FMC Butty Sweden

[BD3Bill]

Hello All

 

I am looking for information on the FMC Butty Sweden, fleet no 114.

 

I know that this was paired with FMC Motor Envoy (formerly Steamer Empress) during the 1920's & 1930's

with A. Aldridge as Master.

 

Sweden seems to disappear around the outbreak of WW2.

Envoy ceases to be captained by him and is paired with Dilys (?)

 

My good lady is researching her family history you see.

 

We know for certain her Great Grandfather lived on a boat at Tring summit from verbal family evidence, during

or just after WW2.

 

It would be very easy to jump to the wrong conclusions ! i.e. Alfred Aldridge was given the butty to live on when he retired & this was Sweden and that the missing link in her family tree is him……..

 

Is Sweden still extant? I believe she may have been formerly called Foxton (pre 1922)

 

Many thanks

 

Cheers

 

Bill

 

 

 

 

[Athy]

I seem to recall that when I lived in Derbyshire (left in 2006) Sweden used to moor at Shardlow. She was a motor (from memory) so perhaps not the same boat, or maybe a modern conversion.

[David Mack]

I seem to recall that when I lived in Derbyshire (left in 2006) Sweden used to moor at Shardlow. She was a motor (from memory) so perhaps not the same boat, or maybe a modern conversion.

You're probably thinking of Henry Seddons' Sweden.

http://www.hnbc.org.uk/boats/sweden

[alan_fincher]

I seem to recall that when I lived in Derbyshire (left in 2006) Sweden used to moor at Shardlow. She was a motor (from memory) so perhaps not the same boat, or maybe a modern conversion.

 

That will be a different Sweden, the one I'm sure you are thinking of is very much about.

 

HNBC Linky.

 

EDIT: Pipped to the post by David!

 

EDIT:

 

I'm never sure about quoting from the standard texts, as they often contain errors, but Alan Faulkner's History of FMC shows Sweden as 1906 built, and sold on to Ernest Thomas of Walsall in August 1948.

 

That would seem to disprove any suggestion that FMC passed the butty on to a former boatman as a retirement home - something that sounds unlikely to me that long ago, though I'm always happy to be corrected on such matters of canal history.

Edited October 7, 2014 by alan_fincher

[BD3Bill]

Indeed there is a motor of the same name, built later, but not the same fleet.

 

……beaten to it, many thanks :0)

Edited October 7, 2014 by BD3Bill

[Athy]

Ah, thank you. Sorry for the irrelevance.

[BD3Bill]

Thank you for your interest none the less Athy :0)

[pete harrison]

Hello All

 

I am looking for information on the FMC Butty Sweden, fleet no 114.

 

Is Sweden still extant? I believe she may have been formerly called Foxton (pre 1922)

 

Many thanks

 

Cheers

 

Bill

I can confirm that F.M.C. Ltd. horse boats FOXTON and SWEDEN are two completely different boats, FOXTON 79 being completed in May 1900 and SWEDEN 114 being built completed in March 1906 - although both were built at Saltley, both were iron composite and both had fore cabins.

 

As Mr Fincher has already stated SWEDEN was sold to Ernest Thomas in August 1948, and it was still named as such when re-gauged as B.C.N. 2243 on 04 October 1950 by which time it had lost its back cabin and its running gear had been replaced by a "platform" and "2 partitions".

 

Ernest Thomas purchased several former horse boats from F.M.C. Ltd. during the 1940's with most loosing their original identities shortly after acquisition. It is possible that some part of SWEDEN may still exist as a part of a pleasure boat as there are several pleasure boats made from sections of former F.M.C. Ltd. narrow boats where the older part is currently unidentified.

[BD3Bill]

Very many thanks to Alan Fincher and Pete Harrison for their knowledge.

 

This was information I didn't have and is very helpful indeed.

 

I had not realised Sweden was a Composite boat either.

 

I knew that Envoy ( formerly Empress) had gone to E Thomas, as did Emperor, which then got renamed ( rather norty?)

as Empress and is extant.

 

We can only assume the fates of Envoy and Sweden then. Cut and shut or just cut up…..

 

I can confirm that F.M.C. Ltd. horse boats FOXTON and SWEDEN are two completely different boats, FOXTON 79 being completed in May 1900 and SWEDEN 114 being built completed in March 1906 - although both were built at Saltley, both were iron composite and both had fore cabins.

 

As Mr Fincher has already stated SWEDEN was sold to Ernest Thomas in August 1948, and it was still named as such when re-gauged as B.C.N. 2243 on 04 October 1950 by which time it had lost its back cabin and its running gear had been replaced by a "platform" and "2 partitions".

 

Ernest Thomas purchased several former horse boats from F.M.C. Ltd. during the 1940's with most loosing their original identities shortly after acquisition. It is possible that some part of SWEDEN may still exist as a part of a pleasure boat as there are several pleasure boats made from sections of former F.M.C. Ltd. narrow boats where the older part is currently unidentified.

 

Cheers

Bill

Edited October 7, 2014 by BD3Bill

[archie57]

A question for Pete - were any wooden boats ever built at Saltley or did they just build composite boats there?

[pete harrison]

A question for Pete - were any wooden boats ever built at Saltley or did they just build composite boats there?

Both wooden hulled and iron composite hulled horse boats were built at F.M.C. Ltd. dock at Saltley.

 

In contrast there were no iron composite boats built at F.M.C. Ltd. dock at Uxbridge.

 

F.M.C. Ltd. also operated docks at Fazeley Street, Birmingham and Toll End, Tipton where new boats were constructed.

 

edit - most of the F.M.C. Ltd. Steamer hulls, whether wooden hulled or iron composite were built or reconstructed at Saltley - with the steel hulled Steamers (along with a couple of steel hulled horse boats) built at Fazeley Street. All of the F.M.C. Ltd. wooden hulled motors were built at Uxbridge.

Edited October 7, 2014 by pete harrison

[archie57]

Thanks Pete!