The Darent was a 1,008 grt iron cargo ship built as yard number 41 (official number 72128) by Thomas Turnbull & Son, Whitby at their Whitehall yard and launched on 20th February 1875. She was 225.0 x 30.1 x 17.0 feet and had a single screw powered by a 99hp compound engine. The yard was capable of building vessels up to a dead weight of 5,000 tons, but had to limit the beam to a maximum of 44 feet due to a width restriction at Whitby bridge. Most ships were towed to the Tees for the installation of their engines and by 1914 Blairs of Stockton had supplied 103 of 114 engines to Thomas Turnbull & Son – one of which was supplied and fitted to the Darent.
She remained owned by the Turnbull family for some time, initially part of their Whitby fleet until 1895 when she was transferred to their Cardiff fleet (with the owners shown as Turnbull Bros). In 1897 she was sold to Halfdan Kuhnle, Bergen and renamed “Dovre”.
In March 1900 the Glasgow steamer, Cuvier, was run down and sunk with a loss of 27 lives. On the 10th March entered the port of Dieppe having brought a cargo of coal from Burntisland, Scotland. Her forepart was completely smashed and experts stated that it was only the strength of her fore watertight compartment and the calm sea that prevented her foundering. The Captain’s statement regarding the time, location and class of vessel involved in the collision left little doubt that the Dovre had been responsible. The Cuvier surviors stated no attempt was made to stand by or assist them whilst the Captain of the Dovre stated he saw nothing of the other vessel following the collision and lay to for 2 1/2 hours without finding anything.
On the 16th January 1913 whilst voyaging from Grangemouth to Bergen with a cargo of 1,300 tons of coal under Captain Knudson she was stranded at the entrance to Aith Voe, Bressa – reportedly after her cargo shifted. All her crew were saved.
