Volume One - Into the Victorian Age - The Penarth Shipbuilding & Ship Repairing Company Limited . . .

1882 - s.s. 'Venetienne':

• March 1882 - Launch of an Iron Steamer at Penarth - "A most successful launch of the first iron steamer ever built at Penarth took place, from the yard of the Penarth Shipbuilding and Ship-repairing Company, Limited, on Monday afternoon.

The steamer was modeled by Mr George Cooper, the chief manager of the works, and is a handsome little cargo boat, with good carrying capacity. She is 120 feet in length, 20 feet beam, and 10 feet depth of hold, and is to be fitted with inverted compound surface condensing engines of 150 effective horse power, two steam winches, other modern seawater ballast tanks, and several built to the order of Messrs Cuthbert, Hancock, and Co., Cardiff, and is intended for the French trade.

The christening ceremony was performed by Miss Laura Evans, of Bath, who named the steamer Venetienne. She was taken in tow and berthed in Penarth Dock, where her outfit will be completed." Cardiff Times [019] 25th March 1882.

• Venitienne. — On March 2Oth the launch of the first iron steamer ever built at Penarth, took place from the yard of the Penarth Shipbuilding and Shiprepairing Company (Limited). The steamer is a cargo boat 120 ft. in length, 20 ft. beam, and 10 ft. depth of hold, and is to be fitted with inverted compound surface condensing engines of 150 effective horse power, two steam winches, a patent windlass, water ballast tanks, and several other modern steamship appliances.

She was built to the order of Messrs. Cuthbert, Hancock, & Co., Cardiff, and is intended for the French trade. The christening ceremony was performed by Miss Laura Evans, of Bath, who named the steamer Venitietine. She was taken in tow and berthed in Penarth Dock, where her outfit will be completed. - The Shipping World [940] 1st April 1882.

	The working life of the Venetienne is an interesting story which is told within contemporary newspaper articles; quite graphically at times (4 pages).