Name Governor

This Ex-BCN rivetted iron ice-boat tug was one of 16 built at Bumble Hole in Netherton, near Dudley, by Messrs. William Harris and Sons in the early 1940's. It worked through the Second World War for the James Yates Company at Cannock pulling day boats from the collieries to power stations and steelworks at Wolverhampton. In 1950, it was acquired by Alfred Matty and Sons Ltd of Tipton and worked with other company tugs OXFORD, ATLANTIC, AND PACIFIC on the Birmingham Canal Navigations.  GOVERNOR was the favorite boat of Alfred Matty which became known as 'the Governors’ boat' and was subsequently renamed accordingly.  She was originally named after an aircraft as were the others in the series. Matty's finished in the mid-1970's to become the crane hire company Dewsbury and Proud.  The bare hull of GOVERNOR lay on the canal-side at the Matty basin in Coseley for many years, then in 1986 it was restored with a steel cabin and a Gardner 3LW engine and gearbox. The present livery is from 1950, but it had two very different liveries after this one. In May 2023, she went into new ownership.  GOVERNOR is fitted with creature comforts to cruise the system for six months every year.