Volume One - Into the Victorian Age - Some newspaper reports from the 1870's

• May 1879 - Fire on Board Ship at Penarth - "On Wednesday night, about 10 o'clock, Captain Ferro, whilst asleep in his cabin on board the Genovese barque Donna Isabella. was aroused by a quantity of smoke entering his berth. He with great difficulty managed to open the door of his cabin, and found the whole of the place in flames. The fire was not subdued until the after part of the vessel was completely destroyed. notwithstanding vigorous efforts on the part of the dock officials and others to put out the fire. The barque, which is a new one, lost all her stores. The damage is only partially covered by insurance." Weekly Mail [067] 17th May 1879.

The s.s. Ascupart was built in 1875 being 1,351 gross registered tons and was lost in 1906 when she ran aground and was subsequently broken up. [214] She was owned in the period 1875 to 1895 by Harper G. T. & Co., of Southampton and named after a suburb of the port. One unfortunate hand met with his maker in her hold.

• May 1879 - Fatal Accident at Penarth - "The body of William Cooke, donkeyman on board the steamship Ascupart, of Southampton, was found in the hold of the vessel early on Wednesday morning, in Penarth Dock. The skull was fractured." Cardiff Times [019] 24th May 1879.

• May 1879 - A Cardiff Crew Refusing Duty - "On Friday afternoon the crew of the ship Northern Empire, of Liverpool, bound from Penarth Dock for Simon's Bay - excepting the officers - were brought from Penarth Roads to Cardiff in irons, having refused to proceed to sea in the ship." Cardiff Times [019] 31th May 1879.

• June 1879 - Crimping at Penarth - "At the petty-sessions, Penarth, held on Monday - before Messrs J. S. Corbett and J. J. Ware - Nils Pettersen, a boarding house keeper's runner, was charged with persuading three seamen, Thos. Traynor, George Whitlow, and John Leary, forming part of the crew of the Squadron, of Liverpool, to desert. Mr Waldron, instructed by Mr. Turner, superintendent of the Board of Trade at Cardiff, prosecuted.

Thomas Traynor, able seaman, said ; I signed articles in the Squando, Rotterdam, eighteen days ago, and came with the vessel, which arrived in Penarth Dock on the 11th inst. Just as we "made fast", a runner, named Nils Pettersen, came on board, and asked me with others of the crew to go up to his house at Penarth, kept by a man named Carter. I said that "the captain would be looking after us," and that it would be too close. Pettersen replied that the master would not be looking after us, stating that he could get us a ship any time. He came on board again on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, asking us each day to leave the vessel, and go with him to Carter's house.