The s.s. 'Cranford' was a steel hulled, single screw, general cargo steamer, built at the yard of the Northumberland Shipbuilding Company Limited at Howdon-upon-Tyne and launched during February 1904. She was built for RB Stoker of Manchester. She was of 2,991 gross and 1954 net register tons being 325.50 ft. long x 47.0 ft. breath x 22.0 ft. depth.

Upon change of ownership s he was renamed s.s. 'Emil' (1913), 'Braila' (1914), 'Aquarius' (1915), and in 1918 came under Watkin James Williams of Cardiff and was renamed s.s. 'Furtor'.

On the 10th November 1918 she was in collision with an unnamed steamer when c.50 miles off Corfu whilst on a voyage from Penarth bound for Corfu with a cargo of coal. [102]