by Wm. Gray, West Hartlepool

Empire Prospect 1945 7,331 431x38x38

Built by Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne
1947 – Sold to Goulandris Brothers Ltd, London and renamed Ronald M Scobie 1954 – Renamed Plover
1965 – Sold to Kowloon Carriers Inc and renamed Kowloon Venture. Operated under the management of Wah Kwong & Co (Hong Kong) Ltd.
27 April 1969 – Scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Ethel Radcliffe 1920 5,673 415x55x28.9

Built by Craig Taylor & Co., Stockton-on-Tees. Cost £274,019
17 April 1941 – Damaged by E-boat and put into port at Great Yarmouth.
16 May 1941 – The ship was sunk by air attack in Great Yarmouth

Euston 1898 2,728 330x44x24.3
Euston 1910
Euston 1910

Built by Ropner & Son, Stockton-on-Tees. Delivered 19 July 1898
1910 – name changed to Gileston
1926 – sold to Greek owners for £8,400 as Haralampos P.
1929 sold to W. G. Walton, Cyprian Shipping Co. Ltd. as Danubian
18 February 1954 – stranded in fog off Kilyos in Black Sea on voyage in ballast from Alexandria to Constanza.

Flimston 1916 5,751 415x55.5x26.7

Built by Craig Taylor & Co., Stockton-on-Tees.
18 December 1916 – captured and scuttled by a German submarine U-70 21 nautical miles (39 km) northeast by east from Ushant.[16]

Flimston 1925 4,674 385x52x26
Flimston 1925
Flimston 1925

Built by Bartram, South Dock, Sunderland.
1948 – sold to Woodham S.S. Co. Cardiff as Woodham Rover
1950 – sold to Schulte & Bruns as Konsul Schulte
14 January 1960 scrapped at Tamise.

Fort La Traite
(Managed Vessel)		 1942 7,134 424x57x37.5

Built by West Coast Shipbuilding, Vancouver.

Fort Miami
(Managed Vessel)		 1942 7,134 424x57.2x37.5

Built by Vancouver Ship Repairers Ltd., Vancouver.

Fort Richelieu
(Managed Vessel)		 1943 7,150 424x57.2x37.5

Built by Marine Industries Ltd., Soull, Quebec.

Fort Remy
(Managed Vessel)		 1942 7,127 424x57x37.5

Built by United Shipyards Ltd., Montreal
In fleet 1942–49

Fort Rupert
(Managed Vessel)		 1942 7,141 424x57x37.6

Built by Grand Trunk Pacific Development Co. Ltd. Prince Rupert, British Columbia
In fleet 1946–49

Fort Saleesh
(Managed Vessel)		 1943 7,167 424x57.2x37.5

Built by North Vancouver Shiprepairers Ltd.

Granton Glen 1918 2,485 257x43.8x20

Built by Manitoba S. B. Co., Wis. ex. Catherine, Stratford, Lake Greenwood.
Owned by Culliford Shipping Co. Ltd., liquidated 1947, management of vessel taken over by ETR for 1 year.

Gwenllian Thomas 1882 1,082 233x31.2x17

Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow
Delivered Cardiff 24 June 1882 and sailed with a cargo of coal for Saint-Nazaire, returning to Cardiff with iron ore from Bilbao. She was commanded by Capt. Evan Thomas.
Sold December 1905 as Richard

Gwent 1909 3,344 330x48x23

Built 1901 as Evangeline by R Thomson, Sunderland
Bought from Anglo-Grecian S.S. Co. 1909 for £17,350
1912 – sold for £22,589 to London-Piraeus S.S. Co. Sain Dimitrios
2 March 1918 – sunk

Hamilton 1960 13,186 560x72x30.9
Hamilton 1960
Hamilton 1960

Tanker built by C. Boel et Fils, Tamise, Belgium.
Launched 28 January 1960. Still in service as Feoso Sun.

Hanley 1902 3,331 326x48x23

Built by J.L. Thompson and Sons, Sunderland, for Woodruff Shillito & Co., Cardiff in 1902. Bought immediately by Evan Thomas Radcliffe
April 1912 – sold to Tom Lewis & Co.
30 May 1917 – sunk off Irish coast by torpedo from submarine U-87 95 nautical miles (176 km) W of Bishops Rock – 1 life lost.[17]

Helemar 1957 544 187x29x12

Charter by ETR 6 March 1957 (Owners Velmont S.S. Co.)
Sold to Pieter Hougerverff, Deest (the Netherlands) 23 July 1958
Still sailing as Hamnfiord

High Park
(Managed Vessel)		 1943 7,143 424x57x37

Built by Davie Shipbuilding, Lauzon-Levis, Quebec.

Iolo Morganwg 1882 1,241 251x33.25x18
Iolo 1898
Iolo 1898

Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow
Sold December 1905 as Pontus, later Held (Swedish flag)

Jane Radcliffe 1890 1,830 271x37x18
Jane Radcliffe 1890
Jane Radcliffe 1890

Built by Ropner, Stockton-on-Tees
August 1911 – sold to Otto Weens of Malmö, named Hjalma

Kate Thomas 1884 1,557 269x36.4x18

Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow
Lost near Ceuta 21 October 1895 on voyage from Cardiff to Brindisi with coal.

Lady Palmer 1889 2,752 322x40x24

Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow for Hall Bros., Newcastle upon Tyne
Chartered by Daniel Radcliffe 1890–91
Sunk in Dover Straits 1891.

Llanberis 1890 2,269 290x38x22.4
Llanberis 1890
Llanberis 1890

Built by Ropner, Stockton-on-Tees for £34,000
Jan 1910 – name changed to Badminton
10 February 1912 – sold for £8,500 to Coroniadis Bros. – Coroniadis
1914 – sold as Malgas
1916 – sold as Georgios Markettos

Llanberis 1927 5,055 400x53x28

Built by Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Wallsend for 86,573
Launched 12 October 1927
1950 (17 February) sold to Basil J. Mauros, Piraeus as Theoskepasti
1956 – sold as Valente

Llancarfan 1937 4,910 401x53x26.6

Built by White's Marine Engineering Company, Hebburn as Biddlestone for White Shipping Co., Newcastle.
1940 – Bought and renamed Llancarfan
30 May 1943 – sunk by air attack 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) south of Cape St. Vincent.

Llandaff 1937 4,826 417x56x251
Llandaff 1937
Llandaff 1937

Built Bartram, Sunderland.
First voyage to Port Said – Poti – Baltimore under the command of JR Jenkins, Aberporth.
1 October 1951 – sold to KG Bornhofen of Hamburg as Max Bornhofen
1959 – sold to Greek owners as Pilastassios
Ran aground Esbjerg 20 February 1959, refloated 7 March 1959.
Scrapped at Ghent 10 September 1959.

Llandaff 1953 12,501 556x73x31
Llandaff 1953
Llandaff 1953

Built at Lithgows of Glasgow. Launched 26 January 1952
17 February 1960 – sold to Island Shipping Co., Bermuda as Wheat King.

Llandilo 1928 4,966 400x53x26

Built by Bartram & Sons, Sunderland. Delivered 6 February 1928.
Maiden voyage Tyne – Algiers (Coal) – Rosario – La Plata – Hamburg (grain) under the command of T Jones, Aberarth. (Twm Cadno) 2 November 1942 torpedoed southeast of Saint Helena by submarine U-172 in position 27°3′S 2°59′W / 27.050°S 2.983°W / -27.050; -2.983 (Llandilo (ship))

Llandrindod 1900 3,841 351x48x28.4

Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees
18 May 1917 – sunk by torpedo from submarine U-46 165 nautical miles (306 km) northwest by west of Fastnet.[18]

Llandudno 1897 4,074 350x46.6x27.3

Built by Ropner & Son, Stockton-on-Tees. Delivered 26 July 1897
1910 – renamed Llanberis
1927 – sold to Richards, Longstaff & Co., London as Yorkminster.

Llandudno 1910 4,186 362x50x27

Built by Tyne Iron Shipbuilding Co., Willington Quay-on-Tyne.
1 August 1917 – Captured and sunk by submarine U-33 110 nautical miles (200 km) southwest of Porquerolles Island, Gulf of Lyons. 1 lost life.[19]

Llanfair 1928 4,966 400x53.4x26
Llanfair 1928
Llanfair 1928

Built by Bartram & Sons, Sunderland.
Maiden voyage to Port Said with coal, Cuba to Liverpool with sugar (Master Samuel H Mathias, Newport, Pembrokeshire)
11 October 1940 – torpedoed by U-38 54°48′N 13°46′W / 54.800°N 13.767°W / 54.800; -13.767 (Llanfair (ship)).[20]

Llangollen 1900 3,842 351x48x28.4

Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees. Cost £49,371
Sold 4 October 1926 to Greece as Issidoro for £13,500. The vessel completed 81 voyages for Evan Thomas Radcliffe.

Llangollen 1928 5,055 400x53x26
Llangollen 1928
Llangollen 1928

Built by Hawthorn Leslie & Co, Wallsend Cost £86,990
(1st Master – D. G. Evans, New Quay)
8 February 1950 – sold to Nicholas A Simbouras, Athens, as Aretis
1952 – sold as Maria Christina
1960 – sold as Kettara II
7 February 1960 – scrapped as Nagoya

Llangorse 1900 3,841 351x48x28.4

Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees. Cost £45,114
8 September 1916 – torpedoed by UB–47 48 nautical miles (89 km) west-southwest of Cape Matapan.[21]
Insured for £120,450.

Llangorse 1960 21,840

Tanker built, Furness Shipbuilding Co, Haverton Hill.
Delivered August 1960. In fleet until about 1966

Llanishen 1901 3,836 340x48x26

Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees
9 August 1917 – torpedoed by submarine U-33 and beached 8 nautical miles (15 km) north by east of Cape of Crevs, Gulf of Lyon. Total loss.[22]

Llanishen 1929 5,052 400x54x25.9

Built by Bartram, Sunderland for £82,568. Delivered 29 April 1929 and left on maiden voyage from the Tyne to Santos with coal (Master R Roberts, Aberdyfi, Merionethshire)
23 October 1941 – sunk by air attack southeast of Wick. 58°17′N 2°27′W / 58.283°N 2.450°W / 58.283; -2.450 (Llanishen (ship)).

Llanishen 1944 10,735 506x68x39
Llanishen 1944
Llanishen 1944

Tanker built as Rye Cove. Bought from the MoWT in 1947.
31 May 1956 – sold to Panama as Anna O
25 December 1962 – arrived Castellon, Spain for scrapping.

Llanishen 1957 20,976 635x64x34

Tanker built Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend
Delivered 17 January 1958. Renamed Petrola 19

Llanover 1899 3,840 351x48x28.4

Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees
Renamed Paddington February 1913
Renamed Iolo February 1917
Torpedoed and sunk by submarine U-60 42 nautical miles (78 km) southwest of Fastnet 17 February 1917.[23] 2 dead
Master, Chief Engineer and 2 gunners taken prisoner.

Llanover 1917 4,240 390x53x23

Built by Pickersgill, Sunderland
1917 – sold to Johnston Line as Linmore
1920 – sold to Dr. T. G. Adams as Shannonmede
1924 – sold to Edw. Nichol & Co. as Littleton
1932 – sold to Heirs of L. Z. Cambanis, Andros as Leonidas Z. Cambanis
3 April 1941 – torpedoed by U-74 southeast of Cape Farewell.[24]

Llanover 1928 4,959 400x53x26

Built by Bartram, Sunderland (Launched 4 November 1927 Master John James, Aberporth.
12 May 1942 – torpedoed by submarine U-124 North Atlantic 52°50′N 29°4′W / 52.833°N 29.067°W / 52.833; -29.067 (Llanover (ship)).[25]

Llanover 1944 7,281 424x57x35

Built by Brunswick, Georgia, USA by JA Jones Construction Inc. as Samlorian and sold in 1944 to Strath S. S. Co. of Cardiff as Helmspey.
27 October 1949 – Bought by ETR – renamed Llanover.
19 November 1951 – sold to Liberian Shipping Inc as Capestar
1960 – Resold as Athlos

Llantrisant 1952 6,140 460x62x30

Motor vessel built by Bartram, Sunderland. Delivered 5 September 1952
1957 – sold to Western Canadian S.S. Co., Vancouver as Lake Burnaby
3 November 1958 – stranded on Bancorran Reef, Philippines – total loss.

Llantrisant 1957 6,171 477.6x62x30.8

Built by Bartram, Sunderland. Delivered March 1958.
Transferred to Elenmaris Corp. Piraeus as Eleni M

Llanwern 1928 4,966 400x53x26

Built by Bartram, Sunderland (launched 1 September 1928)
Maiden voyage to Cardiff-Santos (coal) ��� Rosario – Buenos Aires – Avonmouth (grain and wheat). Master G Clark, Plymouth.
26 February 1941 – sunk by air attack west of Ireland in position 54°57′N 17°6′W / 54.950°N 17.100°W / 54.950; -17.100 (Llanwern (ship)).

Llanwern 1937 4,993 420x56x28

Built as Nailsea Moor for Nailsea S.S. Co. by Bartram of Sunderland
11 June 1949 – Bought and renamed Llanwern
21 September 1957 – Sold to Inui Kisen Kabushlui of Kobe, Japan as Kenkon Maru
1961 – resold as Fujisan Maru (to become fish factory)

Llanwern 1962 9,229 498x61'11"x26'11.25"
Llanwern 1962
Llanwern 1962

Built by Bartram, Sunderland (launched 19 July 1962)
Renamed Captain Michael later Agios Penteleimon.

Manchester 1890 2,072 285x37.2x20

Built by William Gray & Co., West Hartlepool.
February 1912 – sold to Artaza & Co., Bilbao – Arcotis later L. C. Stensland; Hitteroy Browton and lastly as the Russian Voikov.

Maria N. Roussos 1909 3,129 346x50x23

Built by William Gray of Hartlepool
Chartered from 28 July 1925 to 21 November 1929

Mary Thomas 1889 2,159 275.5x37.8x20.1

Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow
May 1908 – sold to the Glanhowny Steamship Company (H. A. Bartlett) as Barto
October 1909 – sold to Samuel Rowe as Jane Rowe

Novasli 1920 3,204 342.2x48x21.9

Built by R. Thompson & Sons, Sunderland
Norwegian vessel owned by A. Skibs
Chartered from the MoWT 1941–46
Sunk by German submarine U-1302 on 2 March 1945 at position 52°4′N 5°42′W / 52.067°N 5.700°W / 52.067; -5.700 (Novasli (ship))[26]

Paddington 1898 3,903 350x46.6x27.3

Built by Ropner & Sons, Stockton-on-Tees
Name changed to Iolo March 1913
11 October 1916 – sunk by submarine U-46 153 nautical miles (283 km) north of Vardø, off north coast of Norway[27]

Paddington 1906 5,084 392x50x30

Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees.
Renamed Swindon 1913
Renamed Paddington 1917
21 July 1917 – torpedoed and sunk by submarine U-96 250 nautical miles (460 km) west of Fastnet.[28]

Patagonia 1913 6,011 430x55.28x28.8

Built by Craig Taylor & Co., Stockton-on-Tees (Yard No. 154)
Torpedoed 15 September 1915 by UB-7 10.5 nautical miles (19.4 km) northeast of Odessa.[29]

Penistone 1913 4,139 370x40x25.9

Built by Craig Taylor & Co. Ltd. Stockton-on-Tees
11 August 1918 – torpedoed and sunk by U-156 145 nautical miles (269 km) southwest by south of Nantucket.[30]

Peterston 1892 2,768 321x40x21

Built by Thomas Turnbull, Whitehall Dockyard, Whitby. Daniel Radcliffe received his early training with the Turnbull Brothers who were also shipowners in Cardiff where he was for some time a clerk.
Evan Thomas Radcliffe in the early days of the company had their offices at Philip and Lewis Turnbull's premises.
1913 – sold to Artaza & Co., Bilbao named Arpillao

Peterston 1925 4,680 385.45x52x26
Peterston 1925
Peterston 1925

Built by Bartram & Co., South Dock, Sunderland at a cost of £84,647
Delivered 23 February 1925
1948 – sold to Gowan shipping Co. as Burhaven
1950 – sold A. G. Tsauliris as Andrew T
1953 – sold Shamrock Shipping Co. as Raloo
1957 – sold to Costa Rica as Paraporti
27 July 1959 – scrapped at Antwerp.

Picton 1906 5,084 392x52x30

Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees. Cost £48,939
23 May 1927 – sold to Williams & Mordey Ltd., Cardiff for £24,132 as Seven Seas Transport
1927 – sold to German owners W. Kunstmann – named Heinz W Kunstmann
1937 – renamed Herta Engelin Fritzen (same owners)
25 October 1941 – Under a German flag she ran aground and was lost near the Nieuwe Waterweg, Hook of Holland.

PLM 17
(Managed Vessel)		 1922 4,008 345x45x27

Built Smiths Dock, Middlesbrough for French owners.

Possidon 1909 3,744 346.3x50.8x23.1

Built by W. Gray & Co. Ltd., West Hartlepool for Greek owners.
Chartered 1921–1933

Radcliffe Trader 1956 622
Radcliffe Trader & Radcliffe Venturer
Radcliffe Trader and Radcliffe Venturer

ex Silloth Trader (1980), ex Rosemary D. (1974), ex Valerie B (1973), ex Sarsfield (1970), ex Edgefield (1965), ex Spolesto (1956)
Built by Noord Nederlandse Scheepswerven N.V., Groningen
Bought by ETR from Gillie & Blair Ltd. (Stag Line).

Radcliffe Venturer 1964 504

ex Bea (1980), ex Hattstedt (1974), ex Henriette (1972), ex Tilly (1969)
Built by NV Bodewes Schps., Martenshoek, Netherlands
Bought from Baltic Schooner Association, Cayman Islands June 1980.

Samskern
(Managed Vessel)		 1944 7,210 423x59x34.8

Built by Bethlehem Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore.

Sarah Radcliffe 1889 1,440 272x32.10x21'11"

Built by Ropner, Stockton-on-Tees
April 1910 – renamed Iolo
May 1914 – Sold to Constantine Hadjipateras of Greece as Archimedes; renamed Olteria then sold to Romania as Latium
1930 – sold to D. B. Georgiades, Piraeus as Margarita
3 June 1952 – Broken up.

Senta 1919 3,785 340x48.2x26

Built by Union Ironworks, Alameda, California USA
Norwegian vessel owned by Skibs A
Chartered from the MoWT 1941–45

Stolt Llandaff 1971 15,585 560'1"x79'2"x34'6.7"

Tanker built by NV Boelwerf SA, Tamise, for Anthony Radcliffe S.S. Co. Ltd.
The company was taken over by the Stolt Corporation and leased back to ETR until December 1981.

Swindon 1899 3,847 351x48x28.4

Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees
Named Badminton 1912
23 July 1916 – sunk by submarine gunfire from U-39 63 nautical miles (117 km) northeast by north of Cape Carbon, Algeria[31]

Swindon 1917 4,240 390x53.3x23.5

Built by W. Pickersgill & Sons, Sunderland
1917 – sold to Johnston Line as Cottesmore
1920 – sold to D.&T.C. Adams as Avonmede
1924 – sold to J.&.C. Harrison as Harpalion
1931 – sold to N.G. Livanos, Chios as Theofano
1937 – sold to V.J. Pateras, Chios as Dirphys
8 June 1941 – torpedoed by submarine U-108 northeast of St. Johns, Newfoundland[32]

Torvanger 1920 6,568 420.1x54.0x34.4

Built W. Doxford, Sunderland
Owned by Westfal-hausen & Co. Norway
Chartered from the MoWT 1942

Varangberg 1915 2,842 282.8x43.6x25.2

Built by Great Lakes Eng. Works, Ashtabula, Oregon, USA
Norwegian vessel owned by A/S Malmfart
Chartered from the MoWT 1941–46

Vera Radcliffe 1925 5,587 415x55.5x36.3
Vera Radcliffe 1925
Vera Radcliffe 1925

Built by Craig, Taylor & Co., Stockton-on-Tees.
Delivered 6 January 1925 for £99,393
June 1944 – sold to government for £75,000. Sunk as blockship on Normandy beaches.

Walter Thomas 1884 2,213 296x37.4x24.5

Named after Captain Evan Thomas's only son Walter Hezekiah Thomas.
Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow
Sunk 12 July 1901 after collision with Romney off Europa Point, Straits of Gibraltar on a voyage from Penarth to Derindje.

Washington 1907 5,079 378x52x30

Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees. Cost £52,392
3 May 1917 – torpedoed and sunk off Genoa (Rapallo Bay) by submarine U-63 while on time charter to Italian State Railways.[33]

Wimborne 1898 3,466 339x46x27.3

Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees for £35,556
On 7 November 1910 she was lost at Tolpedu off Polperro, Cornwall, while on voyage in ballast from Rotterdam to Barry. There were no casualties.

Wimborne 1911 6,078 415x55x28.8

Built by Craig, Taylor & Co., Stockton-on-Tees. Cost £54,011
1936 – sold Halcyon Lign, Rotterdam, named Stad Schiedam for £16,006
16 September 1940 – sunk after explosion, believed sabotage 37°0′N 64°0′W / 37.000°N 64.000°W / 37.000; -64.000 (Stad Schiedam (ship)) on voyage from Bermuda to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Windsor 1897 4,074 370x46.6x27.3

Built by Ropner & Son, Stockton-on-Tees. Delivered 21 July 1897 27 November 1911 – name changed to Jane Radcliffe Torpedoed and sunk by submarine U-74 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) southwest of Antimilo, Greek Archipelago, 28 November 1917.[34]

Windsor 1911 6,055 430x55.6x28.7

Built by Craig, Taylor & Co., Stockton-on-Tees. Delivered December 1911 (Yard No. 148)
Sunk by gunfire from submarine U-38 70 nautical miles (130 km) southwest of The Lizard, 21 August 1915.[35]

W. I. Radcliffe 1886 2,076 280x35x20
W I Radcliffe 1896
W I Radcliffe 1896

Built by Palmers Co., Jarrow.
Sold in 1903 to the Aberporth S.S. Co. (Dan Jenkins) renamed Aberporth
The Jenkins Bros. were well known Cardiff shipowners with a substantial fleet. One member of the family, Daniel (Bryntirion, Aberporth) broke away from the family group to establish the Aberporth S.S. Co. It was a failure and the firm was soon bankrupt and the ship wrecked.

W. I. Radcliffe 1904 4,748 383x50.9x30.3

Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees
(Wyndham Ivor Radcliffe was Henry Radcliffe's son)
Renamed Llancarvan – 13 March 1917
Torpedoed and sunk by submarine U-62 370 nautical miles (690 km) east by north from São Miguel, Azores at 38°24′N 17°18′W / 38.400°N 17.300°W / 38.400; -17.300 on 16 May 1918.[36]

W. I. Radcliffe 1917 6,042 430x55.6x28.7
W I Radcliffe 1913
W I Radcliffe 1913

Built 1913 as Clarissa Radcliffe by Craig, Taylor & Co., Stockton-on-Tees, delivered April 1913 (Yard No. 155)
1917 – renamed W. I. Radcliffe
12 March 1918 – torpedoed by submarine U-71 in English Channel, but made port.[37]
18 April 1935 – sold to N. Eusthattion & Co., Piraeus, named Marietta
1939 – sold to Leonhardt & Blumsey – Karl Leonhardt
16 March 1946 – Scuttled with ammunition in Skaggerak.

Wynnstay 1884 1,541 209x36.4x18

Built by Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Co of Jarrow
Sold in June 1902 for £9,500 to L. Overgaard, Norway – Nora.

Notable captains[]

  • Capt. J. Alexander of Cardiff
  • Capt. W. R. Burgess of Cardiff
  • Capt. G. Clark of Plymouth
  • Capt. D. J. Davies of Aberarth
  • Capt. J. Davies of Aberporth
  • Capt. J. A. Davies of Cardigan
  • Capt. E. H. Dolton of Brixham
  • Capt. J. James of Aberporth
  • Capt. J. R. Jenkins of Aberporth
  • Capt. E. Jones of Llanarth
  • Capt. J. Jones of Aberarth
  • Capt. John Jones of Rhoshirwaun
  • Capt. J. W. Jones of St Dogmaels
  • Capt. T. Jones of Blaenporth
  • Capt. M. Mathias of Cardigan
  • Capt. S. H. Mathias of Newport, Pembrokeshire
  • Capt. B. T. Morris – Marine Superintendent for Evan Thomas Radcliffe
  • Capt. J. E. Owen of Swansea
  • Capt. T. Owens of Llangrannog
  • Capt. R. Rees of St Dogmaels
  • Capt. R. Roberts of Holyhead
  • Capt. D. Smith of Lewis
  • Capt. J. Thomas of Cardiff
  • Capt. J. E. Thomas of Newcastle Emlyn
  • Capt. W. Thomas of Llaniestyn
  • Capt. D. Williams of Machynlleth
  • Capt. John Williams of Cardiff
  • Capt. T. Wood of Cardiff

The Evan Thomas Radcliffe brand was sold to the Evan Reid Group of Cardiff.

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Steamers & Motorships". Lloyd's Register (PDF). Vol. II. London: Lloyd's Register. 1943. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Plimsoll Ship Data.
  2. ^ a b "Llanashe". Wear Built Ships. North East Maritime Forum. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Llandaff". Wear Built Ships. North East Maritime Forum. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  4. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Llanarth". Uboat.net.
  5. ^ "SS Llanfair [+1940]". Wrecksite. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  6. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Llanfair". Uboat.net. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  7. ^ "SS Llanishen ? [+1940]". Wrecksite. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  8. ^ "Convoy SC 26". Warsailors. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  9. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Llanover". Uboat.net. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  10. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Llandilo". Uboat.net. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  11. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Llanashe". Uboat.net.
  12. ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur. "Clarissa Radcliffe". Uboat.net. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  13. ^ "Foreign Passenger and Cargo Ships Taken Over by U.S Maritime Commission during World War II". American Merchant Marine at War. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  14. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Sarah Radcliffe". Uboat.net.
  15. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "HMS Dunraven". Uboat.net.
  16. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Flimston". Uboat.net.
  17. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Hanley". Uboat.net.
  18. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Llandrindod". Uboat.net.
  19. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Llandudno". Uboat.net.
  20. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Llanfair". Uboat.net.
  21. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Llangorse". Uboat.net.
  22. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Llanishen". Uboat.net.
  23. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Iolo". Uboat.net.
  24. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Leonidas Z. Cambanis". Uboat.net.
  25. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Llanover". Uboat.net.
  26. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Novasli". Uboat.net.
  27. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Iolo". Uboat.net.
  28. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Paddington". Uboat.net.
  29. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Patagonia". Uboat.net.
  30. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Penistone". Uboat.net.
  31. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Badminton". Uboat.net.
  32. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Dirphys". Uboat.net.
  33. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Washington". Uboat.net.
  34. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Jane Radcliffe". Uboat.net.
  35. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Windsor". Uboat.net.
  36. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "Llancarvan". Uboat.net.
  37. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "W I Radcliffe". Uboat.net.

Bibliography[]

  • Jenkins, David, Cardiff tramps, Cardi crews, Journal of the Cardiganshire Antiquarian Society, Vol. 10, nos. 1–4 – 1984–1987, ISSN 0069-2263
  • Jenkins, J. Geraint, Evan Thomas Radcliffe : a Cardiff Shipowning Company, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, 1982, ISBN 978-0-7200-0247-8
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