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Her Grace the Duchess of Abercorn performed the naming ceremony at the launch, from the North of Ireland Shipbuilding Company’s yard at Londonderry, of the passenger steamer Ville d’Amiens (9,600 tons), which has been built for the Compagnie Havraise Peninsulaire of Paris and Havre during this week in 1924.

Her Grace was accompanied by Lady Katharine Hamilton and Lord Claud David Hamilton, and was attended by Lieutenant Frank Gilliland, RNVR, Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of Northern Ireland.

Her Grace arrived at 10.30 o’clock, a guard of honour being provided by a mixed force of RUC and Special Constabulary, under the command of Mr H Connor, City Commissioner, and District-Inspector Cahill.

Her Grace’s car halted beside the improvised launch platform, where the Duchess and party were received by Mr Trevisa Clarke, managing director of the company, and Monsieur Andre Grosos, the director-general of the French firm.

After the launch a number of guests were entertained by the company to cake and wine in the directors’ room where the Duchess of Abercorn was presented with a set of four George III silver candlesticks, and a handsome two-handled cup and cover of the same period, engraved with the Arms of Abercorn, and also with a beautiful bouquet on behalf of the company by Miss Katherine Clarke.

Mr Trevisa Clarke, in asking the company to drink the health of the Duchess of Abercorn and success to the Ville d'Amiens, expressed the gratitude of the company and the citizens in general to Her Grace for her kindness in coming there to christen the ship.

He said that the Duchess had told him that it the first occasion on which she had christened a ship. He added: “And we cab all agree that she had done it like an old and experienced hand.”

The Duchess thanked the company for drinking her health. She said: “It is a great pleasure for me to to come to Derry on such an occasion.”

Replying to the toast of the owners, M Grosos expressed his gratitude to the builders, and said he looked forward to the building of more ships in Londonderry. He personally thanked the Duchess for having performed the christening ceremony, “in such a successful and graceful manner”, and he said he felt the Ville d'Amiens would be the luckiest ship” that the company ever had.

The Ville d'Amiens was employed Dunkirk, Le Havre, Bordeaux, Lisbon, Marseilles, Port Said, Suez, Aden, Colombo, Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney service. From 1934, Marseilles via Panama New Caledonia. She was a passenger/cargo liner. She was withdrawn from passenger service 1951; sold for breaking 1953.

Duchess of Abercorn names new French passenger steamer (1924)