George of Gloster
George of Gloster
George in Bristol 1949
George of Gloster
L to R Jonadab - George of Gloster - Willie post 1962
Specification
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George of Gloster |
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LPB identification number 12 |
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Source |
(GF)(GRO)(GM)(LPB)(JT)(DB)(CG) |
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Name |
P.O.R |
Description |
Dates |
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George of Gloucester
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Gloucester 3/39 |
Wd. Tw |
1839 – 1959 |
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Official number 11638 |
Code |
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Builders: - Gloucester - Edward Hipwood |
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Dimensions (1839) |
Length 66.5ft |
Breadth 14ft |
Depth 4.9ft |
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Tonnage – (1839) Gross 73.86ton Net B.D |
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Engines None |
By N/A |
H.P. N/A |
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Beached date |
Oct 1959 Beached at Lydney |
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Fate |
Broken up and record closed MNL Supp Oct 1959 |
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Miscellaneous |
Notes |
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First Owners |
26.2.39 (64) T. S. Richardson (John Withers) George Brown, Gloucester |
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Changes |
19.4.39 (64) County of Gloucester Bank & George Brown(mgr) |
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Historic overview
Sturdily built of Forest of Dean oak, in 1926 at Monks Meadow, Gloucester, by J. M. Barnard, the Dursley joined the fleet of the city’s premier stevedore George Thomas Beard who began his domination of the region’s lighterage operations in 1910. Sadly, so it seems, at the peak of his fortunes G.T. Beard died prematurely in 1927, after falling down stairs at his Southgate Street home.
As a result, the successful company changed hands to his two sons, who sensibly continued to employ John Cooke, their father’s former trusted employee, as barge manager and to handle affairs. The following years proved so successful that in 1947 John took a chance and bought the business, which he duly handed over to his younger brother Benjamin Cooke (later to become Lord Mayor of Gloucester, c1957). Despite the change in family ownership the Cooke brothers retained and continued to use the company name G. T. Beard (1929) Ltd.
Business, though brisk, sadly, hit hard times and eventually, in 1955, G T Beard went into liquidation. At this time the company’s aged fleet was either broken up or sold and several of the company’s lighters were destined to be abandoned at Purton and Lydney. This, however, was not to be the fate of the relatively young Dursley and she was purchased and absorbed into the then successful Bristol lighterage company, Fred Ashmead & Son, via his surviving sibling, Hubert, which became Ashmead & Sons Ltd. of High Elms, Stoke Park Rd, Bristol.
In light of this apparent reprieve, the Dursley was promptly put to work supplying wood pulp to a Bristol packaging giant at St Annes Board Mills. Sadly, this was but a stay of execution and the Dursley once again lay redundant, partly due to the factory changing to oil fired furnaces in 1961 and partly to the use of cheaper and more efficient road networks.
As a result, she made her final trip into the turbid waters of the Severn some time during 1963 and on up to her final resting place to rejoin so many old friends.
Louis Paul Barnett 2019
Confusion! Why?…. because once again two vessels of the same name lay on the foreshore, one north of the entrance in the gridiron collection (George of Bristol 11728) and the other (George of Gloucester 11638) on the foreshore south of the entrance. Ironically both beached twenty years part and for completely different purposes, namely 11728 to harvest her timbers and 11638, to add her strength to protect the crumbling bank.Strangely the younger of the two 11638 was the latter to be beached and was 120 year old by the time her final demise arrived, despite sever mishaps the old girl made it to the Lydney foreshore and continued to offer her strength until her remains were eventually broken up for firewood, with the remainder being lifted on an incoming tide and lost tothe waters of the Severn. We wait to see if she reappears.
Recorded in 1930 Mercantile List
DB adv George still extant 1945
Recorded in 1950 Mercantile List
No seen in aerial photo looking north 1957
Lydney (CG 1959)
Seen in GF images afloat in Bristol 7.09.59
GM adv sank at Moorings 1960 (Incorrect *LPB)
(CH 1961)
Seen in NR photo of 1960s
Seen in photo c.1962
Seen in NA photo of 1967 – port side washed out and missing
Historic images
Lydney Hulks 1960's
N. Rumbol collection
George of Gloster ancillary information
Doug Bennett
Name George
Official No 11638
Built 1839 Gloucester
Net Reg tons 64
Signal Hoist – none
Still registered 1945
1881 Census
1881 census states Mater Joseph Petham, OD Joseph Edmond Petham, ABs Rubin Brownjohn of Epney and Charles Brown of Awre (BW)
Gordon Mote
Name George
Official No 11638
Built 1839 Gloucester
Owner A W White, Saul
Port of Reg Gloucester
Net Reg tons 64
Fate Sank at Moorings – A Severn Trow
Graham Farr
Name P.O.R Description Dates
George Gloucester 3/39 Wd Tw. 1839 1959
Gloucester 1/42 Wd Tw.
Gloucester 9/47 Wd bge.
Gloucester 27/87 Wd Tw. open
Nov 1904 2m K
Gloucester 2/54 bge
Dimensions (1839) L. 66.5 B. 14 D. 4.9 Tonnage – (1839) G 7386 N. 421044 B.D
94 3500
(1842) L. 66.5 B. 14 D. 4.9. Tonnage – (1842) G 7386 N. 421044 B.D
94 3500
(1847) L. 66.5 B. 14 D. 4.9. Tonnage – (1847) G 7386 N. 421044 B.D
94 3500
(1887) L. 75.1 B. 17.1 D. 6.65. Tonnage – (1887) G N 63.5 inc box 4.44
Builders Builders, Edward Hipwood
Engines By
H.P.
Miscellaneous
O.N.11638 Code
First Owners 26.2.39 (64) T. S. Richardson (John Withers) George Brown, Gloucester
Changes 19.4.39 (64) County of Gloucester Bank & George Brown(mgr)
11.12.41 (64) Hayden Southan jr, Gloucester & William Henry Evans, Bristol
R/A 1/42
4.1.42 John Dobson (John Withers. Bristol 26.11.42, Luke Cross. 16.8.45, John Withers) (32) Hayden Southan jr & (32) William Henry Evans Bristol
14.4.47 (32) George Williams Framilode (32) James White, Saul
R/A 9/47
4.5.47 George Swainson(George Warren. 25.7.48, Caleb Rowles. 27.2.49, George Morgan. 6.7.49, William White) (32) George Williams, Framilode, (32) James White, Saul
10.6.48 (32) Giles Sims, Saul (32) James White, Saul
22.9.55 (32) William White, Saul (65 68 73 75 76 81 86 87), (32) Giles Sims, Saul
23.3.58 (32) Hannah Sims (w), Saul, (32) William White, Saul (65 68 73 75 76 81 86 87)
21.11.65 (64) William White, Saul (65 68 73 75 76 81 86 87)
1887 R/A
21.11.87(64) William White, Saul (65 68 73 75 76 81 86 87)
6.4.89 (64) Arthur William White, Saul (92 13)
22.1.12.14 (64) Arthur Stanley White, Saul
20.4.14 (32) William Dennis White Saul, (32) Arthur Stanley White, Saul
29.6.19 (32) Herbert Samual Colbourn, Bristol (34 36), (32)Gilbert Ernest Silvey Westbury on Trym
12.2.34 (32) Sylvia Packer Silvey, Westbury on Trym
23.1.54 (64) Thomas Silvey Ltd., Bristol (55)
Photographs in Coll taken 20.4.49
Lloyds Class
Fate
Broken up and record closed MNL Supp Oct 1959
Oct 1959 Beached at Lydney
R.C. 23.10.59 Glos Reg
GM adv sank at Moorings 1960 (LPB)
Notes
Glos 3/26.2.39 half decks, 2,Tw,topping sq,cl – – wd
Glos 1/4.1.42 f&a, 2,Tw,topping sq,cl – – wd
Glos 9/4.5.47 f&a, 2,bge topping sq,cl – – wd
Glos 27/21/11/87 f&a, 2,Tw, sq,cvl – – wd
Graham Farr via Robin Craig Archive
Photos
George (1839 Glos Wd bgeex tw)
- At Railway Wharf 20.4.1949
- Bow view Counterslip Wharf 7.9.59 (sm)
Safety with George in Bristol 13.07.59
Gloucester Records Office
D4292/1/9 D/08
George
11638 Glos 1829 unknown Close 1954
D4292/1/9 D/08
George (29)
11638 closed 19.3.54, Ernest Silvey.
D4292/1/10
George (10)
11638 Gloucester 1839 unknown certificates cancelled and registry closed 23.10.1959 Ship BU advice received from owners
D2195
The George (appearing under Sims & Hart at various times) is still to be seen in the bank at Lydney Pill, west of the dock, she loaded 80 tons.
Mercantil Navy List 1930
Name George
Port of Reg Gloucester
Official No 11638
Built Gloucester 1839
Rig Ketch
Reg tonnage 64 ton
Owners Herbert S Colbourn, 86 Downend Road, Fishponds, Bristol
Mercantil Navy List 1950
Name George
Port of Reg Gloucester
Official No 11638
Built Gloucester 1839
Rig Ketch
Reg tonnage 64 ton
Owners Herbert S Colbourn, 86 Downend Road, Fishponds, Bristol
Nibley Photo via paper report
???? 07717707193 (aged 55 ???) knew the site 1955/56 as a child and considers the photo taken 1960 -65
Further advised of Harbour Masters being Mr Turner & Mr Steary
Vessels identified are Johnadab, George, and Sneed
Started work 1966 and thus visited site less frequently
John Taylor
Dear Paul,
I have made a similar enquiry through the Friends of Purton website so if they both end up in your lap, please forgive me.
I have an ancestor, George Taylor, born c1794, died 7th March 1869. I have a copy of his will.
At his death he owned 12 residential properties in Purton and a sloop called the “George”.
My friend Janet Presley tells me that, according to Colin Green in “Severn Traders”, an open moulded(?) trow with a sloop rig called the “George” was beached at Lydney in 1959. She was built by Hipwood at Gloucester in 1839. There is a photo of her carrying coal at Wapping Wharf (? Bristol). She was apparantly owned by someone in Saul for most of the 19th Century. Saul could, of course, have been a place of business for my George Taylor. Was this “George” the one in my great, great, great grandfather’s will? I note from another source, originating with you, that her owner in 1912 was Arthur William White of Saul, so perhaps he didn’t own her between 1839 and 1869. George Taylor left her to his son, James Taylor.
Can you help me, either directly or by telling me where to look, to fill in any more detail about the “George” or to establish a definite link with my great, great, great grandfather? For example, who paid for her building? Who owned her between 1839 and 1869? Who was shipping coal to or from Saul in the period in question?
Thanking you in anticipation of your willingness and ability to help.
John Taylor