TYNE TUGS AND TUG BUILDERS
A history of Tyne Tugs, their builders and owners

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Above: Select the required Tug Owner by using the initial letter of the Owner's Name eg: Batey, Lawson or Tyne.
KEY BELOW: D / H / P (D = basic dimensions are shown; H = a history is given; P = one or more photographs are available)

Tug Owner: William Purdy, North Shields

When the UK fishing fleet was composed entirely of sailed powered boats, it was the custom to hire tugs to take them in and out of harbour.

In November, 1877, North Shields tug-owner, William Purdy, fitted trawl gear to the paddle tug MESSENGER. He came to be acknowledged locally as the first to introduce steam trawling on the Tyne. His fleet of steam trawlers, which lasted into the 1960s, included a boat named after himself.

Tug Name Year D / H / P
Defiance 1854 D / H
Messenger 1843 D / H
Netherton 1838 D / H
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