A List of Ten Publications that Reference Humber Sloops

Humber sloops, which are sometimes confused with Billy boys or Humber keels, were single-masted sailing barges that navigated the East Coast of England as well as the inland waterways of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Goole, Grimsby, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leeds and Wakefield were among the settlements that were accessible to larger Humber sloops while London was also visited by these trading vessels. Blakeney, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft are known to have been visited by Billy boys, Humber keels and Humber sloops. Norfolk and Suffolk, which formed the region of East Anglia, was home to a number of coastal settlements that would be visited by East Coast traders. Shipwrecks were not uncommon and life-boats were often sent to rescue mariners whose sloops had run aground on sandbanks, struck rocks or foundered in storms. Richard and Three Brothers, which originated from Goole, are two examples of Humber sloops that were wrecked off the coast of East Anglia. Inland waterways that were navigated by Humber sloops included the River Aire, River Ancholme, River Calder, River Don, River Humber, River Ouse and River Trent. Eagle, Blucher as well as Stanhope are three examples of Humber sloops that were owned by the Aire and Calder Navigation Company. Artificial waterways, such as the Stainforth and Keadby Canal, were also navigated by sloop-rigged sailing barges. Inland navigations, along which Humber sloops conveyed their merchandise, created water lines of communication between the settlements of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire while the sea provided access to the ports that were situated along the East Coast of England. Merchandise that was carried by Humber sloops included coal, grain, potatoes and timber. London, the great metropolis that resided on the River Thames, received a large quantity of its agricultural produce from the East coast traders. Sloop-rigged trading barges, via the River Thames, conveyed grain to Gravesend and London.

1) A Glossary of Words Used in the Wapentakes of Manley and Corringham, Lincolnshire by Edward Peacock. 

Edward Peacock describes Billy Boys as sloop-rigged river craft on page 24 of the sixth volume of A Glossary of Words Used in the Wapentakes of Manley and Corringham, Lincolnshire while identifying the North Country as their place of origin. Descriptions of Billy Boys are quoted from Sailor's Word-book by William Henry Smyth, Lincoln Pocket-Guide by Charles Henry John Anderson and Perlustration of Yarmouth by Charles John Palmer. It is claimed that the Billy Boy was a sailing barge with a single mast, a try-sail and a bluff bow while its geographical origins are reported to have been the River Humber, East Coast or North Country. Agricultural produce, such as potatoes, is claimed to have been among the cargoes that Humber sloops transported. It is claimed that the Humber keel, which is identified as an alternative name for the Billy Boy, was a sea-going vessel that was of diminutive stature. Humber keels, which are are revealed to have been capable of operating along the inland waterways as well as along the coast, are reported to have traded between the River Humber and Yarmouth. Bulldogs, on page 40, are described as rough waves on the River Humber and would have posed a hazard to the sloop-rigged barges that navigated the waterway. It is revealed, on page 107, that floes referred to the sheets of ice that formed on the River Humber during winter. Sheets of ice, therefore, may have prevented Humber sloops from navigating the inland waterways during the colder months of the year. A keel, on page 147, is described as a small vessel that transported coal and potatoes along the River Humber as well as the River Trent. It is reported that ceol, which is claimed to have been of Anglo-Saxon or Old English origin, was the origin of the modern word. Roak, on page 208, is described as the distinctive fog or mist that settled on the River Humber. Warp, on page 268, is identified as the mud that formed the bed of the River Humber as well as that of the River Trent and the River Ouse.

2) A Topographical Dictionary of England, Comprising the Several Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Corporate and Market Towns, Parishes, Chapelries, and Townships, and the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, and Man, with Historical and Statistical Descriptions (...), Volume IV by Samuel Lewis.

Samuel Lewis, on pages 387 and 388 of the fourth volume of the fourth edition of Topographical Dictionary of England, describes the relationship that Wakefield had with the inland navigations that communicated with Kingston-upon-Hull. Wakefield is reported to have been situated on an eminence, or elevation, on the sloping banks of the River Calder. It is explained that the River Calder, in 1698, was made navigable while a medieval bridge of nine arches is revealed to have established communication between the roads that lay on either side of the waterway. Corn and wool, in 1840, are reported to have been the principle commodities upon which the economy of Wakefield depended. Power-looms, which are claimed to have been installed in Tammy Hall, are reported to have been used in the manufacture of woolen artifacts. Industrial concerns in the town are claimed to have included bleach-houses, breweries, copperas-works, dye-houses, iron-foundries, malt-houses, roperies and starch-works. Sloops, alongside other types of boat, are reported to have been built in the town. It is possible that the sloops of Wakefield conveyed agricultural products, such as corn and wool, as well as manufactured items along the River Calder. Coal, which is claimed to have been transported to the town by the railways, is reported to have been conveyed along the River Calder in barges. Trading vessels, which may have included sloop-rigged barges, are claimed to have ferried coal to York via the River Ouse while Kingston-upon-Hull is reported to have received the mineral product via the River Humber. It is explained that the Aire and Calder Navigation Company, who are revealed to have owned a wharf that lay within the vicinity of the medieval bridge, placed Wakefield in direct communication with Kingston-upon-Hull. An intricate network of water lines of communication, which are reported to have included the Barnsley Canal, are claimed to have connected Lancashire and Lincolnshire with Wakefield.

3) History and Topography of the City of York, the East Riding of Yorkshire; and a Portion of the West Riding; Embracing a General Review of the Early History of Great Britain and a General History of the County of York, Volume I by James Joseph Sheahan and T. Whellan.

Sloops, on page 771 of the first volume of History and Topography of the City of York, are reported to have been loaded as well as unloaded at Stainforth. James Joseph Sheahan and T. Whellan, who published the work in 1857, composed a chapter about the settlement as well as the inland navigations that communicated with it. It is claimed that the village, which is reported to have belonged to a larger township, was situated near to the place that the River Don connected with the Stainforth and Keadby Canal. A spacious quay, where the sloops that navigated the river as well as the canal are reported to received and discharged their cargo, is revealed to have been a prominent feature of the village.  It is reported that a shipbuilding yard was established in the township and it is possible that keels, sloops or Billy Boys were constructed at this site. Railway communication, which is claimed to have been facilitated by the Doncaster and Thorne Branch of the South Yorkshire Railway, is reported to have been established with Stainforth by the fifth decade of the nineteenth-century. Thorne, on page 774, is claimed to have benefited from railway and water communications. Grain, coal and timber are among the items that are reported to have been traded in the market town. It is claimed that the Stainforth and Keadby Canal, which is reported to have been thirteen miles in length, placed the River Trent in communication with the River Don while the South Yorkshire Railway is reported to have purchased the canal. It is possible, therefore, that the alternative means of communication would have complemented one another. Cooperation, rather than competition, may have bestowed a mutual benefit on the canal and the railway. Shipbuilding, which is revealed to have included the construction of steam vessels, is claimed to have been established at Thorne. Billy Boys, keels or sloops may have transported coal, grain and timber along the canal as well as the rivers which communicated with it. 

4) Memoirs of a Smuggler, Compiled from his Diary and Journal: Containing the Principle Events in the Life of John Rattenbury, of Beer, Devonshire; Commonly Called "the Rob Roy of the West" by John Rattenbury.

John Rattenbury, in the second chapter of Memoirs of a Smuggler, claims that he was captured by a sloop that was either called Humber or which had been built on the River Humber. It is reported, on page 39, that Rattenbury had travelled to Alderney in an open boat. An unspecified number of kegs, the contents of which are unknown, are claimed to have been placed onboard the vessel during its sojourn at Alderney. It is reported that the sloop, which is claimed to have been commanded by Captain Hill, encountered the boat in the middle of the English Channel. Rattenbury and his two companions are reported to have been taken to Falmouth, which is identified as the port at which the sloop was registered, but Hill is claimed to have chosen to detain them on his vessel rather than deliver them to the courts. Hill, who is reported to have captured the smugglers in June, is claimed to have held the men as his prisoners until the 20th of July. It is reported, on page 40, that the smugglers escaped as they were escorted to Bodmin Gaol. Rattenbury, on page 70, claims that he salvaged an abandoned fishing sloop and used it as a smuggling vessel. It is reported that Elizabeth and Kitty, as the sloop was named, had been abandoned by its former crew during a gale. Sloop-rigged vessels, whether they were merchantmen or fishing boats, appear to have been suited to the purposes of smuggling and may also have been used to prevent the trafficking of contraband. Adder, on page 77, is described as a sloop-of-war that was involved in the suppression of smuggling. Humber, therefore, may have been the name of a sloop-of-war that captured Rattenbury as he navigated the English Channel and which was commanded by Hill. It is possible, however, that the vessel which had intercepted the smugglers had been a sloop-rigged sailing barge that originated from the ports of the River Humber. Hill, therefore, may have commanded a Humber sloop that was converted into a revenue cutter.

5) The English Reports, Volume CX, King's Bench Division XXXIV by Anonymous.

A court document, that is included in the one-hundred and fifth volume of The English Reports, contains details of a legal dispute between the Dock Company of Kingston-upon-Hull and Priestly. It is reported, on page 424, that a sliding scale of tonnage duties were imposed upon merchantmen that entered Kingston-upon-Hull and other ports that were established on the East Coast of England. On the 13th of November, 1832, it was explained that tonnage duties should be paid at the Custom House at Kingston-upon-Hull. It is claimed, on page 423, that the tonnage duties which applied to Kingston-upon-Hull were also applicable to merchant ships that entered Goole. Merchantmen that travelled between Goole and Kingston-upon-Hull, which is reported to have been a distance of twenty-five miles, are revealed to have been charged two-pence per ton of cargo while efforts are claimed to have been made to prevent vessels that were travelling to Leeds from paying the same duty. It is reported that the basin of the Goole Docks, which is reported to have been situated on the River Ouse, provided an entryway of the inland navigations that communicated with Leeds. The Aire and Calder Company, in 1831, is claimed to have been sued over unpaid duties at the Yorkshire Summer Assizes. Grimsby, on page 424, is described as an ancient port of the River Humber that was situated to the south-east of Kingston-upon-Hull. It is revealed that the Aire and Calder Navigation Company owned steam-vessels, such as the Eagle, and sloop-rigged sailing vessels during the third decade of the nineteenth-century. Stanhope, which is reported to have carried a portion of the cargo that was consigned to Eagle, is identified as one of the Humber sloops that belonged to the Aire and Navigation Company while Blucher is named as another sloop-rigged barge that was owned by the navigation company. It is reported that Stanhope and Blucher, via Goole, conveyed cargoes from Leeds to Kingston-upon-Hull without paying the relevant duties.

6) The Life-Boat; Or, Journal of the National Life-Boat Institution, Volume VII by the Royal National Life-Boat Institution.

Industry, on page 23 of the seventh volume of The Life-Boat, is reported to have foundered within the vicinity of Whitby. Journal of the National Life-boat Institution, as the publication is also known, identifies Industry as a sloop. On the 2nd of January, 1868, Lucy is reported to have responded to an emergency at Whitby Harbour that involved three vessels. Swan, which is described as a steam-tug, is reported to have been towing Industry and Mulgrave into Whitby Harbour on a turbulent sea. Industry, due to the force of the waves, is claimed to have struck a pier. Swan, after its tethers broke, is reported to have become separated from the ships that it was towing. Industry is claimed to have foundered while Mulgrave, which is described as a schooner, is reported to have become stranded. Lucy, which may have been stationed at the seaport that resided on the coast of Yorkshire, is identified as a life-boat. It is reported, on page 32, that two mariners were rescued from Industry by the Royal National Life-boat Institution. Richard, on page 52, is identified as a sloop that was stranded in the vicinity of Blakeney. On the 8th of April, 1869, the sloop is reported to have run aground on the West Sands while a strong north-east gale was blowing. It is explained that the West Sands was half-a-mile away from Blakeney, which is reported to have been situated on the coast of Norfolk, while Richard is claimed to have sailed from Goole. A life-boat, upon observing the signs of distress of the Humber sloop, is reported to have saved three mariners from the stranded vessel. It is revealed that it cost the lifeboat service, whose volunteers endured adverse weather conditions, eight-pounds and 10-shillings to rescue the crew of the Humber sloop. It is claimed, on page 260, that Richard ran aground on Nest Sands and was rescued by the life-boat that was stationed at Brightwell. Humber sloops, therefore, often foundered along the coast of the East of England and their crews needed to be rescued. 

7) The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal, 1828, Part III by Anonymous.

It is reported, on page 276 of The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal, that the River Ancholme was placed in direct communication with the River Witham. A canal, which is claimed to have stretched from Bishop Briggs to Barlings Outfall, is reported to have united the rivers. A water line of communication is claimed to have been established, via the River Ancholme, between the River Witham and the River Humber. It was predicted that Lincoln and Boston, which are identified as prominent settlements within Lincolnshire, would benefit from the presence of the canal. Agricultural produce, it was believed, could be moved from Lincolnshire to Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire via the inland waterways. It is reported, on page 372, that the River Ancholme Navigation was opened to traffic in the second decade of the nineteenth-century. On the 1st of August, 1828, it was announced that the Ancholme Drainage Commissioners had attended the opening ceremony of the navigable waterway. A barge, which is reported to have contained a number of local dignitaries, is claimed to have descended the river from Brigg. John Rennie, who is revealed to have attended the inauguration, is named as the engineer who oversaw the project to construct the River Ancholme Navigation. Sir Edward Banks, who is identified as a contractor, is also reported to have been present at the the opening ceremony. A large sea sloop, which is claimed to have been laden with coal, is reported to have followed the ceremonial barge to Bishop Bridge while a flotilla of smaller vessels are claimed to have followed it along the course of the river. Bishop Bridge, which is reported to have be situated in Lincolnshire, is identified as the head of the River Ancholme Navigation. Coal, therefore, was supplied to the settlements that were in communication with the River Ancholme Navigation while sloop-rigged trading vessels are known to have conveyed the mineral resource along the inland waterways of Lincolnshire and beyond.

8) Timber and Wood Working Magazine, Volume XV by Anonymous.

Hull, on page 376 of the nineteenth volume of Timber and Wood Working Machinery, is reported to have been the third largest port in the United Kingdom by the end of the nineteenth-century. On the 11th of June, 1892, it is claimed that the amount of cargo that was processed at Hull exceeded five-hundred thousand-tons while a third of that number is reported to have been transported by water. Steam-powered vessels, at the close of the nineteenth-century, are claimed to have been replacing sailing vessels on the navigable waterways that communicated with Hull. Half of the sailing barges, which are claimed to have been sloop-rigged, are reported to have travelled inland via the system of canals. Merchantmen, that had taken up residence at Hull, are claimed to have unloaded their cargo into the hulls of the sloop-rigged barges. By-traders, alongside the Aire and Calder Navigation Company, are revealed to have been the principle owners of the trading sloops that communicated with Hull. Sloop-rigged barges, which are reported to have been capable of navigating the inland waterways as well as operating out at sea, are claimed to have been capable of reaching Leeds and Manchester. It is reported that trading sloops, which are compared to canal boats or river vessels, would enter the docks to receive cargo from the ports of the merchant-ships. Timber, some of which is revealed to have been imported from overseas, is identified as one of the cargoes of the sailing barges that entered the docks of Hull while general merchandise is also also reported to have been placed onboard the trading sloops. Thames barges, which are compared to ordinary Thames boats, are claimed to have been constructed in a similar fashion to the sloops that communicated with Hull. Timber, before it was placed onboard the sloop-rigged barges, is reported to have been unloaded from the merchantmen and weighed. It is reported that trading sloops, while laden with timber, would navigate the River Humber.

9) The Pictorial Guide to Gravesend and its Rural Vicinity: a Holiday Handbook, Descriptive of the Various Attractions to be Found within the Town, and the Pleasant Incursions to be Made in the Immediate Neighbourhood (...) by Gravesend.

The Pictorial Guide to Gravesend and its Rural Vicinity, which was published in the August of 1844, is a pamphlet that was written for tourists who intended to visit Gravesend and explore the surrounding area. Railway communication, on page 4, is reported to have been established between London and Gravesend but a significant amount of maritime traffic is claimed to have remained on the River Thames. Humber sloops, on page 5, are identified as a type of trading vessel which visited the River Thames during the fourth decade of the nineteenth-century and they are reported to have made frequent voyages from Yorkshire to London. It is claimed that the sailing barges, which are described as heavy, were sloop-rigged and equipped with a single mast that was capable of being lowered for the purposes of moving under bridges. Pear-shaped boards are reported to have been installed at the sides of the vessels while the rigging is claimed to have included a large mainsail, foresail and jib. It is revealed that Humber sloops, of which twelve-thousand are claimed to have existed at the time in which the tourist guide was written, were known as Billy Boys or Humber keels. Grain, which is reported to have originated in Yorkshire, is claimed to have been the principle cargo of these sailing barges. Humber keels, after the collier brigs of North East England and before Thames barges, are reported to have been the second most numerous type of trading vessel to navigate the River Thames. It is possible, however, that the different vessels that traded between the River Humber and the River Thames were mistaken for one another. Billy boys, Humber keels and Humber sloops appear to have been regarded as interchangeable by the residents of South East England. Novice observers, who may have used local river craft as a point of reference, are reported to have mistaken Billy Boys for Thames Barges. Residents of Yorkshire may have distinguished between Billy boys, Humber keels and Humber sloops.

10) The Shipwrecked Mariner, A Quarterly Maritime Magazine, Vol. VII, 1860 by the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society.

Three Brothers, on page 170 of the seventh volume of The Shipwrecked Mariner, is reported to have foundered in a hurricane while sailing off the coast of East Anglia. On the 7th of June, 1860, Thomas Chapman is claimed to have issued a pecuniary reward to the crew of the lifeboat that was stationed at Lowestoft for saving the lives of mariners. Three Brothers, which is reported to have originated from Goole, is identified as a sloop and it is claimed that five persons were rescued by the lifeboat. It is reported that the master of the Humber sloop was saved from drowning while his wife, daughter, and eleven-month-old child are also claimed to have been among the rescued. Interviews with the survivors reveal that the master of the sloop-rigged vessel, which may have been of a similar type to the Humber keels or Billy Boys that traded along the East Coast of England, believed that they would drown while the wife is quoted as saying that her religious faith had persuaded her that they would survive. A reward of £38 is reported to have been granted, by the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, to the crews of the lifeboats that were based at Lowestoft and Pakefield. It is revealed that the gale of the 27th and the 28th of May, 1860, wrecked between three-hundred and four-hundred ships. Three Brothers, therefore, was one of the victims of that cataclysmic event. It is reported, on page 175, that the crews of foundered vessels were given relief by the Central Office and Honorary Agents of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society. Survivors of maritime disasters are claimed to have been given boarding, lodging and clothing before they were returned to their homes by the philanthropic society. The list of compensated crews covers the timespan between the 1st of March and the 31st of May, 1860, while the wrecked vessels are also listed. A charitable donation of three-pounds and two-shillings is reported, on page 176, to have been paid to the crew of Three Brothers by the philanthropic society.