Introducing Essex Heritage Workboats Mersea Hub Project

There has never been such an approach to document the heritage of Essex by building a register around the heritage working vessels, their people and communities. As time goes by it is apparent there is a vast, diverse and rich pool of material that is being discovered that can be included in the growing archive of The Essex Heritage Workboat Register of Vessels

This project is at the very start to this research however the end is impossible to visualise as every single vessel carries its own deep connections to Essex, the people and the landscape.

With over 130 vessels that were built in Essex for a commercial purpose before 1965 still active, there is an important link to the past of our working and social life here in Essex.

Through research we are discovering the people behind the names carved into the transoms and rails of the vessels, finding out who it was that carried such an important place in the new owner\'s heart that they wanted their new vessel to carry that name.

We are uncovering the families that carried on working the vessels long after their forefathers had departed.

The changes in the markets due to disease or climate changes that caused a snowball effect on their catch that resulted in the vessels being changed or adapted for a new market or trade.

Changes in the docks by new owners that resulted in the barges being altered to accommodate new methods of unloading.

These vessels hold so much information about our County and her changing economic landscape. This archive is so far removed from the length/ breadth/ depth method of recording a vessel\'s heritage as its aim is to follow the owner home at the end of a day\'s work and discover who the vessel was supporting, the families that grew, the houses that proudly carried the names of the boats, the trades that grew alongside, the skills passed down through the generations and the communities that grew and then diminished as the vessels were changed to modern versions. Somehow though at least 130 examples of these have survived to today, from Thames Sailing Barges, Class I , II and III fishing smacks, Skiffs, Bumkins, winklebrigs, punts and even the humble tenders. They tell a story stretching over 200 years of our coastal communities.

The vessels were built for people, by people, worked by people, for a market to serve people. There is no way to separate the vessel from the people and therefore a need to entwine their stories.

By starting our quest for a deeper understanding we are setting up the first EHWB Hub in West Mersea. With the incredible support of Essex Heritage Trust, The Oyster Challenge Match and Mersea Island Museum Trust we are able to invite you along to join us for a series of drop in sessions at the Museum in order that we might be able to learn more about your families and their connections to the working vessels of the past.

Starting on the 7th January 2025 at 10:30h to 12:30h we will give an outline to the vessels connected to Mersea Island, Brightlingsea and Tollesbury. From the boats built to work actually on the Island to the ones built in the Colne and Tollesbury who were worked from the island. We would love to hear your connections and see any photos or papers that help to bring the people that were involved with them. By telling their stories once again and sharing their lives it means that the custodians of the vessels can learn more of the rich history connected to them and inspire more to get involved in their care to ensure they continue to exist for many generations to come. Our coastal communities are losing their obvious reason for why they existed in the first place. So many have only shadows of their working past now, it is important to record as much information as possible before the tales are lost forever.

These heritage working vessels can be a key to unlocking the stories of our rich maritime history.

The Timetable for the EHWB Mersea Hub Project

Tuesday 7th January 2025 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Introduction to the Project and on the vessels that will be featuring in the coming weeks

Tuesday 21st January 10:30am - 12:30pm
The Boats built on the Island
Oyster Skiffs - Mersea Native, Silver Spray, Spray, Golden Chance, Jinny,
Winkle Brigs- Ino, Lizzie,
Tenders - Betty Mary and Native.
The Boatbuilders will also be delved into.

Tuesday 4th February 10:30am - 12:30pm
The Boats that worked from the Island. This is a vast list so will spread it over the coming weeks starting with the boats built in Brightlingsea.
Oyster Bumkins - Gipsy & Boy George,
Sprat Skiffs- Mystery, Lilian, Marie & Alice,
Tow Haul - Bumble
Motor Skiff - Pyefleet.
Winklebrigs -Jack , Winnie, Wheezy Anna and Genesta.
Tenders - Ally Lump

Tuesday 18th February 10:30am - 12:30pm
The next ones we would like to investigate are
Still continuing with the vessels connected with the Island we look at the oyster smacks that worked from Mersea and the families that owned and worked them.
Smacks Class II- Our Boys
Smacks Class III - Boadicea, Mayflower, Dorothy, Gracie, Peace, Puritan, Priscilla, Hyacinth, Electron, G&A, Ida, Phantom, Primrose, Skylark and Sybil.

Tuesday 4th March 10:30am - 12:30pm
This week we will look at the vessels that have made Mersea their home today and how they have moved from their original purpose.
Class II Smacks - Alberta
Class III Oyster Smack - Ethel Alice, Martha II, Mayfly, Mary,
Bumpkins - Florrie May

Tuesday 18th March 10:30am - 12:30pm
A round up of the information shared over the past weeks will be a great way to close this part of the project. Of course if you have information about a vessel that still exists, built in Essex before 1965 for the purpose of work that we have missed off the above list please do contact us at www.essexheritageworkboats.com. There is the facility to register other vessels on the website.

We will take a break during April however if there is the possibility of continuing our exploration into May and also being part of the Summer Exhibition at The Museum where we can show our expanding archive material but also hopefully prompt more stories to be shared.

So we really hope you can join us in uncovering the stories connected to the vessels and of course there is tea, biscuits and lots of tales to share. We can\'t wait to get started on this exciting project and we really hope you can pop in and join us in any one or even all of the sessions.

What Makes A Vessel a Heritage Essex Workboat ?

We have three very simple criteria that we have built the register around : .

- Built in Essex
Vessels that were built in the Coastal Communities of Essex before 1965 for a variety of Maritime Commercial Activities.

- Built to Work
The Vessel was built for commercial purpose

- Built to Last
The vessel still exists and is there for another generation

Each type of vessel contains unique design traits making them indicative of not only their requirements to work in a geographically location but of the wider standing within a social context of a time period.

For more information please head over to www.essexheritageworkboats.com where you can discover the register of vessels that have been discovered so far. We have laid down the bones of the information now we need your help to really bring the stories connected to them alive.

What are the objectives of Essex Heritage Workboats?
- To undertake projects and commercial ventures that assist and provide the preservation, operation, restoration, maintenance of Essex Heritage Working Vessels
- To undertake projects and commercial ventures that preserve, educate, and share the skills required with the preservation, operation, restoration and maintenance of Essex Heritage Working Vessels
- To undertake projects that assist and provide the facilities required for the preservation, operation, restoration, maintenance of Essex Heritage Working Vessels
- To collect, collate, archive, and preserve documentation, photographic resources and artefacts associated with Essex Heritage Working Vessels and their wider social context - to make this archive accessible and usable as an online resource.
- To find commercial ventures to support the preservation, operation, restoration, maintenance, and replication of Essex Heritage Working Vessels and the wider context.

GOALS OF THE PROJECT
1. To set up the framework of the archive
2. To safeguard the physical archive material
3. To engage the services of professional advisors to ensure best practice is followed
4. To cover the costs of using the services of local Museums that hold collections
5. To ensure the archive achieves a wide area of publicity to allow access, inclusion and participation by a wider community.
6. To have a completed and comprehensive framework to host the archive by July 2025

EXPECTED OUTCOMES
1. To enable within EHWB the skills required to house an archive that is stored in a manner that can easily be accessed by a wider audience
2. To ensure the correct equipment can be accessed by EHWB to meet the above goals
3. To be able to put in place the skills and procedures required to meet the necessary archive accreditations
4. To be a recognised and reliable organisation for the safekeeping of information and material connected to Essex and her Heritage working fleet.