humberpacketboats

Transport on the River Humber and Humber Rivers

River Humber

The 'Humber Keel' was the most common type of vessel plying the larger rivers using a large square sail for propulsion. On the smaller rivers and later the canals propulsion started with man power then horse drawn until steam power came along, but the same low draught keel without the sail or with a mast which could be lowered was used so as to navigate the river with bridges.

River Ouse

The rivers Swale and Ure of North Yorkshire runs south to Boroughbridge thence to Linton where it takes on the name Ouse. Still travelling southward to Nun Monkton the Ouse is joined by the rivers Nidd and then the Foss at York. Passing through the city it runs by Naburn and is joined by the river Wharfe and passes Cawood winding its way to Selby. Thence joined by the river Derwent at Barmby on the Marsh then to Airmyn and the river Aire and finally into the Humber passed Goole at Faxfleet.

River Trent

In 1699 an Act of Parliament concerning the Trent was passed ‘An Act for making and keeping the river Trent in the counties of Leicester, Derby, and Stafford navigable’. The Trent runs from Stoke on Trent, Nottingham, Newark and Gainsborough to Trent Falls and the Humber.

River Aire

The source of the river Aire is near Malham, Settle it travels south to Cold Coniston thence to Skipton, Bingley and Shipley. The Aire then passes the remains of Kirkstall Abbey to Leeds. From Leeds the Aire runs east to Temple Newsam where it joins the Calder near Castleford and passes through Fryston Hall, Ferrybridge, Knottingley, Beal, Haddlesey, Weeland, Snaith, Rawcliffe until it joins the Ouse near the village of Airmyn.

Humber Canals

River Humber

Tide Times.

Link to Hull (Albert Dock) Tide Times

Link to Grimsby Tide Times

Link to Goole Tide Times

Further reading.

'The Yorkshire Ouse'. Baron F. Duckham. Published by David and Charles.

'The Humber Ferries'. Alun A. D'Orly. Publisher by N.V.N.G.R.

'The Aire & Calder Navigation'. Peter L. Smith. Publisher Wakefield Historical Publications.

'Exploring the Yorkshire Ouse'. Alison Waite. Published by Countryside Publishing Ltd.

'Life in the past around Snaith'. Snaith Historical Society.

Phillip's Inland Navigation 1805

The Early History Of Hull Steam Shipping

'The Trade and Shipping of Hull 1500-1700'. Ralph Davis

'The Trade and Shipping of nineteenth century Hull'. Joyce M Bellamy

'The Sailing Ships and Mariners of Knottingley'. Ron Gosney & Rosemary Bowyer

'Planned to Death - The annihilation of a place called Howdendyke'. J.Douglas Porteus

'A History of Transport Through Selby'. David G. Lewis.

Lloyds Registers

'Ferries Across the Humber', by Kirk Martin. ISBN: 9781783831029.

'The Passage over the River Hull. The Story of Wawne Ferry' by Martin Limon. Now available for Kindle download from Amazon.

Special Thanks to

Goole Local Studies Library

Selby Local Studies Library

Thorne Library

Gainsborough Library

Google

Thorne Local History Society

Mr. P. Holford for his invaluable information

British Library

Web Sites worth viewing

Other brilliant sites are : -

This web site is dedicated to

George Beaumont who died whilst serving aboard the Steam Packet 'Queen' in Hull.

George Beaumont who was a Ferryman on the Ouse.

George William Beaumont who was a Mariner on the Seas.

Willie Beaumont Fireman on Tom Pudding Tug used on Aire & Calder.

Abraham Beaumont Owner of Vessel 'R.H. Pearson'

Thomas Phillipson who was Ferryman on the Trent at Owston Ferry.

Charles Whitehead who served on 'Whisper', 'Jane Davies', 'Gamaliel', 'Margaret', 'A.D. Gilbert', 'Hyperion', 'Albatross', 'Pearsons' , 'Brighton' , 'Contess of Devon', 'J. Perian'.

George William Gawthorp, Master of 'William' unregistered Keel, registered Hull, 70 tons.

Joseph Gawthorp, Cabin Boy of 'William' & Master of 'Susannah'

John Law of Knottingley, Master of 'Margaret' of John Ward, Kilpin Pike.

Benjamin Mummery, Master of 'Salvage' Steam Tug, owned by the Goole & Hull Steam Towing Co. Ltd.

John Edwin Mummery, Master of 'Goole No. 4', Steam Tug, owned by the Goole & Hull Steam Towing Co. Ltd.

Photographs copyrighted and by permission of owners

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