The name Ino comes from Greek mythology and has been used to name a number of vessels. Ino was a mortal, princess of Thebes and Queen of Boeotia, who was transformed by the gods into a marine deity named Leucothea, who is the protector goddess of sailors.

INO
1.21gross registered tons cutter. 16.3' x 6.6' x 2.5'. completed 7/1928*. 7/8/1940 Owned by Clifford Pullen (master), West Mersea as CK109. 11/12/1957 No longer fishing. Photo: TSM_051 [John Collins Nottage Institute - Mersea Boat Builders]
* 1928 is the registered date.

An old transom from INO on display in transoms exhibition in Mersea Museum in 2024

INO was a wooden Winkle Brig built at William Wyatt's boatyard in West Mersea to be used for picking up sacks of collected winkles.

Clifford 'Chippy' Pullen owner of INO was born in 1891 in West Mersea, the son of 'Billy' John William Pullen, a fisherman in the oyster industry, and his wife Ellen May Pullen née Fincham.

Clifford had brothers and sisters Edith, Wilfred, Arthur, Herbert and Rupert. Arthur was killed in action in WW1 on 23rd August 1918 aged 24. His parents' address is given as High Street, West Mersea. They were to remain there until their deaths Ellen, aged 88 in 1948 and Billy at the age of 90 in 1951. I believe it to be the house on the corner of High Street and Melrose Road. [See Mersea Museum Image ID PUL_OPA_147 for a picture of Billy outside their house].

In 1911 aged 20 and a fisherman Clifford was living at home 'near the church' in West Mersea.

Clifford married Kate French in 1913.

By 1921 Clifford and his wife are living in Captain's Road, West Mersea with their 7 year old child, Victor Clifford Pullen, and Clifford's mother-in-law widow Ada French.

In the 1939 register the family is in 1, York Cottage, Churchfield, West Mersea; Clifford and Kate have two boys Victor Clifford and Donald E Pullen plus one other whose name is redacted.

The family was to remain in York Cottage and Clifford died aged 76 in 1967. His son Victor Clifford who appears on the probate is described as a sailmaker.

Ron Green thinks that it was Clifford's father who first had INO and John Collins from the Nottage Institute gives a date of 7.8. 1940 for Clifford.

The next known owner was John Dudley Gladwell, known as 'Dick', who was born in 1935 and married Gertrude (now known as Gerda). His father and mother Harold Albert Gladwell and Ruby Beatrice Mole married at West Mersea Church in 1926; in the 1939 register, Harry, a builder's carpenter and his family, were living in the Council Houses. Dick worked at Wyatt's and his son, David, is an oysterman.

In the Mistral magazine (the journal of the Mersea Island Society) Andy and Margarite White paid tribute to Dick.

one of the few surviving true shipwrights and in my mind personifies the old expression of 'wooden ships, iron men!' and is without doubt an interesting character and font of knowledge.  Mistral Journal of the Mersea Island Society. 2009 Page 13 The Gentleman's Yacht by Andy and Margarite White

At the second session of the Heritage Boat project it was discussed that 'an Irishman' who worked at Wyatt's had the boat after Dick. Then Don Bland 1967? then Simon Bland 2000? then Adam Bland 2022.

'Chippy' Pullen standing in front of 482CK KINGFISHER, 375CK EDITH, 269CK BUTTERCUP on Mersea Hard.

Elaine Barker
Compiled for Essex Heritage Workboats Project