• March 1886 - The Loss of the Venetienne - "Judgement was given in the case of the Venetienne. this was the second inquiry respecting the vessel which was lost off the Longships on the 5th November, while on a voyage from Newport to St. Malo with coal. At the first inquiry the owner (Captain Cuthbert) was ordered to pay £50 as costs. The second investigation was held owing to additional evidence having come to the knowledge of the Board of Trade.

In the judgement now delivered it was stated that the court, having considered the additional evidence, remained of the opinion that the ship was undermanned, and that her loss was due to her being overladen, to the improper storage of cargo, to the shifting of the same, and to her being undermanned. The court attached blame to the manager owner (Captain Cuthbert) for allowing the ship to be overladen and undermanned ; but, believing that the ship was not overladen to the extent at first supposed to be the case, the court cancelled the previous order as to costs. Considering, however, that the attention of the owners was at the first hearing called into question of the Board of Trade to all points of the overloading and undermanning, the court now declined to give them any costs on account of the present inquiry." Western Mail [064] 27th March 1886.

The Longships Lighthouse of Trinity House dates from 1790 and is situated off Land's End. That was the story of the fates of the Venetienne built at the Penarth Shipbuilding and Ship-repairing Company, Limited in 1882 and foundered twice. She had a somewhat short but eventful life!

The Appropriation Book lists the 'Venetienne' as first registered at the port of Cardiff in May 1882 under official number 84676. Built at Penarth she had an iron hull was 121ft. - 0in. long x 20ft. - 0in. breath x 9ft. - 8in. depth of hold. She was of 130 net tons, 212 gross tons and equipped with screw (propellor) driven by a 30 horsepower steam engine. In the Merchant Nay List for 1885 the registered owner was John Cuthbert of Bute Docks, Cardiff. she foundered on the 5th November 1885. [630]

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