Identification of canoe in Oxford, England?

[rmcrowe]

I have recently brought a wood and canvas canoe here in Northamptonshire, England which must be a strange place for it to end up.

I believe it is an American built canoe.

The canoe was owned by Lord Hesketh and had been stored in the estate workshop for 40 years. It is believed to be about 100 years old which places it at or just after the turn of the century.

Using the information on-line I think it is either a Morris or Veazie canoe.

It unfortunately has no maker’s plates or identifying marks. I have looked at the suggested areas, on the end of the stem, up under the inwhales near the decks and under the thwarts. There are not even any signs, fixing holes, etc of any plates or markings ever been fitted.

The details which I think identify it as a Morris or Veazie are the stems which flare out at the inboard ends and the riveted stem bands. It has 2 pairs of cant ribs in the bow and stern which I believe are indicative of the earlier boats.

Were many canoes exported? Some charts on the WCHA website show the distribution of canoes within the United States but no mention of exports.

It is possible the canoe was acquired by Lord Hesketh in America as the 2 possible owners( 1st Baron, 7th Baronet) both married American women and one of them certainly spent some time in America.

The canoe has been stored in near perfect conditions, upside down on racks in a shed at ambient temperatures and is in amazing condition for its age.

The canoe is 16ft overall, 33 ½ beam, 12” deep. The canoe is slightly unusual as it only has a rear seat, all the canoes I have seen on line have 2 seats. It also has only 2 thwarts. There are no extra holes or sawn off bolts in the gunwhales which implies that this is the original configuration it was built in. It has mahogany decks with brass pennant sockets in both decks. The canoe has the original floor grating and although there are clear markings in 3 places on the ribs where they were installed, the cleats to hold it down are gone. The seat and thwarts are secured not with bolts but with brass rod clenched over a washer at the upper end and threaded at the lower end with brass half nuts and brass or copper spacers between the gunwhales and the seat.

It most likely belonged to Thomas Hesketh 1st Baron 1881-1944, the grandfather of the current Lord Hesketh, the 3rd Baron, of Formula 1 fame.
The first Baron married Florence Breckenridge 1881-1956 in 1909 in Paris.

There is also a possibility, that it belonged to Thomas George, 7th Baronet 1849-1924, the great grandfather of the current Lord Hesketh. He also married an American, Florence Emily Sharon, daughter of William Sharon, in San Francisco in 1880. He went on a world cruise in the yacht he had built for him “The Lancashire Witch” between 1879 and 1881 during which time he visited California and Alaska sailing up the West coast and exploring including several expeditions by canoe. He has an island named after him in Alaska. If he acquired the canoe during this trip it would be in the period 1879 -81. Would this be too early for such a canoe to have been built?

I have attached some photos of the canoe. I would be very interested in any information about the canoe

Thanks

Robert

 

[Jan Bloom]

Only having a stern seat is not unusual. Many canoes were built that way. Mostly they were used by professional fly fishing guides while the "sport" ie customer would sit more comfortably in the center or just forward sometimes using a folding canoe "chair". Some even used cushions to sit on. After all you couldn't have the "dude" getting a tired rear. This arrangement may have been more common on longer canoes. I am sure that Kathy Klos will chime in eventually in regard to the Morris/Veazie question. You have a good looking canoe that appears to be in pretty good shape from the pics you posted.

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Welcome, Robert, and thanks for sharing this information on your canoe-- exciting news. Your canoe is a B.N. Morris-- just as you thought-- and likely was built before 1900. Although Morris had agents world-wide, your canoe dates from a time we have less information about, and I can't say for certain if there was anyone outside the U.S. handling Morris canoes before 1900. Your canoe could have been ordered and shipped directly from the factory or purchased by someone who took it to England.

According to current theory, Morris began placing serial numbers on their canoes in about 1900. Two pairs of cant ribs dates the canoe to pre-1905. So, as your canoe has two cant rib pairs and no signs of a serial number, this supports a pre-1900 date. It's possibly late 1890s and may have once had a decal on the bow deck unless there are tack holes in the center of one of the thwarts, suggesting it might have had a metal plate with the Morris name on it.

Bert Morris may have been tinkering with boats in 1879-81, but he was born in 1866 so would have been 13-15. The Morris factory in Veazie, Maine, was constructed in 1892. Prior to its construction, canoes were built in a building behind the Morris family home. The first documentation of Bert Morris selling canoes dates to 1889. The canoes offered by Morris in an 1893 catalog were different from your canoe-- appearing in some ways like the native bark canoe upon which they were based: they had no decks and their thwarts were mortised into the inwales, and they were not trimmed in mahogany. Your canoe has the appearance of a late 1890s Morris.

A 16 foot B.N. Morris has two thwarts, so this is the usual configuration.

The Morris will be the featured canoe at our Annual Assembly this coming July. If you have a chance to visit, there'll be plenty of canoes to paddle and you wouldn't be expected to crate up your canoe and bring it along (much as we'd like to see it in person).

Please ask more questions if it doesn't seem that your questions have been answered. I've added your canoe to our database of Morris canoes. I published a book on the Morris this past January, consolidating all we think we know about the canoe and its builders. The book is available from the WCHA Store and on Amazon, and you might find it helpful. I'll give you a link to the book on Amazon, as it's available as a Kindle download which might be faster and easier for you... and there's a "look inside" feature that permits you to read a bit of the book. Profits are directed to the WCHA. http://www.amazon.com/Morris-Canoe-...d=1424753125&sr=8-1&keywords=the+morris+canoe

Thanks so much for letting us know about your great find!

Kathy

 

[Kathryn Klos]

In case you haven't run into it yet, here is information on the UK Chapter of the WCHA:

United Kingdom Chapter
Nick Denis
Email: wooden-canoe@virginmedia.com

They have a newsletter and a Facebook page. It's great to get together with those who appreciate what you're doing with that old canoe!

 

[rmcrowe]

Kathryn
Thanks so much for the information, really interesting. I would certainly like to get hold of a copy of your book.

Thanks also for the suggestion of visiting your Annual Assembly which sounds very tempting. However I was planning a slightly more modest outing to the Henley Traditional Boat Rally in July which is probably far enough for a first season.

I will post some more photos of the seats and thwarts shortly for you to have a look at. I thought the canoe was quite old but it seems it may be older than I thought.

I would be happy to set up an album of pictures of the restoration process if you think people might be interested.

I am in the process of restoring the canoe. I intend doing the minimum of remedial work in order to retain as much of the original material as possible.

The list of damage is not extensive. There are 4 cracked ribs just under the rear seat on the starboard side presumably due to continuous use by a right handed paddler. The gunwhale just above this point has some shakes in it due to timber imperfection rather than wear. This has led to a local deformation of the hull planking. The portside gunwhale is cracked at the turn of the bow. The decks are split and have had a blacksmith’s repair carried out to them in the form of a steel band screwed across the split. The portside gunwhale has pulled away from the front deck. The seat caning has perished. There is a small hole worn through the side of the hull planking amidships on the starboard side. There are a few worm holes just on the ends of the thwarts presumably from its 40 year stay in a wood shop. The canvas is intact, still remarkably flexible but worn through in several places on the bottom. The structure of the hull seems rigid and sound and most of the planking and ribs are in near perfect condition.

I will certainly get in touch with the Chapter over here

Thanks again for all the information. Will be in touch shortly

Robert

 

[Kathryn Klos]

It would be wonderful if we could follow your progress with restoration via pictures. Pictures of the boat rally are welcome too!

Kathy

 

[Mark Adams]

Robert, I am going to be "over there" in 3 months. I'd be delighted to have a look-in, and offer suggestions. I've been restoring for 27 years now, and might have some useful insight. I'll be in Dunmow, Essex for a week, from the 19th of May to the 26th. shoot me a private message if you want to meet up.

 

[rmcrowe]

Hi Kathy

Attached pictures of seat and thwarts. Hope they show you something interesting.

Regards

Robert

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Yes, the thwarts and seats do say something interesting! Hard to place an exact date... "mid-eighteen-nineties" is where it seems to fit. The thwarts and seat frames have extra detailing that is present on 5 other Morris canoes. Three of them have a metal tag on one thwart stating "From the Morris Factory Veazie Maine" (P. 68-70 in "The Morris Canoe"). Because there are pre-1900 Morris canoes that don't have this extra detailing, my belief is that this extra work was phased out in the last years of the decade. In those final years, Morris began using a decal and no longer used a metal builder tag, so this canoe may have had a decal originally, unless there are tack holes in the middle of one of those thwarts that indicate there once was a metal tag there (doesn't seem so in the pictures). This is very helpful information, as it contributes to getting a better grasp on the progression of these canoes. Morris canoes didn't change much over the 30 years they were produced... the changes were small things, such as leaving out a chamfer-here or a bevel-there.

It's also very cool knowing that canoes made in Veazie, Maine, made it across The Big Pond prior to the 20th century.

Kathy

 

[rmcrowe]

Hi Kathy

Thanks for the info on the dating. Very interesting. How many pre 1900 Morris canoes do you know of, can't be too many still around

Regards

Robert

 

[Kathryn Klos]

I count thirteen that are probable pre-1900 Morrises (including yours), but there are a few more that could be. When I first began collecting information, I didn't ask as many questions as I now do. Pre-1900 Morris canoes have two pairs of cant ribs (not three) and have no sign of ever having had a serial number. Some have an early version of the Morris decal (version one, which may become available from the WCHA store as the two other versions are) and five canoes have a metal "builder tag" on a thwart. The interesting part (for me) is that it seems Morris canoes went through more changes (albeit small ones) in approximately 8 years (1892-1900) than in the final 20.

 

[rmcrowe]

Henley Traditional Boat Rally

Made it this weekend to the Henley Traditional Boat Rally with the restored Morris. Great event, lots of interest in and compliments on the canoe. Quite a few other canoes there as well. Met with Nick Denis of the WCHA British Chapter. He has put together some brilliant photos of the rally including my Morris canoe.
Link to his photos on Song of the Paddle website is
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/fo...to-me-at-the-Thames-Traditional-Boat-Festival

I am sure he will be posting a link for others to look at the photos but I thought you might like to know that the Morris canoe picture is of my canoe

Robert

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Wow Jeremy Irons, triplanes and multiple cedar rib canoes. You fellows sure know how to have an event!

 

[Dave Osborn]

Kath,
The seat bolts (straight shank peened with a washer) on Robert's canoe appear the same as what was on your 1893 canoe that I restored.
Wonder if it is known when Bert started using the "hook" bolts for seats and thwarts...?

 

[rmcrowe]

Seat bolts

That's interesting to know there is another canoe with similar seat bolts . Having just read Kathy's book and seen the picture of the hooked bolts, I was going to send some pictures and raise the issue of the different bolts I have found in my Morris.


Robert