The Whitstable Oyster fleet, in its heyday during the late 19th century, filled the bay as it worked the beds. By 1920 the fleet was severely diminished and many of the dredgermen left the sea for work on the land. One of these, Jim Rowden of Island Wall, drew up a list of all of the yawls and their owners that he could recall in the previous fourty-five years. This list was published in the Whitstable Times in March 1940. It not only gives us an opportunity to find members of our families who may have owned a yawl but gives us a cross-match against census data and other records that help identify working relationships between these men and their crews. The listing on this page is duplicated for ease of tracing your interest, the first being in order of the owners, with the second in order of the Yawl's name.

It will be seen that some yawls had more than one owner in this period and some owners had more than one yawl, but perhaps not at the same time.

As with many pages on Oystertown.net this page will grow as more information is collated. Any assistance you can make in adding to this compilation would be appreciated.

Owner	Name of Yawl	'People' notes.
.	.	.
Allen G.	Queen	.
Appleton E.	Jessie	.
Ashby J.	Go Forward	.
Barton J.	Ellenor Ann	.
Browning O.	Angler	.
Butcher R.	Darling	Probably Robert Butcher (1823-1901)
Butcher R.	Grace	" ".
Camburn G.	Francois	.
Camburn J.	Beatrice	.
Camburn W.	Minnie Brown	.
Carden M.	Elizabeth	.
Carden M.	Favourite	.
Carden N.	Expedient	.
Carden W.	Iris	.
Care W.	Series	.
Collar C.	Victory	.
Collar M.	Ellen Jane	.
Dale A.	Mary and Nellie	.
Dale J.	Quicksilver	.
Dale J.	Royal Sovereign	.
Dunning R.	Jenny	.
Dunning R.	Alfred and Sarah	.
Eastfield	Vigilent	.
Emptage J.	Erato	.
Emptage J.	Pearl	.
Emptage J.	Rosa and Ada	.
Emptage J.	Nancy	.
Fagg G.	Thomas and Alfred	.
Foad E.	Mary Ann	.
Foad H.	Ernest	.
Foad S.	Invicta	.
Foreman	Ann Moira	.
Foreman F.	Ada Maria	.
Foreman H.	Herbert	.
Freind G.	Grace Stuart	.
Friend	Shamrock	.
Friend S.	Robert and Elizabeth	.
Friend W.	Jason	.
Gaskin R.	Wings of Morning	.
Gisby J.	Undine	.
Gisby J.	Henry and Mary	.
Goldfinch	Sidney	.
Goldfinch	X.L.	.
Harnett	Willie	.
Harnett	Duchess	.
Harnett	Marian	.
Humphrey	Brittania	.
Humphrey W.	Wild-Rose	.
Jutson	Satalite	.
Kemp M.	Ebenezer	.
Knight T.	Rebel	.
Marshall	Armoral	.
Marshall	Retriever	.
Olive M.	Comet	.
Olive R.	Puriculum	.
Paysden H.	Twins	.
Paysden J.	Four Brothers	.
Perkins C.	Stormy Petrel	.
Perkins H.	Mary Bell	.
Putwain	Jennette	.
Putwain W.	Maria	.
Rigden A.	Lavenia	.
Rigden B.	John and Mary	.
Rigden D.	Magpie	.
Rigden G.	Hilda	.
Rigden G.	Freda	.
Rigden H.	Rival	.
Rigden J.	Juno	.
Rigden J.	Greyhound	.
Rigden M.	Lucy	.
Rigden R.	Sela	.
Rigden T.	Alma	.
Rigden T.	Honey Bee	.
Rigden W.	Ibis	.
Rowden A.	Ann	.
Rowden A.	Alfred and Mary	.
Rowden E.	Bluebell	.
Rowden J.	Clio	.
Rowden O.	Violet	.
Rowden W.	Farie	.
Rowden W.	Pet	.
Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	Serbrinia	.
Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	Blackball	.
Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	Paragon	.
Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	Seasalter	.
Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	Eliza	.
Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	Friendship	.
Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	Four Brothers	.
Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	Nellie	.
Sheppard W.	William and Emma	.
Shilling C.	Delenia	.
Shingleton J.	Flossie	.
Stroud	Gamecock	.
Stroud A.	William and Emma	.
Stroud A.	Skylark	.
Stroud H. & W.	Swift	.
Stroud J.	Eva	.
Terry J.	John	.
Terry W.	Irene	.
Tilley A.	Ocean Queen	.
Tilley J.	Palestine	.
Tilley W.	Lizzie	.
Tilley W.	Surprise	.
Warner B.	Allan	.
Warner C.	Gertrude	.
Warner J.	Kent	.
Warner J.	Clyde	.
Warner J.	Thistle	.
Warner J.	St. Negans	.
Warner W.	Post Boy	.
Wetherley	Blanche	.
Whitstable Oyster Co.	ThomasFord	.
Whitstable Oyster Co.	Betsy	.
Whitstable Oyster Co.	Native	.
Whorlow C.	Emma	.
Whorlow G.	Monarch	.
Whorlow H.		.
Whorlow H.	Emerline	.
Whorlow P.	Planet	.
Whorlow W.	Emerald	.
Whorlow W.	Beatrice II	.

Name of Yawl	Owners	Additional notes.
.	.	.
Ada Maria	Foreman F.	.
Alfred and Mary	Rowden A.	.
Alfred and Sarah	Dunning R.	.
Allan	Warner B.	.
Alma	Rigden T.	.
Angler	Browning O.	.
Ann	Rowden A.	.
Ann Moira	Foreman	.
Armoral (Amorel)	Marshall	F10. An ex-Colchester smack, winner of many Regattas.
Beatrice	Camburn J.	.
Beatrice II	Whorlow W.	.
Betsy	Whitstable Oyster Co.	No. 9786, 22 tons. 1881 Census - Watch boat. Or No. 9777, 1871 Census- Watch boat. Company records list as F229.
Blackball	Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	F129. A boomsail bawley.
Blanche	Wetherley	.
Bluebell	Rowden E.	Built in 1901.Reportedly sold off in 1947 to become a yacht. Last seen in Douarnenz.
Brittania	Humphrey	.
Clio	Rowden J.	F284. A boomsail bawley.
Clyde	Warner J.	F7. Later renamed "Pembeth". Built by Aldous at Brightlingsea in 1912 and now based on the River Deben.
Comet	Olive M.	.
Darling	Butcher R.	.
Delenia	Shilling C.	.
Duchess	Harnett	.
Ebenezer	Kemp M.	.
Eliza	Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	.
Elizabeth	Carden M.	F332, 10 ton.
Ellen Jane	Collar M.	F28, 89853, 16 ton.
Ellenor Ann	Barton J.	.
Emerald	Whorlow W.	.
Emeline	Whorlow H.	F14. More to follow soon.
Emma	Whorlow C.	.
Erato	Emptage J.	F127. A boomsail rigged bawley.
Ernest	Foad H.	.
Eva	Stroud J.	F107 Built in 1888, sold to Colchester around 1911.
Expedient	Carden N.	.
Farie	Rowden W.	.
Favourite	Carden M.	On view, Island Wall, Whitstable. The Favourite Trust have their own website, here.
Flossie	Shingleton J.	.
Four Brothers	Paysden J.	.
Four Brothers	Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	.
Francois	Camburn G.	F3. A bawley from the Medway.
Freda	Rigden G.	F142
Friendship	Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	.
Gamecock	Stroud	F76. More to follow soon.
Gertrude	Warner C.	.
Go Forward	Ashby J.	.
Grace	Butcher R.	.
Grace Stuart	Freind G.	.
Greyhound	Rigden J.	.
Henry and Mary	Gisby J.	.
Herbert	Foreman H.	F97.
Hilda	Rigden G.	.
Honey Bee	Rigden T.	F54.
Ibis	Rigden W.	F52. Later re-registered MN58. Recently took place in classic boat races in the Bahamas.
Invicta	Foad S. (also Wheeler, Richard.)	F58, built 1889, broken up 1917.
Irene	Terry W.	.
Iris	Carden W.	.
Jason	Friend W.	.
Jennette	Putwain	.
Jenny	Dunning R.	.
Jessie	Appleton E.	.
John	Terry J.	.
John and Mary	Rigden B.	F16. Sold to Peacock family, Gillingham 1930's.
Juno	Rigden J.	.
Kate	Whorlow H. (Albert Whorlow 1903)	F87 Sold to Peacock family, Gillingham 1930. Built by Collars.
Kent	Warner J.	.
Lavenia	Rigden A.	.
Lizzie	Tilley W.	.
Lucy	Rigden M.	.
Magpie	Rigden D.	.
Maria	Putwain W.	.
Marian	Harnett	.
Mary and Nellie	Dale A.	F45.
Mary Ann	Foad, Edwin.	F115, built 1873.
Mary Bell	Perkins H.	.
Minnie Brown	Camburn W.	.
Monarch	Whorlow G.	F80.
Nancy	Emptage J.	.
Native	Whitstable Oyster Co.	F101. In its latter days used as one of the companies 3 watch-boats.
Nellie	Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	F79. For a time used as the watch-boat on the Pollard grounds.
Ocean Queen	Tilley A.	.
Palestine	Tilley J.	.
Paragon	Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	.
Pearl	Emptage J.	.
Pet	Rowden W.	.
Planet	Whorlow P.	.
Post Boy	Warner W.	F37. Listed for one period as the Whitstable Oyster Companiy's stock carrier.
Puriculum	Olive R.	.
Queen	Allen G.	.
Quicksilver	Dale J.	.
Rebel	Knight T.	.
Retriever	Marshall	.
Rival	Rigden H.	.
Robert and Elizabeth	Friend S.	.
Rosa and Ada	Emptage J.	F105, built in 1908 by Collars. Now based as a cruise boat in Troon, Scotland. Rosa and Ada website.
Royal Sovereign	Dale J.	F140. Built by Collars.
Satellite	Jutson	F11. Clinker built. First registered 1874 by J. Kemp, ended up as a Gravesend shrimper.
Seasalter	Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	F322. At 65ft one of the largest of the smacks and the flagship of the company. Used for collecting young oysters and spat from Essex and the Continent.
Sela	Rigden R.	Could be 'Stella. F12. A boomsail bawley.
Serbrinia	Seasalter & Ham Oyster Co.	.
Series	Care W.	.
Shamrock	Friend	Since renamed ELELE. Built in 1901 by Collars. Now somewhere in America.
Sidney (Sydney)	Goldfinch	F110. Built in Whitstable in 1828.
Skylark	Stroud A.	F117, 'Skylark' circa 1927. Recently found pictures.
Stormy Petrel	Perkins C.	F71. Rebuilt by Dick Norris at Gillingham. More details. Plus a little tale from the past about one of her trips - The Ship that wouldn't sink.
St. Negans	Warner J.	Thought to be F6, 'St. Agnes'. Pictured here in 1947.
Surprise	Tilley W.	.
Swift	Stroud H. & W.	.
Thistle	Warner J.	F86. Built in 1908. In use until 1980. Currently located at Gillingham, Kent. Recent pictures taken at Faversham where she moors when in our area.
Thomas and Alfred	Fagg G.	F1. An old Medway bawley.
Thomas Foord	Whitstable Oyster Co.	Currently at Kingsbridge? Possible F99 listed on 1901 census.
Three Brothers	Kemp, Frederick	F134. Registered in 1866, used for Continental trips. Sold to Seasalter & Ham Oyster Fishery in 1899 and used as watchboat before being broken up in 1946.
Twins	Paysden H.	.
Undine	Gisby J.	.
Victory	Collar C.	.
Vigilent	Eastfield	.
Violet	Rowden O.	.
Wild-Rose	Humphrey W.	.
William and Emma	Sheppard W.	.
William and Emma	Stroud A.	.
Willie	Harnett	.
Wings of Morning	Gaskin R. (Dick Gascoigne)	F39.
X.L.	Goldfinch	F61

Sadly few of these vessels still survive. The Favourite, landlocked and in the hands of a trust, the Gamecock and the Emeline which often grace our waters, can still be seen.

This list also has omissions, such as "Speedwell" and "Gypsy" which we will add once we confirm their class as their tonnage might suggest 'ketch' rather than 'yawl'.

More..

As information has been gathered for this page some interesting facts have emerged, such as the story that the 'Gamecock' and the 'Rosa and Ada' had their keels cut from the same baulk of timber - Two blood sisters that still survive. Other information, such as the hull and sail construction of these boats will be covered on a future page, when we fully understand them ourselves.