Identifying families On British Waterways Boats in the 1950s

[alan_fincher]

A bit of a long shot, but if you don't ask, you don't get.

 

A number of scans of excellent colour slides of BW working boats have appeared on Facebook recently, all taken by a photographer called Hardwicke Knight, probably from about 1953 until about 1957, when he emigrated to New Zealand.

 

Whilst it is possible to identify the boats in some of these, (all ex "Grand Union" types), nobody has yet identified any of the boating families on board.

I am aware there is some information about who crewed boats towards the end of carrying, but I am not sure how much evidence exists for the 1950s.

 

Can anybody point us at somewhere that might indicate who was on a certain pair of boats at a certain time please?

 

Obvious pairings that have come up are.....

 

Bletchley & Coughton

Caldy & Stoulton

Southern Cross & Andromeda

[unidentified Yarwoods Motor] + Beverley

 

[archie57]

Any chance of us non-facebook types seeing these?!

[alan_fincher]

Any chance of us non-facebook types seeing these?!

I did wonder that, but not being mine, I don't think I can legitimately "lift" them and put them elsewhere.

 

I'll try some direct links to the Facebook images concerned, which may or may not give you the chance, I'm not sure. Facebook permissions may get in the way, but I'll try!

 

[All photos by Hardwicke Knight, copyright assumed to be owned by Dave Murray - please do not reproduce without permission]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well I can see all of those, but I'm a Facebook user - can non Facebook users see them, please?

Edited October 29, 2014 by alan_fincher

[madcat]

Fantastic photos and very interesting detail of the paint scheme

[alan_fincher]

Fantastic photos and very interesting detail of the paint scheme

Superb, aren't they?

 

How I would love something like this to turn up for our boat!

 

Hard to believe none of the boats shown (of those that have survived!) were yet a quarter of the age they are now. These boats were newer then than "Chalice" is now!

[Paul G2]

Alan - I'm a non-facebook user and I can see the photos fine.

[alan_fincher]

Alan - I'm a non-facebook user and I can see the photos fine.

Thanks that is useful to know, because sometimes if you are a FB user, and make a point of logging out to try to simulate what a non-FB user can (or can't) see, you still get a different result from what a genuine non-FB user might get.

 

I was hoping that because these are just links to JPGs, even though posted in a "non public" group on FB, that they would be visible. It seems they are!

[madcat]

What is so frustrating is that the mystery big Northwich can only be either Halsall 149 or Oakley 159 or Shirley 169 or Thaxstead 179

 

I'm hoping that the pairing and the people will give an identity for this motor , its not likely to be Halsall as the metal cabin was cut off and replaced with a wooden one. No idea when this happened though.

Edited October 29, 2014 by madcat

[rrt2]

Looking at the Yarwoods boats that end in 9 and the shape of the part number that can be seen my money would be on Thaxted

[alan_fincher]

Looking at the Yarwoods boats that end in 9 and the shape of the part number that can be seen my money would be on Thaxted

Or possibly Oakley?

[Laurence Hogg]

What is so frustrating is that the mystery big Northwich can only be either Halsall 149 or Oakley 159 or Shirley 169 or Thaxstead 179

 

I'm hoping that the pairing and the people will give an identity for this motor , its not likely to be Halsall as the metal cabin was cut off and replaced with a wooden one. No idea when this happened though

 

I can confirm this boat is "Thaxted", under some enhancement a clear 7 is present in the gauging number. GU 12671

[jeannette smith harrison]

Alan

Still waiting to hear from a family member ref the family pictures

I can confirm that my Grandad Alan Harrison had Stoulton ( pronounced Stalton in boatman's accent )in 1937 as my Uncle was born on it

as stated on his birth cert .

[Rufford]

Amazing detail in the photo's.

 

I guess it goes to show that we never know what other information/photos of historical interest are about to surface.

 

Does anyone have the colour scheme that is depicted in these photo's?

[cotswoldsman]

You could always check census records I found these a great source when doing a project on canal employment.

just did a quick check on 1911 census and found that famous boatman Tom Fincher from Tring was in Paddington on census day that year hope he was not overstaying!!

[alan_fincher]

Yes but....

The most recent UK census available to the public is 1911, and these pictures are from more than 40 years later.

Whilst Tom Fincher of Tring was recorded on boats in 1881 (Aylesbury Basin) and 1891 (Isleworth), by the 1901 and 1911 censuses he is recorded as living at land based addresses in Paddington. I'm not sure even CRT would try and "do" you for overstaying in a house - but after some recent cases, perhaps that is too big an assumption!

[alan_fincher]

Does anyone have the colour scheme that is depicted in these photo's?

 

I can't immediately think of any "Grand Union" boats that currently have a livery like those pictured here. There may be, but I'm struggling to think which.

 

Obviously a bit different, because it is a Josher that recreated the sunken panelling, rather than flat cabin sides, but I would say ex-FMC "Ling" is broadly in the colours of this period.

 

Edited October 30, 2014 by alan_fincher

[jake_crew]

Fantastic colour rendering, even after 60 years.

 

Must have been taken on Agfa film, though the reds do look rather subdued.

 

Kodak doesn't last so well and fades to all greens and blues.

 

I do like slides.

[Laurence Hogg]

The livery seen in the pictures is the second variant of the Docks & Inland Waterways Executive style, it also had a sub variation where the sides were scalloped and not straight lines. It was refined into the "standard" traffic livery upon BWB being created, a spec exists for this livery and it is the one commonly seen today.

 

As for panelled sides lets not forget that all Harland & Wollf boats had panelling but for some reason it was soon removed in most cases and generally only be seen in early photos.

 

This is the variant:

 

Edited October 30, 2014 by Laurence Hogg

[pete harrison]

A bit of a long shot, but if you don't ask, you don't get.

 

A number of scans of excellent colour slides of BW working boats have appeared on Facebook recently, all taken by a photographer called Hardwicke Knight, probably from about 1953 until about 1957, when he emigrated to New Zealand.

 

Whilst it is possible to identify the boats in some of these, (all ex "Grand Union" types), nobody has yet identified any of the boating families on board.

 

I am aware there is some information about who crewed boats towards the end of carrying, but I am not sure how much evidence exists for the 1950s.

 

Can anybody point us at somewhere that might indicate who was on a certain pair of boats at a certain time please?

 

Obvious pairings that have come up are.....

 

Bletchley & Coughton

Caldy & Stoulton

Southern Cross & Andromeda

[unidentified Yarwoods Motor] + Beverley

 

These photographs may well appear in a forthcoming edition of NarrowBoat magazine, and all of the boat names as well as some of the family names may well be published within the captions.

 

I wonder how I know this

[Ray T]

These photographs may well appear in a forthcoming edition of NarrowBoat magazine, and all of the boat names as well as some of the family names may well be published within the captions.

 

I wonder how I know this

 

Is it cos it's you wot writ it?

Edited October 30, 2014 by Ray T

[alan_fincher]

These photographs may well appear in a forthcoming edition of NarrowBoat magazine, and all of the boat names as well as some of the family names may well be published within the captions.

 

I wonder how I know this

Thanks Pete.

 

I had heard they were likely to be in Narrow Boat, but hadn't heard of any success in naming the personalities.

 

I look forward to seeing the detail.

[pete harrison]

Thanks Pete.

 

I had heard they were likely to be in Narrow Boat, but hadn't heard of any success in naming the personalities.

 

I look forward to seeing the detail.

The only reference, apart from those who recognise the individuals, is period fleet lists - of which I have a few. I am also aware that period Traffic Registers may exist which will also name the 'steerer'.

[Rufford]

I must admit that I brought the recent copy of Narrow Boat and I was under the mistaken impression that I had already read that issue, 3 weeks later I thought what the hell I'll have another leaf through - I was pleasantly surprised to realise it was a different issue!

[Hugh]

I must admit that I brought the recent copy of Narrow Boat and I was under the mistaken impression that I had already read that issue, 3 weeks later I thought what the hell I'll have another leaf through - I was pleasantly surprised to realise it was a different issue!

And it only comes out 4 times a year . . . Yes, they will be in an issue soon, but we probably won't have space until the Spring issue next year

 

Hugh

[IanM]

That reminds me, I better had renew my subscription!