History
History of the 'Duchess Countess'
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Mr Mackey, the quiet recluse, with friend on the bank of the Llangollen Canal in September 1951. |
The Packet-boat 'Duchess Countess' was built for the Bridgewater Canal, Manchester at the beginning of the 19th Century. She may well have replaced an earlier packet-boat built soon after the opening of the Bridgewater Canal in 1761. Passenger carrying was added to the Duke of Bridgewater's own cargo freight operations. The first-class patrons had the luxury of a heated and carpeted cabin, with "tea and cakes . . . elegantly served in the afternoon". The second class passengers had to make do with bare boards. The 'Duchess Countess' measured 72ft long with a 6ft 61/2ins beam. She continued in service as a passenger packet-boat until 1868, by which time she had included cargoes of parcels, poultry and even cattle. Rings for tying up cattle were still in place in the 1950s. The 'Duchess Countess' remained in passenger and light cargo service until the middle of the First World War. She claims the honour of being the last horse-drawn packet-boat in regular service on British canals. The 'Duchess Countess' was sunk for a number of years until rescued by a Mr H Mackey, a retired seaman, who lifted and fitted her out as a retirement home. She was now more than 130 years old. Mr Mackey towed the former passenger boat by mule along the Shropshire Union Canal and moored at Welsh Frankton, where he became a recluse. |
'Duchess Countess' afloat
Duchess Countess on the Bridgewater Canal
Duchess Countess at Chirk Aqueduct - Llangollen Canal
'Duchess Countess' on the bank of the Montgomery Canal
As very little maintenance was done, by the end of the war the 'Duchess Countess' was in a very poor state. During the summer of 1945 she is recorded as having been moored half way up the Frankton Locks, outside Beech's Dry Dock. In the late summer of 1945 or early spring of 1946, 'Duchess Countess' worked her way up the Frankton Locks and must have been the last boat to have done so. She is recorded to have been out of the water and on the far bank of the Llangollen Canal by the summer of 1946. The Curator of British Transport Commission, Relics Collection arranged for accurate measurements of the vessel to be taken and architect's plans made before she was finally broken up and burnt. In view of her age (now over 150 years old), the possibility of renovating this historic packet-boat was looked into but she was considered to be in far too bad a state for preservation.
The photo. taken from the Llangollen Canal towpath. Packet-boat 'Duchess Countess' on the bank, a couple of hundred metres above the first bridge.. High and dry but still being used as a house-boat. It was here that she was measured and drawings made prior to her being broken up. For those who saw the 'Duchess Countess, this is the view most will remember. (M Grundy )
We spent the whole Summer in 1945 on that mooring trying to get the engine going. At that time Mackie was living on "Duchess Countess" which moored outside Beech's Dock on the off side. We would go and get milk from Hyde's Farm every morning (on the right bank going down the locks) and would meet Mackie doing the same thing. You took your own milk can in those days and the milk was dipped out of the churn!
'Duchess Countess' recollections
Correspondence from ............??? who knew the 'Duchess Countess'
I did know "Duchess Countess" when she was afloat. My father had bought our first boat "Herron" in the Spring of 1945. She was then named "Hobson's Choice", having previously belonged to Hobson Greenwood (Dennis Greenwood's father). She was lying just above the stop planks at Lock Gate Bridge Cottage below Frankton Locks at the junction with the Weston Arm.
We spent the whole Summer in 1945 on that mooring trying to get the engine going. At that time Mackie was living on "Duchess Countess" which moored outside Beech's Dock on the off side. We would go and get milk from Hyde's Farm every morning (on the right bank going down the locks) and would meet Mackie doing the same thing. You took your own milk can in those days and the milk was dipped out of the churn!
We brought "Heron" up the locks in August 1945 with some difficulty because they were in a very poor state. The canal men from Ellesmere came to help and racked the gates with ashes. I think I can say for certain that "Heron" was the last boat but one to come up Frankton Locks. "Duchess Countess" would be the last and I don't know exactly when that was. It would be the very late summer of 1945 or early spring of 1946. My recollection is that "Duchess Countess" was on the bank out of the water 100 yards beyond the first bridge on the Llangollen Arm when we went back in the summer of 1946.
The stern cabin, after conversion to a houseboat. Photograph taken shortly before the 'Duchess Countess' was broken up and burnt.The stern end of the cabin was formally the crew's quarters and the end nearest the cameral the site of the First Class cabin. The stove was probably original and as it was in the crew's quarters.
I took a photo of her on 29th September 1951 when Mackie was living aboard. I also took a photo of him. He was very shy and I remember that I was only able to take a photograph of him by having a friend of mine in the picture as well. I enclose a copies of both these photos for you to keep.
The heavy oak mooring 'bitts' and bow locker, taken in 1950's
I never went on board "Duchess Countess" when she was afloat, though I did on 29th September 1951. Mackie showed me some newspaper cuttings of photos of "Duchess Countess" when she had the knife blade on the bow. I asked him where the knife was now (1951) and he said he thought it was in a shed by the canal at Stockton Heath. I never followed this up- I wish I had! Harry Arnold later told me that the knife off the bow had 'turned up'. Harry had always thought it was one of the items 'rescued' from "Duchess Countess" and taken to Ellesmere Yard. However, Harry speculates that if Mackie told me it was left at Stockton Heath - which he did - then it might be that the knife which turned up is the one off the "Inspector" or the Manager's boat "Neptune", both of which had similar devices on the bow. I have a photo taken by my father in 1934 of a boat at Ellesmere basin on which you can just see the knife blade. I believe this was the "Inspector" but I cannot be sure.
The fine lines of the stern carrying the famous name.Note the large rudder, typical of all horse-drawn and 'Butty' boats on canals and rivers.
