Click to expand old pictures of Ramsgate and Margate

Note the old Royal Hotel building on the right 

Between The Royal Hotel on the left and the Albion hotel in the middle is the entrance to Harbour Street, before the demolition of The Albion Hotel in the late 1890s to make way for Madeira Walk

A bit of a rushed post today as I am busy working at Michaels Bookshop in Ramsgate I expect the shop will quieten down as soon as I finish writing this blog.

Customers related to Thanet local history books tend to take time as many of them need advice about how to find out what they want to know from the books on the shelves. 

I did this pen and wash sketch yesterday base on one of Jeanne Mammen's paintings.

Some Ramsgate Tugs, some Margate Pictures from 1965 and one of Broadstairs around 1930

There were three Ramsgate steam tugs called "Aid"

This is Ramsgate tug Aid 1 1865-1891

Aid [1] Built 1855 by Money Wigram & Sons, Blackwall.  Wood paddle tug. L89.2'. B18'. D8.9'. 112grt. 50nhp 2cyl compound steam engine by  John Stewart, Blackwall. ON24691.

1855 Delivered to The Royal Harbour of Ramsgate Trust, London. 1865 Owners The Board of Trade, London. 1890 Sold to John W Spicer & others, Wapping, London. 1891 Sold to James T Morgan & others, London. 1899 Owners The Shipowners' Tug Co Ltd, London. 1900 Sold to Dutch owners.

This is Ramsgate tug Aid 2, not the tall ship but the tug with two funnels, possibly 1890-1914 

Aid [2] Built by W. Allsup & sons of Preston she arrived at Ramsgate in 1890 and was a 120 h.p. twin-funnelled paddle tug of 194 tons, 

She worked from Ramsgate until July 1914; was put up for sale, eventually being bought by the Admiralty in July 1915 and transferred to Dover. 

This is Ramsgate tug Aid 3, she seems to be towing Gravesend tug Doria 

Aid, [3] built 1914 by Bow, McLachlan and Co., Paisley.  Yard number 313.
90ftx18ftx9ft, 500 hp.
September 1914 delivered to Ramsgate Harbour Trustees.
1921, owners Ministry of transport, London.
1934, owners Borough of Ramsgate.
1937, owners Risdon Beazley.
28.8.1939, requisitioned by Royal Navy.
June 1940, at Dunkirk.

29.11.1940, sunk by German destroyer 7 miles off Start Point, 5 crew lost.

another of Aid 2

and another of Aid 2

This one Vulcan, note before the tower on the Granville was lowered in 1900

The main thing Ramsgate tugs are noted for, depicted in this painting by Frederick Tudgay, is towing the Ramsgate lifeboat out to rescues. mostly this involves towing to upwind of the wreck on the Goodwin Sands, letting the rowed lifeboat go across the shallow water ans steaming around to the deep water on the other side to pick up survivors.

Aid 2

Not sure what "Old Trafford" is doing in the harbour or id she ever worked at Ramsgate.

The tug  Vincia AKA Chub. If ever a tug ought to be known in Thanet it's the Vincia AKA Chub launched in 1909 biult for Watkins in 1914 she was requisitioned by the royal navy for the downs patrol and was stationed in Ramsgate during WWI she went back to Watkins and was requisitioned again as a downs patrol vessel in 1939 she crossed the Dunkirk towing 3 lifeboats landed 24 evacuees Margate then 180 took men from the sinking HMS Keith she was return to Watkins in 1941.

here is the link to photos of a model tug exhibition in Ramsgate in 2010

This is our very own Cervia working at Gravesend

From the Thames Tugs website here is the link

1st June 1940, note this is not the Cervia in Ramsgate harbor at the moment but the previous tug of that name.

0720 1 Mile east of Dunkirk pier, "Royalty" being towed at full speed, slipped tow and beached herself head on, on Malo beach. Air attack. Nine bombs fell in a line along the starboard side of the "Keith" which was outside "Cervia". Got underway to avoid the turning and twisting destroyer. Picked up boat of "Royalty" and also S/B "Duchess"

0800 "Keith" began to list and was again bombed; her guns were going all the time as she steamed round and round. She then stopped and let go her anchor. As the crew began to abandon ship the bombers machine guns gunned them.

The tug "Vincia" began to pick up survivors and the tug "St Abbs" got alongside the "Keith" starboard bow. A sloop also went to her assistance. "Cervia" turned around and picked up soldiers from a L/B

0815 At this time the Dr "Ivanhoe" to the westward was seen to be disabled and a small tanker the M/S "Skipjack" astern of the "Vincia" went up in flames. "Cervia" then took the sailing barge "Tollesbury", which had 200 troops under the hatches in tow. The M.L.B. "Orient IV" was added to the tow and "Cervia" proceeded down Dunkirk roads, when west of the pier heads, "Ivanhoe" was seen to be in tow of the "Persia" and "Vincia" with decks full of survivors passed the "Cervia"

0900 At No 5 W Buoy about 20 planes appeared. "Ivanhoe" put up a smoke screen and 9 bombs fell near a cross channel boat which however kept going 5 bombs fell about 100 feet on "Cervia’s" port bow lifting the tug out of the water. A bomb exploded between a sloop and the disabled destroyer she was towing (M/S "Saltash" towing Dr "Havant")

1500 In the Downs "Cervia" was met by the tug "Java" and ordered to Ramsgate. In all "Cervia" brought about 230 troops out of Dunkirk, the "Tollesbury and crew and crews of the "Duchess" and "Royalty" and the "Orient IV 

Not sure which tug is in the middle.

John Batey

Margate next with three photos from the Mick Twyman collection 

Margate Walmer Castle Mill Lane 1965

Margate Cranbourne Place 1965

Margate  Mill Lane 1965

Broadstairs 

Broadstairs around 1930

Ramble 

Thanks for the FB response to my post on Friday about our paddle streamers link if you missed it 

click here for the latest books to go out in the bookshop in Ramsgate 

Here at work at Michaels Bookshop in Ramsgate I have had plenty of local people to help work out who lived in their house at different times between 1849 and 1974, so lots of examining old maps and directories. Here is the link to the post about how to find out who lived in your house 

And a sketch from yesterday