John has always been keen on recording the history of working boats and he sent me a list of his findings after several years of research. I thought that this would be of interest, particularly to those who remember those sunken maintenance boats along the Macclesfield Canal and at Marple and Whaley Bridge.
Black Wharf (formerly Marple wharf). The view is looking north east from Posset bridge and it is dated 1851. Lock 12 is on the left and the small building to the right of it is a forge. The larger building behind it is lockhouse. The houses on the right are on Oldknow Road. This is probably the oldest photograph of the Peak Forest Canal.
Maintenance of the Company's boats was undertaken at Gorton dock which was located on the Stockport Branch of the Ashton Canal close to the junction with the main line. This photograph shows the entrance to the dock and maintenance yard in 1950.
Inside the drydock at Gorton c1950. A motor maintenance boat undergoing a major refit is the ex Fellows Morton and Clayton former steamer President. The boat was acquired by the Docks and Inland Waterways Executive from the carrying firm of George & Matthews of Wolverhampton in lieu of unpaid tolls.
| Date New | Fleet No. | Boat Name | Registration | Notes (location details relate to 1890) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/1853 | 1 | Fanny | M/cr 434 | Bank Boat - Dukinfield/Hyde |
| 12/1853 | 2 | Lucy | M/cr 334 | Under repair 1890, Bank Boat - Poynton/Dukinfield, Worn out 4/33, Sunk 10/37, Broken up |
| 4/1854 | 3 | Josephine | M/cr 406 | Bank Boat - Bugsworth/Marple, Broken up by 7/29 |
| (Built) 7/1854 | 4 | Maria | M/cr 316 | At Crusher - Bugsworth. According to the boat book the original Maria was replaced in 1915 by a new boat built at Jinks' yard at Marple. |
| 11/1854 | 5 | Sophia | M/cr 380 | Goods Boat - Manchester to Bugsworth (later paint boat at Gorton Yard), Worn out 4/33 |
| 3/1855 | 6 | Margaret | M/cr 524 | Goods Boat - Manchester/Bollington, Broken up |
| 7/1855 | 7 | Jane | M/cr 433 | Bank Boat - Stockport Canal, Broken up 12/28 |
| 8 | Ernest | Goods Boat - Bugsworth/Whaley Bridge, replaced by Mary in 1891 | ||
| 6/1891 | 8 | Mary | Goods Boat - Bugsworth/Whaley Bridge, replaced by Ernest in 1891 and sold to J Potts 1893 | |
| 6/1856 | 9 | Emma | M/cr 459 | Bank Boat - Dukinfield/Hyde, Worn out 4/33, Sunk 10/37 |
| 11/1856 | 10 | Annie | M/cr 498 | Goods Boat - Manchester/Bugsworth, Broken up 5/03 |
| 6/1857 | 11 | Violet | Bank Boat - Peak Forest Canal (later to Gorton), Still in existence 6/46 | |
| 11/1857 | 12 | Ellen | M/cr 457 | Goods Boat, Broken up June 1888 |
| 8/1890 | 12 | Lizzie | M/cr 457 | Goods Boat - New Mills, Replaced Ellen |
| 3/1858 | 13 | Polly | M/cr 561 | Goods Boat - Manchester, Sold to J Potts 1894 |
| 8/1858 | 14 | Kate | M/cr 418 | Dredger - Bugsworth (later Bank Boat- Macclesfield), Sunk 10/37, remains still at Marple Locks 1973 |
| 11/1858 | 15 | Flora | M/cr 463 | Bank Boat - Ashton Canal, Shortened to 58ft 1/1896, Still in existence 10/44 |
| 4/1859 | 16 | Lillie | M/cr 478 | Dredger - Ashton Canal & Stockport Canal, Sunk /29 |
| 11/1859 | 17 | Rose | M/cr 353 | Goods Boat - Manchester/Stockport/Hyde, Poor /36, Sunk 6/43 |
| 5/1860 | 18 | Agnes | M/cr 429 | Stone Boat - Bugsworth, Worn out 4/33, Sunk Bosley 10/37 |
| 43 | Bessie | Bank Boat - Waterhouses (may have been replaced by Nellie) | ||
| (Built) 12/1864 | 43 | Nellie | M/cr 118 | Bank Boat - Waterhouses, Short boat for Waterhouses & Hollinwood Canal, In service by /92, Broken up by 7/29 |
| 10/1864 | 19 | Ethel | M/cr 554 | Goods Boat - Manchester/Bugsworth, Broken up by 7/29 |
| 3/1866 | 20 | Archibald | M/cr 653 | Stone Boat - Bugsworth, Broken up by 7/29 |
| 10/1866 | 21 | George | M/cr 522 | Bank Boat - Gorton Yard, Still in existence 10/44 |
| (Built) 12/1869 | 40 | Lilly | M/cr 428 | Stone Boat - Bugsworth, Broken up 1898 |
| 5/1870 | 22 | Charles | M/cr 430 | Stone Boat - Bugsworth, Still in existence /00 |
| 8/1870 | 23 | Saturn | M/cr 427 | Stone Boat - Bugsworth, Still in existence /29 |
| 2/1871 | 24 | Triton | M/cr 421 | Stone Boat, Bugsworth, Still in existence /09 |
| 3/1875 | 25 | Atlas | M/cr 449 | Goods Boat - Manchester Stockport/Hyde, Still in existence /07 |
| 6/1875 | 26 | Venus | M/cr 450 | Goods Boat - Manchester/Marple, Still in existence 10/44 |
| 38 | Ruby | Ex Anderton Co 4/1876, sunk on Macclesfield canal 1/1890, Broken up 1894 | ||
| 39 | Pearl | M/cr 445 | Ex Anderton Co 4/1876, Bank Boat - Congleton, Broken up 1893 | |
| 6/1876 | 27 | Eagle | M/cr 422 | Stone Boat - Bugsworth, Bad 6/43 |
| 2/1877 | 28 | Mars | M/cr 417 | Goods Boat - Manchester, Still in existence /09 |
| 7/1877 | 29 | Ariel | M/cr 346 | Goods Boat - Manchester & Marple, Sold to 'Brown' Manchester |
| 12/1880 | 30 | Star | M/cr 491 | Goods Boat - Manchester & Macclesfield, Still in existence /36 |
| 12/1881 | 31 | Dove | M/cr 521 | Goods Boat - Manchester & Macclesfield, BW - RB31 Nwn, Destroyed in fire at Portland Basin 1972 |
| 7/1882 | 32 | Hawk | M/cr 537 | Goods Boat - Manchester & Bugsworth, Sold to 'Gorman' Manchester |
| 3/1883 | 33 | Sarah | M/cr 546 | Goods Boat - Manchester & Macclesfield, Sold to 'Gorman' Manchester |
| 2/1884 | 34 | Alice | M/cr 552 | Goods Boat - Manchester & Marple, Lodge boat 5/1898, Still in existence /29 |
| 42 | Jenny Lind | Bank Boat - Ashton Canal, Repaired /1885, Still in existence /11 | ||
| 8/1886 | 35 | Nymph | M/cr 608 | Goods Boat - Manchester & Marple, To A Wood, Sowerby Bridge |
| 11/1886 | 36 | Ceres | M/cr 616 | Goods Boat - Manchester & Macclesfield, To A Wood, Sowerby Bridge after 4/1891 |
| 1/1888 | 37 | Ajax | M/cr 628 | Goods Boat - Manchester & Bugsworth, To Abraham Hartley, Hollinwood 12/1897 |
| 4/1889 | Intrepid | Survey Boat - Fairfield, still in existence 10/44 | ||
| 40 | Centaur | Broken up | ||
| 41 | Juno | Bank Boat - Macclesfield Canal, Broken up 1892 | ||
| (Built) 6/1891 | Ernest | |||
| (Built) 1911 |
8 |
Mary | Ex Buxton Lime Co, converted to hand dredger /43. Believed burnt at Gorton 1963 | |
| (Built) 1917 | Joseph | Ex Buxton Lime Co by /24, rebuilt to steam dredger 1924. Still in existence /52 | ||
| (Built) 1917 | Betty | Ex Buxton Lime Co by /24. Broken up and burned late 1960's below lock 6 at Bosley | ||
| (Built) 1918 | 9 | Joel | Ex Buxton Lime Co by /26, Rebuilt to Motor Boat /29, Broken up after 8/48 | |
| (Built) 1901-5 | Trojan | Ex Anderton Co by 4/33. BW - RB46 Nwn, Broken up 1975 | ||
| (Built) 1901-5 | Tyrian | Ex Anderton Co by 4/33, Hand dredge boat | ||
| (Built) 1901-5 | Medic | Ex Anderton Co by /36, BW - RB16 Nwn, To PFCS/ACC 1972 | ||
| (Built) 1901-5 | Istrian | Ex Anderton Co by /36, BW - RB19 Nwn, | ||
| (Built) 1901-5 | Scotia | Motor 18hp, Ex Anderton Co by /36, sunk in Whatcroft Flash and now in 2 pieces at Runcorn | ||
| c1915 | Agnes | Built Jinks, Hand dredger, Still in existence 10/44 | ||
| c1915 | Alice | Built Jinks, Hand dredger, Still in existence 10/44 | ||
| 1915 | Maria | Built at Jinks' Marple, cost £155. This is the boat that remains in existence | ||
| 35 | Henry | By 10/37, Broken up and burned below lock 6 at Bosley 1960's | ||
| Cecil | By 10/37, Still in existence 10/44 | |||
| Martha | From Runcorn by 5/44, Still in existence 5/48 | |||
| Jane | From Runcorn by 10/44, Still in existence 8/52 | |||
| 8/1948 | 9 | Joel | BW - CS/9/Nwn, Motor Boat, to PFCS/ACC 1972 | |
| President | By /48, Motor Boat, BW - CS/15/Nwn | |||
| Wanderer | By /48, Motor Boat | |||
| Scythia | By /61, Weedcutter, BW - WC/2/Nwn |
Istrian or Tyrian was sunk at Macclesfield Bridge 41 by 6/65, gone by /68
There were also seven Ice Boats in 1890 allocated as under:
Stockport Canal
Bardsley Canal
Peak Forest Canal bottom level
Peak Forest Canal top level
Peak Forest Canal Bugsworth
Macclesfield Canal Bollington
Macclesfield Canal Bosley/Congleton
The original Joel in Lock 17 Ashton Canal, 1936
These were all wooden boats except for President, Scythia and possibly Wanderer, many lasted until well after the Second World War and yet few photographs survive. If you have any old photographs of maintenance boats on the Macclesfield and adjacent canals I would be very grateful to receive copies or the opportunity to make copies.
Scotia with Sunday School party at Bollington on the Macclesfield Canal
Medic at Dukinfield 5-3-1972 Photo: Harold Bode via Alan Kick
Can anyone add to this information? I would welcome any further details that you may be able to supply on any maintenance boat on the Ashton, Peak and Macclesfield canals or the history of traffic and trade on these waterways. If you can help please let me know.
© David Kitching 2022
Last updated 22.2.2022