''President'' is a historic,

steam-powered A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be tr ...

narrowboat, built in 1909 by Fellows Morton & Clayton (FMC) at their dock at

Saltley Saltley is an inner-city area of Birmingham, east of the city centre. The area is part of the Washwood Heath ward, and was previously part of the Nechells ward. It is part of the Ladywood constituency in the city. History Saltley was originally ...

, Birmingham, England. It is now owned by the

Black Country Living Museum The Black Country Living Museum (formerly the Black Country Museum) is an open-air museum of rebuilt historic buildings in Dudley, West Midlands, England.

, where it is based. ''President'' is registered by

National Historic Ships National Historic Ships UK is a government-funded independent organisation that advises UK governments and others on matters relating to historic ships.

as part of the

National Historic Fleet The National Historic Fleet is a list of historic ships and vessels located in the United Kingdom, under the National Historic Ships register. National Historic Ships UK is an advisory body which advises the Secretary of State for Culture, Media ...

Early years

President narrowboat at the junction of the old main line and new main line

The long ''President'' was constructed in 1909 at FMC's company dock in Saltley, and cost £600 (). She was registered on 23 June that year. Her

rivet A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite to the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the rivet is placed in a punched ...

ed,

wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag Inclusion (mineral), inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a ...

hull is shaped in the 'Josher' style, named for FMC director Joshua Fellows. In 1925, the

Ruston, Proctor and Company Ruston, Proctor and Company was established in Lincoln, England in 1857, and were manufacturers of steam tractors and engines. They later became Rustons and then Ruston & Hornsby. History The firm was started as millwrights and implement man ...

steam boiler and engine were replaced by a 15 hp Bolinder crude oil engine. Ernest Thomas, a director of FMC, and a Walsall-based coal carrier, acquired the boat in 1946. She was sold to George and Matthews of Wolverhampton in 1948, but that year the UK's canals were nationalised and she finished her working days as part of

British Waterways British Waterways, often shortened to BW, was a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom. It served as the navigation authority for the majority of canals and a number of rivers and docks in England, Scotlan ...

' northern maintenance fleet, on the Trent and Mersey,

Macclesfield Macclesfield is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Bollin in the east of the county, on the edge of the Cheshire Plain, with Macclesfield Forest to its east ...

and Shropshire Union canals, from a base at Northwich.

Preservation

''President'' was bought by Nicholas Bostock and Malcolm Braine in 1973, as a derelict hull. They restored the hull and constructed a replica cabin and boiler room. A 1928 Muir and Findley " Scotch" return boiler, similar to that originally used, but operating at 100 PSI was acquired and fitted, as was a twin cylinder steam engine, originally used in a Thames launch. The boat returned to service in 1978.

Black Country Living Museum

NB President and Kildare - Soulbury Locks

''President'' was purchased by the

Black Country Living Museum The Black Country Living Museum (formerly the Black Country Museum) is an open-air museum of rebuilt historic buildings in Dudley, West Midlands, England.

in January 1983. The boiler was replaced by a Cochran dryback return flue boiler in 1990. A major refit took place from 2001–2003, including the provision of a new steam engine, pipework and cabin, plus major hull repairs. ''President'', in FMC livery, normally operates with a butty boat, ''

Kildare Kildare () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. , its population was 8,634 making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. The town lies on the R445, some west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional ce ...

''. In 1992 she paired with

on a 257 mile journey through Cheshire and Staffordshire to raise money for orphaned children in Romania. On 3 June 2012, President took part in the

Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant was a parade on 3 June 2012 of 670 boats on the Tideway of the River Thames in London as part of the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The Queen, Prince Philip and other members of th ...

in London, representing the Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, having spent three weeks making the journey from

Etruria Industrial Museum The Etruria Industrial Museum is located in Etruria, Staffordshire, in England. The museum is a typical and well-preserved example of a nineteenth century British steam-powered potter's mill. It is situated between the Trent and Mersey Canal ...

, Stoke-on-Trent, at an average speed of 3 mph. Her boiler failed an inspection in 2018 and is beyond economical repair.

Bibliography

References

External links

*
Steam Narrow Boat President

crew blog

National Historic Ships website
{{Oldest surviving ships (pre-1919) Steamboats in Europe Vehicles introduced in 1909 Black Country Living Museum Transport in Birmingham, West Midlands Canal boats of the United Kingdom Ships and vessels of the National Historic Fleet