Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - A History of Penarth Dock by Roy Thorne . . .

The coroner said that "it now appeared Mr. Hemingway had nothing to do with deceased, but as he was present he wished to draw his attention to what was happening." Mr. Hemingway said that in future a policeman would be told to keep the men off, but that plasterers, masons and all kinds of men ride on the wagons at all hours of the day.

The coroner told James Hemingway to summon them and to give orders "to your engineer to stop the engine." A verdict of "Accidental Death" was recorded. [1165]

On 18th July 1859 Rennie and Company's contract for the harbour and railway was completed and the Harbour opened, but James Hemingway was no longer with the firm. He had left Messrs Rennie displeased and disappointed after men came from the Birkenhead works and superseded him. He set up his own works in Cardiff.

It was common for Victorian employers of large numbers to provide schools for the children of the employees.

The "Cardiff Times", 2nd October 1858 records a school of that type ; "near Cogan Pill a schoolroom has been built by Messrs Rennie and Company for the instruction of children belonging to the workmen at the Penarth Harbour Works. We are glad to announce that through the exertions of Mr. Barstow the schoolroom has been opened for a Sunday School and religious services. The first sermon was preached on Sunday evening last when a large audience was present." The name Barstow is not recorded in either the 1851 or the 1861 Census Returns for the parishes of Penarth, Lavernock, Cogan, Llandough and Leckwith.

At the Harbour were ten coal staithes each capable of shipping 150 tons of coal an hour. These staithes were timber framed structures where vessels could lie sitting on prepared mud berths at low water. The structures were equipped with cradles by means of which the coal wagons were gravitated to and from the tips. There were also three ballast cranes each capable of discharging 60 tons an hour, and an Iron Ore Wharf.

Five of these tips were removed between 1894 and 1897. In 1936 there were only four tips remaining each capable only of dealing with 10 ton wagons. Within five years from its opening in 1859 the Harbour Works were exporting over 200,000 tons of coal a year.