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Contact Salter Brothers
This website has no connection with any shipping company, cruise line, boat operator or other commercial organisation
Salter Brothers
Salter Steamers
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the excursion vessels operated and built by Salter Brothers, the oldest concern still operating Thames passenger services. There is a list of
boats on this page
, plus a table of
individual boat pages
.
Details of current services are available at:
www.salterssteamers.co.uk
I plan to cruise as many sections of the Thames as possible, to take my own photographs:-
list of Thames river cruises
Brief Salter Brothers History
(with corrections by Iain MacLeod 08/02/2008)
:-
Salter Brothers began in 1858 as a boat-building firm.
By 1876, and perhaps earlier, Henry Astrop was using the paddle steamer
Isis
on a weekly service from Kingston to Oxford and back. She had a boiler built in 1872 and compound diagonal engines, possibly second-hand. It is possible that when first built she was named
Julia
.
In 1878, the Thames and Isis Steamboat Company Limited was formed to continue the service. Henry Astrop was joined by Gabriel Davis of Abingdon, and his son, also Gabriel, an engineer. Advertisements in 1879 announced that a new steamer – the
Thames
– was being built (by Davis) and she was issued with a certificate on 1st October that year. She was 95 feet long and 13 feet in beam, with compound engines and twin propellers. In 1880 the
Isis
was advertised for sale or hire and the
Thames
sailed on the service.
The Thames and Isis SB Co was wound up in March 1883 and the summer service was advertised by Gabriel Davis on his own account. This was the last year of the service between Kingston and Oxford. Neither the
Thames
nor the paddle steamer
Isis
was ever owned by Salters, though John Salter was latterly the Oxford agent for the service. There seems to to have been a gap in the provision of a service between Oxford and Kingston between 1884 and the start of the Salters service from Oxford with the
Alaska
in 1888.
In 1886, John Salter advertised for hire from Folly Bridge a small steamer, the
Isis
. Confusion has arisen because of the name, but there was no similarity to Henry Astrop’s paddle steamer
Isis
, except in name. Salter’s launch was screw-driven, built around 1885 and fitted with an engine and boiler by Seekings of Gloucester. She could accommodate up to 34 passengers, 10 or 20 in comfort, and was advertised for hire up until the First World War.
Salter Brothers acquired the steam launch
Alaska
in 1887, and started a service between Oxford and Kingston in 1888. In 1889 and 1891 they acquired two new boats for the through service, the
Oxford (1)
and
Kingston
, built by Clark of Brimscombe. Clark then built a smaller launch, the Swan, fast enough for umpiring boat races, but also fitted out for hiring to small parties. Two more boats for the through service also came from Brimscombe, the
Windsor
and
Cliveden (1)
in 1892. These were followed by the
Henley
and the
Nuneham
, after which Salters built their own boats. At the turn of the century, the Salter fleet consisted of the 9 boats:
Alaska
,
Cliveden (1)
,
Henley
, Isis, Kingston,
Nuneham
,
Oxford (1)
,
Swan
, and
Windsor
. In the next two years they added the
Reading
,
Marlow
and
Sonning
.
Reading
is the oldest survivor still in the Salter fleet. In 1905, Salter built the
Streatley
for themselves, which still exists as a steamship. Salter's last deliveries before WW1 were the
Goring
in 1912 and
Wargrave
in 1913, both in the 2004 fleet. In 1915, Salters became a limited company, the
Isis
was sold and the
Kingston
and
Windsor
were sold for service in Mesopotamia, where they were joined by the
Cliveden (1)
.
In 1916 Salters acquired the
Sovereign
, built in 1902 for Charles Southgate of Windsor but more recently owned by George Harris of Oxford. She remained with Salters until 1925 when she was sold to Joseph Mears. Salters added another second-hand steamer to their fleet in 1919. This was the
Queen of England
, built in 1902 for Tom Taylor of Staines. In 1927 she was sold to Pearce of Teddington and then to Alfred Crouch. She was lost at Dunkirk.
In 1922, the
Oxford (2)
was built, replacing the
Oxford (1)
, and in 1923 the
Hampton Court
. In 1924 Salters added the
Phoenix
, later renamed
Hurley
. The large 103ft
Mapledurham
was built in 1927. The 40 ft motor launches
Iffley
and
Leander
were built in 1927 and 1931. (This was actually the third
Iffley
, as Salters had already owned two small motor launches of that name.). In 1931,
Cliveden (2)
revived the name last carried in 1912. In 1938 Salters bought the
Grand Duchess
, built in 1924 for Maynard of Reading.
During WW2,
Mapledurham
and
Cliveden (2)
were used as medical emergency vessels in London. The
Grand Duchess
carried passengers for a short while in 1940 between Westminster and Tower Pier.
In 1945 Salters acquired
The Majestic
and
The Original River Queen
(1896) from Cawston of Reading. Cawston's
Mystery
may also have been transferred but was not used in service. In 1947 Salters took over the
Queen of the Thames (3)
, built by J.Maynard for themselves in 1925,
The Majestic
and
The Original River Queen
(1896) from Cawston of Reading. The next addition was
Mary Stuart
in 1958, a traditional-looking Salters boat built on a hull purchased in Europe. In 1962, the Salter fleet reached a maximum of 19 boats consisting of:
Cliveden (2)
,
Goring
,
Grand Duchess
,
Hampton Court
,
Henley
, Iffley (3),
Leander
,
The Majestic
,
Mapledurham
,
Marlow
,
Mary Stuart
,
Nuneham
,
The Original River Queen
,
Oxford (2)
,
Queen of the Thames (3)
,
Reading
,
Sonning
,
Streatley
and
Wargrave
.
By 1977,
Grand Duchess
,
The Majestic
,
Nuneham
,
Queen of the Thames (3)
and
The Original River Queen
had been sold;
Henley
and
Marlow
followed soon afterwards.
Sonning
left in 1982, leaving 11 boats:
Cliveden (2)
,
Goring
,
Hampton Court
, Iffley (3),
Leander
,
Mapledurham
,
Mary Stuart
,
Oxford (2)
,
Reading
,
Streatley
and
Wargrave
. However, there was already plans for a new boat, although
Lady Ethel
did not arrive until 1988.
Iffley (3)
went in 1986, and
Leander
became
Iffley (4)
in 1991, the fleet remaining at 11 vessels until 1995, although at this time
Cliveden (2)
,
Oxford (2)
,
Reading
and
Streatley
were all described as being laid up, leaving just seven operational boats.
Streatley
was sold in 1996, but since then the fleet has increased with
Oxford (2)
and
Reading
both all re-entering service and the small Broads-style
Jean Marguerite
joining in 1998. The latest fleet addition is the
Maratana
, obtained from
Hobbs & Co
in 2004.
The active 2005 fleet (11 boats) was:
Goring
(90ft - 276 pass)
,
Hampton Court
(90ft - 199 pass)
,
Iffley (4)
(40ft - 47 pass)
,
Jean Marguerite
(44ft - 44 pass)
,
Lady Ethel
(57ft - 150 pass)
,
Mapledurham
(105ft - 345 pass)
,
Maratana
(44ft - 50 pass)
,
Mary Stuart
(69ft - 120 pass)
,
Oxford (2)
(90ft - 199 pass)
,
Reading
(85ft - 120 pass) and
Wargrave
(90ft - 199 pass).
Cliveden (2)
(105ft - 276 pass) remained laid up. The smaller
Iffley (2)
,
Jean Marguerite
,
Lady Ethel
and
Maratana
are used for short trips and charter workings. The other seven boats are all of classic Edwardian steamer design (including the 1958
Mary Stuart
) and between them they provide regular services along the length of the Thames between Oxford and Staines, although it would take 5 days to complete the trip, departing Oxford on a Monday. Boats are based at Oxford, Wallingford, Reading, Marlow and Windsor. Only the Oxford-Abingdon and Reading-Henley sections are daily, with other sections Wallingford-Abingdon, Wallingford-Reading, Henley-Marlow, Marlow-Windsor and Windsor-Staines running on selected weekdays only. Short trips are run from Oxford, Abingdon, Reading, Henley, Marlow and Windsor, with dedicated vessels at Oxford, Marlow and Windsor. At Abingdon, Reading and Henley, the boats fit occasional short cruises in between their longer stage trips. Five boats, generally 'classic' boats, are therefore required for the advertised service, plus three other boats to run advertised short trips.
Of the vessels sold out of the fleet,
Henley
operates for
Ed Langley
between Westminster and Kew,
Hurley
still operates for
Parr's
of Kingston, and
Sonning
operates for Green's Passenger Launches on the Trent, in Newark.
Marlow
is out of use in a poor state at Peter Freebody's yard at Hurley (Thames), and
Streatley
passed to Keith French at Wallingford in 2005.
Nuneham
remains in service, restored to steam, with
French Brothers
, who also owned
Oxford (1)
, now the
Gaiety
(since converted to a house boat).
Alaska
, the historically significant pioneer of Salter's Oxford-Kingston services, has been beautifully restored with her original steam engine, and operates charters for
Thames Steamers
.
Salters also built a series of nine launches for
Joseph Mears
of Richmond between 1908 and 1926. The complete list is:-
Viscount
(1908),
Connaught
(1911),
Royalty
(1913),
Hurlingham
(1915),
Kingwood
(1915),
Marchioness
(1923),
Queen Elizabeth (3)
(1924),
Abercorn
(1925) and
Viscountess
(1926). All remain in service in 2007, except the
Marchioness
,
which was lost in an accident in 1989, and
Abercorn
which suffered a major fire in 2005 whilst at her moorings. Amongst other boats built was the Endeavour
My thanks to Simon Wenham of Salter Brothers, Julian Kennard, Iain MacLeod and Tony Langford for providing additional information and scans. I still have a lot of work to do on this page, and will be actively seeking more postcards and photographs. If you can help with scans or cards, please email:-
simplon@simplon.co.uk
Salter Brothers Steamers
:-
Alaska
- Salter Brothers: 1888-1943 (built: 1883 - now with
Thames Steamers
)
Cliveden (1)
- Salter Brothers: 1892-1912
Cliveden (2)
- Salter Brothers: 1931- (2007 fleet)
Goring
- Salter Brothers: 1913- (2007 fleet)
Grand Duchess
- Salter Brothers: 1938-61
Hampton Court
- Salter Brothers: 1923-
Henley
- Salter Brothers: 1897-1978
Hurley
- Salter Brothers: 1924-1931 (formerly Phoenix, Caucase, now with Parr's of Kingston)
Iffley (3)
- Salter Brothers: 1921-1986
Iffley (4)
- Salter Brothers: ????- (built 1927 - formerly
Leander
)
Jean Marguerite
- Salter Brothers: 1998- (2007 fleet)
Isis (2)
- Salter Brothers: 1885-1918
Kingston
- Salter Brothers: 1891-1915
Lady Ethel
- Salter Brothers: 1988- (2007 fleet)
Leander
- Salter Brothers: 1930-???? (now
Iffley (2)
)
The Majestic
- Salter Brothers: 1945-1974
Mapledurham
- Salter Brothers: 1927- (2007 fleet)
Maratana
- Salter Brothers: 2004- (built 1980 - 2007 fleet)
Marlow
- Salter Brothers: 1901-1974 (out of use at Peter Freebody's yard at Hurley)
Mary Stuart
- Salter Brothers: 1958- (2004 fleet - formerly Dutch Kagerplas )
Mystery
- Salter Brothers: 1945-1950 (built: 1890 - not used in service)
Nuneham
- Salter Brothers: 1898-1971 (now with
French Brothers
)
Oxford (1)
- Salter Brothers: 1889-1922 (now
Gaiety
)
Oxford (2)
- Salter Brothers: 1922- (2007 fleet)
Queen of the Thames (3)
- Salter Brothers: 1948-1964
Reading
- Salter Brothers: 1901- (2007 fleet)
River Queen
- Salter Brothers: 1952-1972
The Original River Queen
- Salter Brothers: 1952-1972
Sikh
- Salter Brothers: 1907-1920 (formerly Kingester?)
Sonning
- Salter Brothers: 1902-1982 (now with Green's Passenger Launches on the Trent)
Sovereign
- Salter Brothers: 1915-1925 (built: 1903)
Streatley
- Salter Brothers: 1905-1996 (now with
Great River Journeys
of Wallingford)
Swan
- Salter Brothers: 1891-1939
Wargrave
- Salter Brothers: 1913- (2007 fleet)
Windsor
- Salter Brothers: 1892-1914
Salters-built Steamboats
- boats built for other users
Endeavour
- Congo river steamer
Unidentified Steamers
Thames Passenger Boat Pages:-
River Thames Header Page
- other operators
French Brothers
Joseph Mears
Salter Brothers
Thames Launches
Associated Pages:-
www.salterssteamers.co.uk
- Salter Brothers Official Website
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
References:-
Royal River Highway
by Frank L.Dix
(David & Charles, 1985)
Trip Out Guides - Various Editions 1985-2004
by Geoffrey Hamer
(PO Box 485, Southall UB1 9BH)
Trip Out Guides are available from Geoffrey Hamer, PO Box 485, Southall, UB1 9BH
Search Simplon Postcards
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Table of Individual Boat Pages
Name
Other names
Built
Alaska
1883
Connaught
1911
Henley
1896
Hampton Court
1923
Mapledurham
1927
Mary Stuart
Kagerplas
1958
Nuneham
1898
Oxford (2)
1922
Salter Brothers Fleet List
Alaska
(Salter Brothers: 1888-1941)
Alaska
was acquired in 1887, and was used when Salter Brothers started their Oxford to Kingston service in 1888.
Complete history of
Alaska
Early photograph of
Alaska
Scan: Iain MacLeod
Iain MacLeod writes:-
The earliest image of Alaska that I have. She's at the Red Lion Hotel, Henley, and I've enlarged the part of the
print which shows her. The official date is c1890. I think it is earlier - the cabin has no seating on the roof which instead carries a
small boat (a tender, I suppose) and there is no awning forward. It looks to me as if she is still in private hands, which would mean
it is between 1883 and 1887.
Postcard of
Alaska
at Folly Bridge used 1903
Scan: Iain MacLeod - paddle steamer is Koh-i-Noor
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of
Alaska
at Folly Bridge c.1900
Scan: Iain MacLeod - enlarged view of
Alaska
from image used in card above
Click to open larger image in new window
Photograph of
Alaska
Scan: Iain MacLeod - Upstream of Folly Bridge, with the
Phoenix/Hurley
and either the
Iffley
or the
Leander
Click to open larger image in new window
Photograph of
Alaska
in winter
Scan: Iain MacLeod - no funnel (and perhaps boiler too)
Click to open larger image in new window
Photograph of
Alaska
.
Scan: ©
Salter Brothers
Photograph of
Alaska
Scan: Iain MacLeod - At Folly Bridge, c.1905
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of
Alaska
Scan: Tony Langford
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of
Alaska
Scan: Tony Langford
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of
Alaska
Scan: Tony Langford
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of
Alaska
Scan: Tony Langford
Click to open larger image in new window
Photograph of
Alaska
Scan: Iain MacLeod - It is a privately taken photograph of her at Salter's barge, Oxford, on 12 August 1939, just
a few weeks before her career with them came to an end. (She had no passenger certificate in 1940 or 1941)
Click to open larger image in new window
Alaska
passing the Ferry at Cookham, when run by
Thames Steamers
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1st October 2005 -
More images of Alaska between Maidenhead and Marlow
Alaska
at Bourne End, when run by
Thames Steamers
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 29th May 2006 -
More images of Alaska at Bourne End
Click to open larger image in new window
Alaska
at Teddington, when run by
Thames Steamers
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 18th June 2006 -
More images of Alaska at Teddington
Click to open larger image in new window
Alaska
following overhaul at Wargrave, when run by
Thames Steamers
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 28th January 2008 -
More images of Alaska at Wargrave
Click to open larger image in new window
Oxford (1)
(Salter Brothers: 1889-1921)
Oxford (1)
was built for Salter Brothers of Oxford by Edwin Clarke and Company of Brimscombe in 1889. She was sold to J.T.Phelps of Putney in 1921 when replaced by the larger
Oxford (2)
. She was renamed
Gaiety
. Ownership became Bowers & Phelps from 1927-28, and she later served at Evesham on the River Avon.
Salter Brothers postcard of
Oxford
at Oxford.
These cards were issued pre-WW1 from the 1/2d postage.
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of
Oxford (1)
and
Cliveden (1)
at Henley, with a small unidentified steamer in the foreground
Scan: Tony Langford
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of Salter Brothers
Oxford (1)
Scan: Tony Langford
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of Salter Brothers
Oxford (1)
Scan: Tony Langford
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of Salter Brothers
Oxford (1)
Scan: Tony Langford
Click to open larger image in new window
Salter Brothers
Oxford (1)
at Marlow in 1911
Scan: Dave Martin
Click to open larger image in new window
Dennis postcard of
Gaiety
at Evesham.
Oxford (1)
, as the
Gaiety
of
French Brothers
, out of service
Photo: © Ian Boyle, Windsor, 22nd May 2004.
Click to open larger image in new window
Oxford (1)
, as the
Gaiety
of
French Brothers
, out of service
Photo: © Ian Boyle, Windsor, 22nd May 2004.
Click to open larger image in new window
Oxford (1)
, as the
Gaiety
of
French Brothers
, out of service
Photo: © Ian Boyle, Windsor, 22nd May 2004.
Click to open larger image in new window
Oxford (1)
, as the
Gaiety
as a houseboat in 2007
Click to open larger image in new window
Kingston
(Salter Brothers: 1891-1915)
Swan
was built for Salter Brothers of Oxford by Edwin Clarke and Company of Brimscombe in 1891. She remained in service with them until 1915.
Salter Brothers art postcard of
Kingston
Click to open larger image in new window
Postcard of Salter Brothers
Kingston
Scan: Tony Langford
Click to open larger image in new window
Swan
(Salter Brothers: 1891-1939)
Swan
was built for Salter Brothers of Oxford by Edwin Clarke and Company of Brimscombe in 1891. She remained in service with them until 1939.
Postcard of Salter Brothers
Swan
Scan: Tony Langford
Postcard of Salter Brothers
Swan
Enlarged view of the postcard above - Scan: Tony Langford
Scan: Tony Langford
Click to open larger image in new window
Windsor
(Salter Brothers: 1892-1914)
Windsor
was built for Salter Brothers of Oxford by Edwin Clarke and Company of Brimscombe in 1892. She remained in service with them until 1914.