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30. The Prince of Wales opens the East Dock
[ Reading about the Port of Swansea ] [ Swansea Harbour in 1771 ] [ Swansea's South Dock (c.1870s) ] [ Swansea's South Dock (c. 1880s) ] [ Swansea Docks in 1881 ] [ Brunel's report for Swansea Docks 1846 ] [ 2. Charter of William de Newburgh ] [ 6. A Royal Charter ] [ 9. Trade In The Early Port ] [ 10. A port Indenture of 1135 ] [ 11. Salt A vital commodity ] [ 12. Swansea's Layer Keeper ] [ 12a. Early Quays and Docks ] [ 14. The Uncrowned King Of Swansea ] [ 15. Swansea in the 1790s ] [ 16. After Gabriel ] [ 17. 1790s Swansea;The Time For Change ] [ More about Swansea in the 1790s ] [ 17a. Smuggling in Swansea and Gower ] [ 18. The Harbour Act and the Mumbles Lighthouse ] [ 19. Port Tennant ] [ Port Tennant in 1827 ] [ 20. port Development. A Chronology ] [ 21. The South Wales ports ] [ 22. Joseph Rutter's pamphlet of 1843 ] [ 25. Thomas Page's report of 1846. ] [ 27. John Henry Vivian ] [ 29. The East Dock ] [ 30. The Prince of Wales opens the East Dock ] [ The Helwick Lightvessel ] [ Jack's World: Swansea North Dock in the 1880s ] [ James Harris Seascape Painter ] [ Mr Padley of Swansea ] [ Plan of the Prince of Wales Dock ] [ Who put the 'Sweyn' in Swansea? ] [ Swansea's first tugs ] [ The Victorian port of Swansea ]
| Extract from the Prince of Wales’
speech at the opening of the Prince of Wales Dock 18 October 1881
"It has long been the wish of the Princess and myself to have
some public occasion to visit the Principality from which we are so
proud to bear our title. We are particularly glad that this, the first
visit to South Wales, should be the occasion of opening your magnificent
docks at Swansea. We are not likely to forget the kind and hearty
reception which we have met with ever since our arrival in Wales And I
congratulate all who have taken part in the arrangements, and we also
congratulate ourselves, on the day of opening being so fine after the
fearful storm which raged here only a few days ago. Thirty years ago.
Swansea comparatively was a small town, but it has increased of late
enormously. Thirty years ago it was only a town of some 30,000
inhabitants, now it is a town of a hundred thousand. You then had no
docks. You had no good harbour or, being a tidal one, large ships did
not care to visit you." |
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| "Now in addition to
the docks which you already had, you have the enormous dock which we
have opened today, and which has been constructed in such a marvellously
short space of time. It is only little more than two years they have
been in building, and in three years again they will be filled with as
large ships as any country need to bring into any dock. I feel sure that
the prosperity of your town is steadily increasing, and I hope it will
continue to do so in accordance with the motto which I now see before me—’
By industry we flourish.’ It is a short motto, but there is a good
deal of meaning in it. There are a great many statistics I might give
you, but with which I will not now weary you. I can only assure you that
it affords us real pleasure to come to Swansea, and take part in the
inauguration day. In conclusion, let me drink prosperity to the Swansea
Harbour Trustees, coupled with the name of its chairman, Mr. F. A. Yeo,
and in proposing this toast, I also think it right to mention the name
of a gentleman who has been so long associated with your harbour, I mean
Mr. Abernethy, who has the honour to be the president of the Association
of Civil Engineers". |
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| Above: The procession passes the Old Guildhall (now
the Dylan Thomas Centre) on 18 October 1881. |
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