Water Witch (1835 steamer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | Water Witch |
| Operator | |
| Builder | George Graham, Harwich |
| Launched | 6 August 1835 |
| Fate | Broken up by 1863 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 89 tons burthen |
| Length | 105 ft 9 in (32.23 m) |
| Beam | 16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) |
| Depth of hold | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) |
| Installed power | 80 horsepower (60 kW) |
| Propulsion | 2-cylinder beam engine driving side paddle wheels |
The Water Witch was an early British paddle steamer, a type of ship that used large wheels on its sides to move through the water. It was built in 1835 in Harwich, England. This ship was known for being very fast. It was used to carry passengers and goods on different routes, including between Dover and London, and later along the south coast of England and in the Bristol Channel.
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About the Water Witch
The Water Witch was launched on August 6, 1835, by George Graham. It was built in what used to be the Royal Naval Dockyard in Harwich, Essex. After being finished on the River Thames, it arrived in Dover on September 24, 1835.
The ship was about 105 ft 9 in (32.23 m) long, which is roughly the length of three school buses. It was 16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) wide and 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) deep. The Water Witch was powered by an 80-horsepower engine, which turned two large paddle wheels on its sides. This engine was a special type called a beam engine, made by Maudslay, Sons and Field.
Service from Kent Ports
The Water Witch was first owned by John Hayward of Dover and others, including its builder, George Graham. Its captain was William Hayward. The Hayward family was one of the first private companies to run steamships from Dover.
The ship was built to offer regular trips, called steam packet services, from Dover to London and to Boulogne, France. The Water Witch quickly became known for its speed. It was even faster than the ships used by the British Post Office and French government ships in speed tests.
At first, it shared the London route with another ship called Dover Castle. For trips to Boulogne, it worked with the Royal George. By 1837, the Water Witch was mainly used for the Boulogne route.
In 1843, a railway line from London reached Folkestone. The South Eastern Railway Company hired the Water Witch for a special test trip. They wanted to see if a ferry service from Folkestone Harbour to Boulogne was possible. The trip was a success, showing that people could make a day trip to France from London. Even though other ships took over the public service, the Water Witch was hired again for ten months in 1844 when those ships stopped running.
Poole-Portsmouth Service
In early 1845, the Water Witch was sold to a new company called the Poole, Isle of Purbeck, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth Steam Packet Company. The ship was then registered in Poole.
It started a new service, running twice a week between Poole and Portsmouth. It also stopped at places like Brownsea Island, Yarmouth, and Cowes. Besides carrying passengers and goods, the Water Witch was also used as a tug boat. This meant it could help pull larger ships into and out of Poole Harbour.
However, a new railway line opened in 1847. This meant fewer people and less freight needed to be carried by ship. The company looked for other ways to use the Water Witch, which was their only ship. They thought about starting a service to the Channel Islands. But by mid-1848, no new plans had worked out, so the Water Witch was put up for sale. It took until the end of the year to find a buyer.
Bristol Channel Services
In February 1849, the Water Witch began a new job for the North Devon Steam Packet Company, based in Bideford. It connected Bideford and Barnstaple with Bristol. It had separate weekly trips to each Devon port and also stopped at Ilfracombe and Lynmouth. These trips were timed so passengers could easily connect with ships going to Liverpool from Bristol.
In September 1851, the ship offered free return trips for people traveling to the Great Exhibition in London. After this, the ship was put up for sale by auction. It was offered for sale again in December when its North Devon trips had ended. The Water Witch was offered for sale once more in early 1853, still in Bideford, but it didn't seem to have been used much in 1852.
On January 12, 1857, after big repairs and getting new engines, the Water Witch started carrying goods between Gloucester and Bideford, stopping at Swansea. It also continued to offer tug services to other ports in the Bristol Channel.
