HISTORIC NARROWBOAT: THE KING
Owners: Rebekah and Matt Parrott
Alice Griffin continues her series on historic boats.
BECOMING the owner of a historic boat is not something to be taken lightly, because more than just an owner, you become custodian of a part of history that is to be cared for and preserved.
Rebekah and Matt Parrott know all too well the level of commitment required, having been owners of The King – a 1905 Fellows, Morton & Clayton – since 2014 and before that, joint owners of historic boat Tench.
The King’s story is rich, varied and well worth preserving by the right people. As Rebekah told me: “Myself and Matt have both grown up around narrowboats, historic ones in particular. With my dad a well-known boat builder and Matt’s dad being a lock keeper on the River Trent, boating has always been in our blood.”
Built in 1905 at Fellows, Morton & Clayton’s (perhaps one of the largest and most well-known canal carrying companies) Saltley, Birmingham yard, The King started life as a steam-powered carrying boat (fleet number 103).
These steamers were known as fly-boats – working 24/7 without mooring – and kept mainly to longdistance main-line routes such as Birmingham to London.
Lots of anecdotal history remains about The King during this time, particularly a story about the crew leaving paddles open and draining the locks on the Stoke Bruerne flight! Steam plants, however, took up valuable carrying space on these working boats so alternatives were developed and in 1925 The King was converted to diesel power with a 15hp Bolinder engine.
Complete with new engine, she continued to work for Fellows, Morton & Clayton until July 1947 when she was sold to Ernie Thomas, one-time chairman of Walsall Football Club, who operated a fleet of working narrowboats throughout the Midlands. She was renamed Star and stayed there until 1962 when she was bought privately, converted to a houseboat and renamed again, to Salamander.
The variety of The King’s history has been wonderful to delve into, particularly her journey from working boat to houseboat, which included time spent at the well-known Charity Dock on the Coventry Canal, in 1972. This yard is a historical part of the canals in its own right and I have cruised past myself several times, much to the delight of my daughter, who always enjoys looking at the array of boats and scrap peppered with quirky and fun mannequins.
While there, and now renamed as The King, she received a new wooden full-length cabin, steel bottom, counter replacement, some engine work and, perhaps most interestingly, was painted internally by Jess Owen.
Jess’s painting skills were developed under Frank Nurser while living and working at Braunston for Samuel Barlow’s, after which he worked at Charity Dock, where he stayed until retirement in the late 1970s.
It’s said that many a boatman was particularly proud to have a cabin painted by him and on The King –to this day – the boatman’s cabin retains much of Jess’s original work, as Rebekah confirmed: “The roses and castles remain on the table flap, knife drawer, weatherboard and back cabin doors, among other things.”
Under Rebekah and Matt’s ownership The King has been both lovingly maintained, as well as had her history built upon. Rebekah tells me of their most memorable trips, including an eventful cruise along the Caldon Canal.
“We were on our way to our friend’s wedding at Consall Forge Railway Station when we approached a low bridge in Stoke-on-Trent and found we could not fit through! The deckboard and false cratch all had to be completely dismantled, but luckily we got to the wedding on time!”
Another favourite trip was when they took The King along the tidal Thames to Lechlade in the summer of 2016: “It was early in the morning and we had just left Limehouse Basin. I was stood in the well deck with mine and Matt’s mums filming a passing tug and naive about how much wash it would make. Just as the tug overtook us a huge wave crashed over the gunnels and The King rocked violently — we certainly held on a bit tighter until Teddington!”
For a boat of 115 years old, The King has certainly been cared for with love and attention and I’d say she’s been lucky to have a fair few adventures in that time too. So as Rebekah and Matt pass the honour of her ownership into new hands this year, let’s hope the high level of custodianship continues so that she may remain a shining example on our waterways and enjoy the canals for a long time to come.