Harry Neal Windlass

[Alison Hunt]

Hello folks, I have just discovered a family link to Harry Neal of Spon Lane and would love to have one of his windlasses.  Any ideas where I can get an original one?

 

thanks

 

[Mike Hurley]

Type Harry Neal into the search bar, top right corner, many posts from years ago about his windlasses.

[Annie cariad]

Anyone got a picture they could post please 

[dave moore]

I know of only 3 folk with Neal windlasses, all of us long term boater’s who prize stuff from working days. I’ve had mine since the 60s and I suspect that the other owners are in a similar situation. I’m not looking to sell at the moment....good luck with the search!

[Ray T]

8 minutes ago, Annie cariad said:

Anyone got a picture they could post please 

 

I think the photo is courtesy of "Magnetman."

 

Edited June 23, 2023 by Ray T

[magnetman]

It was someone else who posted that image. 

 

Hen's teeth come to mind..

 

 

I think it might have been someone with the user name 'fittie' who put that picture up. 

[___]

9 hours ago, dave moore said:

I know of only 3 folk with Neal windlasses, all of us long term boater’s who prize stuff from working days. I’ve had mine since the 60s and I suspect that the other owners are in a similar situation. I’m not looking to sell at the moment....good luck with the search!

I’ve got one Dave, so you can add me to your list if I’m not already on it.

 

Albeit the markings are different from the one pictured above. Mine just says ‘NEAL’. I mean, anyone could stamp one 😲. It does look the same though. I don’t have it about me at the moment so I can’t post a full picture but I’m sure there is one elsewhere on the forum as suggested.

 

And as a direct Neal descendant I must be a relative of @Alison Hunt

Edited June 23, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[dave moore]

Thanks for that. You are the 4th in that case. I’ll add to the list! Decent windlasses are a thing of the past, these days, Duntons excepted.

[Annie cariad]

What's a Dutton's windlass any one could please post a picture 

[magnetman]

Google "Dunton double"

 

I spotted this one in a lock on the Hanwell flight a number of yars ago when the water was very clear and hoicked it out with the long shaft.

 

Needless to say it has been gathering dust as I find them far too light. 

 

Dunton double aluminium windlass

 

 

For a number of reasons I have quite a lot of interesting windlasses aboard the boats which no longer get used. 

 

 

 

 

[IanD]

16 hours ago, Annie cariad said:

What's a Dutton's windlass any one could please post a picture 

Here are two Duntons and a longer Dunton+...

[Alison Hunt]

thanks for the info guys.

This photo is of Harry and his mother at Spon Lane. - not my photo it belongs to Gayekidson who is also a relation.  My link it by marriage through Clara his sister.  Gayekidson is linked through MaryAnn another sister.

 

[Tom Morgan]

Pardon my ignorance - is this Spon Lane, West Bromwich?

[Alison Hunt]

Yes that’s it 

Spon lane locks on the BCN Main line at oldbury / west Brom

 the Neal family lived there 

[Tom Morgan]

Thanks, Alison!

[___]

On a parallel thread I believe @dave moore suggested he would attempt to get some sort of timeline on the production of Neal windlasses.

 

Harry Neal pictured above was born c.1868 and although I don't know when he died he certainly lived into his 70s as he appears on the 1939 England & Wales Register. He is only ever listed as a boatman in records I have seen.

 

I also note I've corresponded briefly with @Alison Hunt elsewhere but in relation to boating folk other than the Neal family. The Neal's at Spon Lane (Harry's father William was toll collector and lock-keeper at Bromford and Spon Lane) were one branch of a much larger family that originally came to the canals at Banbury having been agricultural workers on the Oxfordshire/Northamptonshire border around Banbury.

 

The family rented what is now Tooley's boaytyard from the OCC before the Tooley family and the Hendley boatbuilding family of Heath Town and Bilston are also Neal's on the maternal side through links to that yard. Although there were lots of Neal boatpeople in the family some of the better known members of the family in terms of boating history bear the names Grantham (including Bill and Doris, Mrs Jim Collins), Littlemore (Alice, Mrs Sam Lomas), Garrett and Lapworth.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[Alison Hunt]

Can anyone explain why the Neal windlass was special? design, material ? 
thanks 

[magnetman]

It was just a normal hand forged wrought iron windlass.  Good quality.

The thing is that a lot of windlasses were produced but many did not have any makers mark. 

 

Therefore after such a long time to be able to trace a piece of iron back to who made it gives it extra appeal. I have a forged iron windlass which looks identical to a Neal windlass but has no markings so it is impossible to say who made it.