Review: Tilt Boats and Hatch Boats of Gravesend and the London River 1555-1865

Tilt Boats and Hatch Boats of Gravesend and the London River 1555-1865. By David Patient (Jardine Press, 2024), 203 pp., 89 illustrations. £30 + postage. ISBN 9781838227234.

This beautifully illustrated and produced book is written by a retired shipwright based in Maldon in Essex who has spent most of his working life restoring craft that sailed the Thames Estuary. He has a close connection with Gravesend having recorded the memories of some of the last of the town’s watermen and fishermen and salvaged a Gravesend shrimper. The author is also a skilled artist and several of his drawings are included. The format of the book, in particular it’s size and the quality of production, means that the many original illustrations, drawings and maps (mostly from the authors own collection) can be fully appreciated.

Gravesend has a rich maritime history particularly through its role as the entry point to the Port of London with customs and pilot services based in the town for many years. Whilst this book focusses on the history and development of the tilt and hatch boats so closely linked to the town it is in some respects also a broader maritime history of Gravesend. It is arranged chronologically and traces the development of passenger and cargo vessels operating between Gravesend and Central London over 300 years. Wherries, yawls, brigs, smacks and hoys are among the other vessels mentioned as is the development of the town more generally as its role as a key transit point for passengers and cargo in the Thames Estuary changed. The first half of the book focusses on the ferry services established in Gravesend during the thirteenth century to take passengers both across the Thames to Essex (the short ferry) and into London, in particular to Billingsgate (the long ferry).

[pg380]These became the tilt boats and the detailed research and many quotes, citations and references give a great deal of information relating to the people and vessels involved, the changes to the ferry service and the design of the boats. The latter was of course essential for a successful business with speed and comfort the key areas for consideration. Watermen and ferrymen were a rough breed and competition for passengers was intense at times with over 20,000 watermen on the Thames in the early seventeenth century. Inevitably there were complaints and incidents (including passengers drowning) many of which were caused by badly built vessels and overloading and so in the late sixteenth century regulation increased initially through the appointment of two portreves (official wardens) by charter for Gravesend and Milton in 1562. The watermen at Gravesend and London defended their right to trade vigorously with petitions, protests and in some cases riots. This was especially the case with new bridges over the Thames and the eventual arrival of steam vessels both of which threatened their livelihood. The strong opposition to the proposal for a new pier for Gravesend in the early nineteenth century seems surprising until one realises that this would mean passengers could embark direct onto the steamships rather than be taken out to them in wherries by watermen. The pier was eventually built in 1832.

Also included are details of the many boatbuilders and owners involved in the development of vessels. For example, there is a significant section on the noted Gravesend shipwright William Cleverley and his influence not just on the design and construction of local boats but also his involvement in the design and building of ships for the Navy. These included the Colossus and Achille, both of which were built in Gravesend, and which were part of Nelson’s fleets at the battles of the Nile and Trafalgar respectively.

Hatch boats were used mainly for transporting fish to London markets and the second half of the book covers the history and development of these boats and the stories of the people involved. Again, the detailed research provides a great deal of information as well as many useful citations and references. The book also touches on the broader history of fishing in the Thames Estuary and in Gravesend in particular giving context to the evolution of the hatch boat. Gravesend was one of the nearest saltwater ports to the London markets and supported a small but important fishing fleet and there are details of fishing vessels, techniques and the type of catch. However, it was the hatch or ‘carrier’ boats operating from the town that played a key role in transporting fish caught, particularly around the east coast, to the market at Billingsgate. One important development, copied from Dutch boats, was the addition of ‘wells’ in the boats to keep fish alive for longer and therefore fresher for market. As well as the history of the hatch boats and their crews the book touches on other areas including the role of apprenticeships, the impact of increasing pollution in the Thames and the arrival of the railways. The final chapter covers the decline of hatch boat trade which was largely due to the arrival of the railway in fishing ports such as Harwich, Yarmouth and Ramsgate. Gradually less and less of the catch from these ports was taken to Gravesend for delivery to London markets as the railway provided a more efficient and direct route. The final appendices cover smuggling, yachting and the Gravesend regattas all of which are part of the development of the town’s fleet of vessels and maritime community.

[pg381]This book is a detailed and comprehensive history not just of tilt and hatch boats but the many different types of craft operating from Gravesend between the 16th and 19th centuries. There are fascinating insights into the tensions that occurred as a result of competing needs of Gravesend’s maritime community – fishing, customs, passenger ferries, cargo carriers, pleasure cruises, pilotage etc. The reports of events, disputes and court cases, mostly from newspaper articles, give a good indication of what life was like in the town for those involved.

For anyone interested in the history of Gravesend this book provides a fascinating insight into the development of vessels specific to the town and the people involved not just in the design and building of these boats but also in their operation. In doing so it highlights how important the maritime community and industry were to the social and economic development of the town.

Stuart Bligh