One of the first
and probably the saddest accounts of a Rhiw seafarer to go on the website
was that of Isaac Thomas, Ael y Bryn. Through his father Griffith Thomas’s
diaries we know that Isaac left school to work as
a farmhand, but on the 11th of January 1921 he went down to Swansea to
join the Afon Lledi as a fireman, and in March he came home on sick leave
before returning again on the 10th of July. 1921. He writes to his family
often and some of his letters have recently come to light. The letter
sent from Blyth on the 15th December, 1921, is particularily poigniant as
this was the last letter Isaac ever wrote, as his ship the SS Stevenstone
was lost without trace on passage from Blyth to Elsinor, Denmark, with a
cargo of coal. Through the 1922 diaries we see Griffith Thomas’s hopes
and fears and the eventual reality that his son has been drowned in the
North Sea on that fateful voyage.
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SS Afon Lledi,
C/O Harris Dry Dock,
Swansea.
Dear family, Just a little note to say I arrived
safely 10pm Tuesday night. I came through Mount Lane and Builth rd,
starting from Pwllheli at 1pm. There’s a new Captain, Mate and 2nd
Engineer. We’re going to Bordeaux, France, don’t know whether she’ll sail
this week or not. Well nothing more to say so I’ll end by sending you all
my best wishes. PS I left my belt behind and can you have a look in the
back kitchen for my union book, I can’t find it here at all.
SS Afon Lledi,
C/O W Coombs, Ship Owners,
Llanelly,
Sunday.
Dear Family,
As I send you this little
note I hope you are well as I am. I received your letter safely on
Thursday, I’m sorry to hear about grandmother still being poorly. We’re
still in Llanelli and it looks like we’ll be here next week as well.
They’ve taken off a big piece from the front of the ship on the side where
the sailor’s accommodation is situated, she had quite a collision on the
river in France whilst she was at anchor and there’s a lot of work to be
done on her yet. We’re at it cleaning out the inside of the boilers, it’s
a filthy job, but we get an extra £1 for doing it. Wages at sea are going
up next month by 30/-, so we’ll be getting £5/17/6d a week. Tell Harry
it’s time he came to sea.
"Afon Lledi"
Has Ismael sold the car yet, if he hasn’t tell
Robin to go and get the tools, there’s a tool to fix the fan belt which
belongs to William Ty Croes Bach. The weather was really bad when I was in
France there was a high sea and fog. This coal’s not very good for burning
and useless for getting fired up – it’s very fine stuff, just like smithy
coals.
I’ve seen a handy little motorbike for Robin in a
shop here, ask him does he want me to buy it for him? It’s a 2 speed gear
just like the one Jack Croesfryn’s got. It’s pretty miserable here this
Sunday, there’s only two of us left up front, the rest of the lads have
gone home. It’s difficult to understand the Southwalians speaking English,
especially the type of English spoken on this ship. One of lads here comes
from Anglesey. Well I’ve nothing more to say so I’ll finish by sending you
all my best wishes. Isaac.
Dear Family,
Hope you are all well as I am
here. I got your letter as soon as we docked on Sunday morning. We’ve had
fine weather, I haven’t heard anything about the parcel, I suppose I won’t
get it now. They’ve put my account in to the office, the engineer will
have no choice now but pay the overtime. I had a look for silk in France,
but it’s just as expensive as it is in this country. I got some tobacco
and a photograph of the ship, there’s one for Sion too. I’ll send the
underpants so you can mend them for me. I’ll look up the prices of the
stoves next time I get a chance. Well I’ve no other news so I’ll send my
best wishes to you all there. Yours Isaac. PS Ask Sion has he sent the
money for the engine?.
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"Stevenstone"
SS Stevenstone,
London.
Dear Family,
Hope you are well as I am here.
We went to Rotterdam and then on to Antwerp to load steel for Cardiff. I
was quite seasick coming over I couldn’t eat a thing. Where’s Guto Four?
This ship’s not much easier to fire up than the Afon Lledi and it’s
heavier going clearing cinders from four fires. I heard Harry Ty Fry was
in Cardiff I’ll have to send him a wire. We’ll be leaving here about
Friday, they’ve damaged the mast today and it looks like we’ll be going to
Cardiff for repairs. I’ll send a letter from Cardiff. I hope you received
the money and that Guto Four got his clothes. Well I’ll finish with this
and send you all my best wishes. Isaac.
SS Stevenstone,
London.
Dear Family,
I have pleasure in sending you a
word or two and hope you are well as I am at present. We’re at Pauliag
loading pit wood, we’ll be here until Tuesday, we came from Bordeaux, the
same place as I was with Guto Four. I don’t know where we’re going next
Cardiff probably. We had a bit of a gale on Sunday. Two of the firemen got
the sack in Cardiff, they were replaced by two other men from Cardiff.
This ship’s about 1000 tons, we’ve got some very mucky coal this time, two
of us clearing about 30 buckets each watch. There’s no overtime this trip,
we have time off each day and work 8 – 12 in port, instead of overtime. If
I’d have been ten minutes earlier in Swansea I’d have got a very handy
little ship and a new one at that. Well I’ll come to close and send you
all my best wishes. How are Morris and M Evans, let me know in your next
letter. Yours Isaac.
SS Stevenstone,
Barry Dock,
Dear Family, I received your letter today,
Wednesday we’re sailing tonight, somewhere near Rotterdam. I got Hugh
Trip’s letter. I’m writing this in a hurry at the Post. I’ll write again
soon. Isaac.
SS Stevenstone
Alexandria Dock,
Newport (Mon),
Dear Family,
It’s with pleasure that I write
to you and hope that you are all well as I am at present. I received your
letter safely yesterday, Monday, and I was glad to see the photo of mum
and of the house and to get some news of Dick, it sounds pretty bad there
then. We’ve been in Newport discharging since Friday. It was very windy
when we were on passage fro Bordeaux. I don’t feel much like coming home
this Christmas, it’s a bit too soon. I hope you’ll send me a Christmas
pudding wherever I am. We’re off to France tomorrow evening. I’ve seen the
‘Christiana’ somewhere I’m sure. Do you fancy a job as a fireman I could
get you a job on this ship. Is Guto Four still driving the bus?, I bet he
likes that job. Send to the same address in Cardiff. I didn’t get tobacco
this time, thank Sion for the photo. I went to the Baptist Chapel on
Sunday, we had a nice supper there. Send Kate Ty Fry’s address to me
again., she’s not far from here. Isaac.
SS Stevnstone,
C/O Hanes Shipping co,
Cardiff.
Dear Family,
It’s with pleasure that I write
this to you and hope that you are all well as I am at present. I received
your letter safely and was so sorry to hear about the lads coming home
from Sarn, such a shame. We’ve been discharging in Cardiff since Saturday
morning, we’d been to Caen, I wasn’t sure how to spell it. It looks likely
that we’ll be going to Havre and then South Shields then to Norway. The
Captain had the sack on Saturday for being drunk for the whole trip, and
he was in bed when the owners came aboard to see him, the mate’s been made
captain now. I don’t think he’ll be much better he’s of the same ilk.
Harry Ty Fry’s in Swansea since yesterday, but it’s too far to go there.
The Afon Towy was at Caen with us and I saw Wil Sir Fon’s brother. I’m
afraid we’ll be at sea Christmas time. I was sorry to hear that Aunt
Penbryn Bach’s still poorly. Well I’ll come to an end by sending you all
my best wishes. I got Robin’s PO and I’ll send the mouth organ next time.
It would be well worth his seeing the American round, I went last night,
he should save 15/- and get down here to Cardiff tell him.
The wood goes to Bedwas.
Yours Isaac, ask Ted to send a letter.
SS Stevenstone,
Hansen Shipping co,
Cardiff.
Dear Family,
It is with pleasure that I write
to you and hope that you are well as I am at present. We arrived in Blyth
on Wednesday evening, we’re not loading today. We’re off to Denmark but I
don’t know the name of the place we’re going to. We’ll be about a week
before coming back, a trip of 1,100, the longest run yet. The weather’s
been good so far, I sent Ted a letter telling him that I’d got him a job
here helping the cook, £2 a week. How did they get on at the Sarn fair,
I’m sending you tobacco for Christmas, they kept one plug I was over the
limit!! I’ll send the mouth organ again. Well I’ve no more for the time
being so I’ll come to a close by sending you all my best wishes. Yours
Isaac, I’ll send word from Denmark.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
This was Isaac’s last letter before he was lost –
December 15 – 1921.
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