Until 1939 one of the main trades of the company was to carry Welsh steam coal, which reached its peak in the years immediately before World War I.

By 1884 Evan Thomas gave up the sea, and on his death at the age of 59 on 14 November 1891 the company he had established less than ten years previously owned 15 tramp steamships.

In 1882, a second ship, Iolo Morganwg (1,292 tons) was bought from Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company of Jarrow who has already built Gwenllian Thomas.

All the Evan Thomas, Radcliffe ships were tramp steamers, sailing not along fixed routes but to whatever port in the world the charterers wished.

The Black Sea trade in its heyday was a very lucrative business and the carriage of coal from South Wales outwards and grain from southern Russia inwards really provided the basis of success for Evan Thomas, Radcliffe.

Ships rarely sailed in ballast except for short voyages from the points of discharge of coal to the Black Sea and from continental ports to Cardiff or Barry.

The Black Sea trade did continue until the early years of the First World War, but some of the ships were making more frequent appearances in America and south east Asia.

After six more voyages to the Black Sea the ship visited Galveston, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Philadelphia, Rosario, San Nicholas and Aguilas being concerned with the transport of grain and iron ore, to Naples, Barcelona, Glasgow, Genoa and Avonmouth.

UK ships were lost much faster than they could be replaced and the Government decided that it would be impossible to back a new shipbuilding programme entirely in this country which was so vulnerable to enemy attack.

By 1970 Llanwern and Llantrisant had been sold and in 1971 SA Boelwerf of Tamise, Belgium delivered Stolt Llandaff, the last ship to be built for the company.

She was a specialised oil and chemical tanker and remained as an Evan Thomas, Radcliffe ship on charter to the company from the Stolt Corporation of Monrovia until December 1981.

Abandoned after stranding off coast of Japan (Master – T. Owens, Aberporth) Insured for £70,868 Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow On a voyage from Odessa to Rotterdam with a cargo of grain, the ship met a gale off Cape St. Vincent on 30 December 1897.

[15] Two Victoria Crosses were awarded, one to the ship's First Lieutenant, Lt. Charles George Bonner RNR, and the other, by ballot, to a gunlayer, Petty Officer Ernest Herbert Pitcher.

Operated under the management of Wah Kwong & Co (Hong Kong) Ltd. 27 April 1969 – Scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan Built by Craig Taylor & Co., Stockton-on-Tees.

Bought immediately by Evan Thomas Radcliffe April 1912 – sold to Tom Lewis & Co. 30 May 1917 – sunk off Irish coast by torpedo from submarine U-87 95 nautical miles (176 km) W of Bishops Rock – 1 life lost.

[17] Charter by ETR 6 March 1957 (Owners Velmont S.S. Co.) Sold to Pieter Hougerverff, Deest (the Netherlands) 23 July 1958 Still sailing as Hamnfiord Built by Davie Shipbuilding, Lauzon-Levis, Quebec.

Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow for Hall Bros., Newcastle upon Tyne Chartered by Daniel Radcliffe 1890–91 Sunk in Dover Straits 1891.

Maiden voyage Tyne – Algiers (Coal) – Rosario – La Plata – Hamburg (grain) under the command of T Jones, Aberarth.

Maiden voyage to Port Said with coal, Cuba to Liverpool with sugar (Master Samuel H Mathias, Newport, Pembrokeshire) 11 October 1940 – torpedoed by U-38 54°48′N 13°46′W / 54.800°N 13.767°W / 54.800; -13.767 (Llanfair (ship)).

In fleet until about 1966 Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees 9 August 1917 – torpedoed by submarine U-33 and beached 8 nautical miles (15 km) north by east of Cape of Crevs, Gulf of Lyon.

Delivered 29 April 1929 and left on maiden voyage from the Tyne to Santos with coal (Master R Roberts, Aberdyfi, Merionethshire) 23 October 1941 – sunk by air attack southeast of Wick.

Delivered 5 September 1952 1957 – sold to Western Canadian S.S. Co., Vancouver as Lake Burnaby 3 November 1958 – stranded on Bancorran Reef, Philippines – total loss.

Transferred to Elenmaris Corp. Piraeus as Eleni M Built by Bartram, Sunderland (launched 1 September 1928) Maiden voyage to Cardiff-Santos (coal) – Rosario – Buenos Aires – Avonmouth (grain and wheat).

Built as Nailsea Moor for Nailsea S.S. Co. by Bartram of Sunderland 11 June 1949 – Bought and renamed Llanwern 21 September 1957 – Sold to Inui Kisen Kabushlui of Kobe, Japan as Kenkon Maru 1961 – resold as Fujisan Maru (to become fish factory) Built by Bartram, Sunderland (launched 19 July 1962) Renamed Captain Michael later Agios Penteleimon.

[29] Built by Craig Taylor & Co. Ltd. Stockton-on-Tees 11 August 1918 – torpedoed and sunk by U-156 145 nautical miles (269 km) southwest by south of Nantucket.

Chartered 1921–1933 ex Silloth Trader (1980), ex Rosemary D. (1974), ex Valerie B (1973), ex Sarsfield (1970), ex Edgefield (1965), ex Spolesto (1956) Built by Noord Nederlandse Scheepswerven N.V., Groningen Bought by ETR from Gillie & Blair Ltd. (Stag Line).

ex Bea (1980), ex Hattstedt (1974), ex Henriette (1972), ex Tilly (1969) Built by NV Bodewes Schps., Martenshoek, Netherlands Bought from Baltic Schooner Association, Cayman Islands June 1980.

Works, Ashtabula, Oregon, USA Norwegian vessel owned by A/S Malmfart Chartered from the MoWT 1941–46 Built by Craig, Taylor & Co., Stockton-on-Tees.

Built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Co of Jarrow Sunk 12 July 1901 after collision with Romney off Europa Point, Straits of Gibraltar on a voyage from Penarth to Derindje.

[33] Built by Richardson, Duck & Co, Thornaby-on-Tees for £35,556 On 7 November 1910 she was lost at Tolpedu off Polperro, Cornwall, while on voyage in ballast from Rotterdam to Barry.