A Prince among tugs!

[Keelman]

[Whickham]

A fine photo. I have only seen a smaller version of this one before. PRINCE, SNOWDON and MALTA.

For PRINCE see: http://www.tynetugs.co.uk/prince1859.html

SNOWDON see: http://www.tynetugs.co.uk/snowdon1885.html

MALTA see: http://www.tynetugs.co.uk/benachie1875.html

Or John Proud's excellent book.

I believe the photo was taken in 1910 and what about the funnels with circular logos?

EDIT after a quick check in the bible, could they be Ridley tugs?

[Tynesider]

A fine photo. I have only seen a smaller version of this one before. PRINCE, SNOWDON and MALTA.

For PRINCE see: http://www.tynetugs.co.uk/prince1859.html

SNOWDON see: http://www.tynetugs.co.uk/snowdon1885.html

MALTA see: http://www.tynetugs.co.uk/benachie1875.html

Or John Proud's excellent book.

I believe the photo was taken in 1910 and what about the funnels with circular logos?

EDIT after a quick check in the bible, could they be Ridley tugs?

Hi Dave

'If ' this photo was taken in 1910 they may be older Ridley tugs with the 'Svenska Lloyd' company funnel colours whom Ridleys also had contracts with 'before' they adapted the Bergen line funnel colours from around 1923 with black funnels with the three white bands.

[magoonigal]

Which would have been a Yellow star on a blue disc on a white band.

Unless they were in the process of painting them out.

John has Joseph Ridley ? to 1920 and The Ridley Steam Tug Co Ltd 1920-1939 for the Svenska Lloyd connection.

[magoonigal]

They might also be the two tugs owned by John Coulson, 'Star of Hope' and 'Prince of Wales' as their funned colours were 'Not Known' prior to 1918..........

[davidships]

Doubt that the two "disc" tugs were the Svenska Lloyd ones. Apart from the Coulson possibility, I suppose that they may from one of the lighterage companies not covered by Proud.

Behind them, the twin funnels of one the Brown tugs.

What about the three funnels behind MALTA? The furthest, with the cross, probably not a tug. The plain one perhaps one of Readhead's.
The one with a (fishery?) number that looks like "2553" and could be a paddle trawler/tug

The trawler SD13 on the left edge was Vedra Steam Fishing's MINERVA (1900-1917) of Sunderland. But what about the twin-funnels behind her - appears to have a white star?