Volume Eleven - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - some more aspects - The Shipbreakers of Penarth . . .

Steel vessels are relatively not so valuable.

We shall be pleased to be informed when you are in the market to buy, and our services are at your disposal.

The foregoing letter, complete with watermark and C. W. Kellock's signature, is held within the Glamorgan Archives [599] [Archive Reference : DSA/12/2241-1 - (F. E. Aitken, Northwood, Barry and John Alexander)]. The preceding documents form part of a collection of the records of a firm of Auctioneers and Chartered Surveyors, namely, Stephenson & Alexander.

In 1885, Messrs. C. W. Kellock and Company were auctioneers for the sale of a vessel 'Built on the Thames from designs and under the personal supervision of the eminent Engineer Isambard Brunel'. The vessel being 'The celebrated and magnificent Iron Paddle and Screw Steamship 'Great Eastern' . . . 'Now lying at Milford Haven where She can be inspected'. She was subsequently sold for £26,200 (the equivalent of £3.39m in 2019). [771]

There indeed money to made from the demise of vessels and there many of them around at that time since technology was advancing at a great rate and outdated coal was being fast replaced with oil fired boilers plus tonnage of vessels was increasing almost exponentially. Also there was good luck to be had as a bonus as the following news report illustrates . . . .