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Painting of the New Passage Ferry Boat CHRISTOPHER THOMAS. The small steamer at right is the other ferry on the service RELIEF. Signed and dated bottom right. Stuck onto paper mount with inscription.

CHRISTOPHER THOMAS (official number 45723). Built by Henderson, Coulborn and Co. of Renfrew in 1864 for the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway, and was named after a prominent Bristol soap manufacturer who was the chairman of the company. The ‘Union’ company, as it was known, had a railway running from Bristol Temple Meads to New Passage, where (until the Severn Tunnel opened) a ferry ran across the Severn to Portskewett. It also had a short branch from Portskewett to a junction with the main line from Gloucester to South Wales. The Christopher Thomas was one of three paddle ferries that provided the connecting service between the two lengths of railway, and gave sterling service for over twenty years until the Severn Tunnel was opened in 1888. Thereafter she was bought by W.S. Ogden of Cardiff (reportedly a Timber Merchant) who re-engined her and ran her as a coaster trading between Bristol Channel Ports and ports in West Wales and Northern Ireland until sold again to trade in West Africa leaving the UK in January 1895. She ended her days on a river in West Africa in 1902. Cafodd y Christopher Thomas ei hadeiladu gan Henderson, Coulborn & Co., Renfrew, ym 1864 ar gyfer cwmni rheilffordd Bristol and South Wales Union. Cafodd ei henwi ar ôl gweithgynhyrchwr sebon amlwg o Fryste, cadeirydd y cwmni. Roedd gan gwmni'r 'Union', fel y'i gelwir, reilffordd o Bristol Temple Meads i New Passage, lle'r oedd fferi yn hwylio ar draw Môr Hafren i Borth Sgiwed; roedd cangen fechan o'r rheilffordd hefyd yn ymestyn o Borth Sgiwed i'r gyffordd â'r brif lein rhwng Caerloyw a de Cymru. Roedd y Christopher Thomas yn un o dair fferi rhodlo a oedd yn darparu gwasanaeth cyswllt rhwng dau ddarn o'r rheilffordd, a darparodd wasanaeth heb ei ail am ugain mlynedd a mwy tan 1888 pan agorodd Twnnel Hafren. Daeth i ddiwedd ei hoes ar afon yng Ngorllewin Affrica ym 1902.