Swansea and Port Talbot Docks History

Shipping - Locally owned vessels

Harries Bros. & Co. of Swansea

s.s. Bolbec

s.s. Bolbec approaching the Swansea lock entrance (1930’s)

Another view of the s.s. Bolbec (1930’s)

s.s. Bolbec approaching the Swansea lock entrance (1930’s)

Another Harries Bros. ship, the ‘Glanowen’

Stone & Rolfe Ltd. of Swansea & Llanelly

s.s. Runnelstone at Swansea in the 1930’s

s.s. Runnelstone under way (1930’s)

s.s. Berylstone (1930’s)

s.s. ‘Menastone, (1930’s)

Mrs Coombs of Llanelli

Afon Gwili

Empire Marksman ex 'Afon Morlais'

Thanks to Dave Williams for the above photos

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Harris Bros. offices

Mr. Ted Purcell, who used to work for Harries Bros., has kindly provided us with the following information:-

I was a customs clerk at Harries Bros., Pembroke Buildings, between 1956 and 1959. At that time Harries Bros. owned the ‘Bolbec’ and the ‘Glanowen’. As well as Pembroke Buildings, Harris Bros. also owned L & G Tulloch & Co. and James Ship Stores, both of which were in Pier Street. Owen L. Harries was the owner and managing director, and the manager was Colonel H. L. Hyett, assisted by John M. Henry. The accountant and company secretary was Mr Ken Packe and the surveyor was Mr. Preece.”

“The ‘Bolbec’ was skippered by Captain Cleverly who, if I remember correctly, lived at Gwydr Crescent, Uplands, Swansea, and the master of the ‘Glanowen’ was Capt. Bie, but I cannot recall where he lived (Note: An article on Capt. Bie can be found here). Although Harries Bros. was a small firm, we were always very busy with agency work.”

Following is a list of Harries Bros. vessels lost at sea:

ss Bloomfield, 1437 tons, built 1820, lost 1941, air raid.

ss Lin O Dee, 497 tons, built 1883, lost 1910, ran aground.

ss Alacrity, 1080 tons, built 1883, lost 1916, mine.

ss Glynymel, 1394 tons, built 1890, lost 1917, explosives.

ss Eleanor, 1227 tons, built 1912, lost 1922, ran aground.

ss Llwyngwair, 1304 tons, built 1913, lost 1918, torpedo.

ss Amiens, 1548 tons, built 1918, lost 1941, air raid.

ss Glanrhyd, 1525 tons, built 1924, lost 1938, foundered.

Some history of the Glenowen:

Empire Peggotty was a 2,066-GRT collier which was built by Grangemouth Dockyard Co Ltd, Grangemouth. Launched on 25 April 1944 and completed in July 1944. Sold in 1946 to Harries Bros & Co Ltd, Swansea and renamed Glanowen. Sold in 1965 to Balmoral Shipping Corporation, Liberia and renamed Balmoral. Operated under the management of Transocean Maritima S M Bull SA, Spain. Ran aground on 12 March 1967 in Weser Estuary in bad weather. Broke in two on 5 April 1967, bow section salvaged and towed to Bruges for scrapping, where it arrived on 12 October 1967.