Leonard Bentley
Westminster Pier
This is a Raphael Tuck postcard printed in Saxony, it shows the view from Westminster Bridge looking downstream towards Hungerford Bridge. In the foreground at Westminster Pier are two London County Council paddle steamers, the one on the left is the “Francis Drake” and the one on the right is the “Caxton”. There were thirty paddle steamers built for the LCC in 1904-05 each costing £6,000, but when the project was wound up in 1907 the resale value was considerably less. The “Francis Drake” was built by J.I. Thornycroft & Co at Woolston, Southampton and when sold by auction in April 1909 to Escaut & Rupel steam navigation in Tamise, Belgium and renamed Wilford I, she cost £1012.00. The “Caxton” was built by Napier & Miller & Co in Glasgow, she was sold in June 1909 for £975.00 to the City Steam Boat Company and remained on the Thames.
Westminster Pier
This is a Raphael Tuck postcard printed in Saxony, it shows the view from Westminster Bridge looking downstream towards Hungerford Bridge. In the foreground at Westminster Pier are two London County Council paddle steamers, the one on the left is the “Francis Drake” and the one on the right is the “Caxton”. There were thirty paddle steamers built for the LCC in 1904-05 each costing £6,000, but when the project was wound up in 1907 the resale value was considerably less. The “Francis Drake” was built by J.I. Thornycroft & Co at Woolston, Southampton and when sold by auction in April 1909 to Escaut & Rupel steam navigation in Tamise, Belgium and renamed Wilford I, she cost £1012.00. The “Caxton” was built by Napier & Miller & Co in Glasgow, she was sold in June 1909 for £975.00 to the City Steam Boat Company and remained on the Thames.