Following the foundering of ‘Ceres’ off Baggy Point in 1936, my grandfather’s firm bought ‘Traly’, built in 1912 for the Irish trade, as a replacement. She traded mainly coal from Lydney and Cardiff for domestic use and also the gas works. Outward bound cargoes were often grain. However, road and rail transport led to a tailing off of work for the Westcountry ketches and she was sold in 1958. She went to Denmark where she conducted general trade in the Baltic until 1977. Her last days were spent on the Jutland Peninsular in 1991.
These are photographs collected by my grandfather and also some taken by an uncle. I can remember going aboard Traly as a youngster in the fifties.
(Click on image to enlarge)
‘Traly’ towards Bull Point 1955
‘Traly’ in the Baltic 1967
Recently came upon your website after Googling the unlikely combination of ‘ketch’ and ‘gasworks’. Most interested to learn of your family connection with the ketch ‘Traly’ and your reference to the vessel having traded mainly with coal from Lydney and Cardiff. At present I am compiling material for an illustrated book on the local branch line at Lydney which also served many of the Forest of Dean collieries and Lydney Docks. The principal focus of the book will be on the post-WW2 era up to the 1960’s. Consequently, I would be extremely grateful if you could possibly confirm the span of years when Traly was trading out of Lydney, also the principal destinations for its payloads of FoD coal. To date I have only sourced one image of the vessel at a likely destination, namely Ilfracombe, but none of it at Lydney. Hoping you may be able to assist. Many thanks, Bob Marrows.