SB Kingfisher

We know from Walter Tye’s book that Kingfisher was used in the mud digging for the cement works. His information was firsthand from the crew. Robert Simper says that Kingfisher was built by William Colchester in 1878 as a tiller-steered ‘stumpie’ (no topmast)¹Kingfisher  – Topsail 44, Barges on the Deben by Robert Simper. However, the records, so far, do not show this Kingfisher. There was another vessel of this name, No. 110963 built in 1899 but this is too new and the Mercantile & Ipswich Registers between 1867 and 1940 show no barge called “Kingfisher” related to Ipswich or Mason.. She may have been specially built for the task.

Mud Digging

In 1894 the skipper was Jack Stebbings and his mate was Ben Page. They loaded Kingfisher with a great deal of mud over the years.

There are no photographs where Kingfisher can be identified for certain although, since she was a stumpie and would either be at the quay, or out collecting mud, she is probably the barge to the left in this photograph of the works alongside the ‘washmill’ pier. The pier with tracks is long gone and not the same as the present-day boatyard’s floating pontoon.

Motor Yacht

Robert Simper, who was making notes on barges whilst at school in 1952 (true lifetime dedication to the subject), consulted them and had recorded that the Waldringfield Kingfisher was then a motor yacht at Chelsea Dock²Robert Simper, Kingfisher, personal communication 2020.. Given that by this time she would have been seventy years old and had a hard early life, hauling mud, she did well to survive that long. It is not known what happened to her subsequently.

Barge Details

Name: Kingfisher, Official No.: NA, Owner: Mason, Year built: 1878, Built at: , Built by: , GRT: , Dimensions ft: , 

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  Kingfisher  – Topsail 44, Barges on the Deben by Robert Simper. However, the records, so far, do not show this Kingfisher. There was another vessel of this name, No. 110963 built in 1899 but this is too new and the Mercantile & Ipswich Registers between 1867 and 1940 show no barge called “Kingfisher” related to Ipswich or Mason.
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  Robert Simper, Kingfisher, personal communication 2020.