The Buckingham Flotilla for Sale

“Twelve decorated canal boats puffed their way into Buckingham Canal Basin on May Day 1801. Pride of place in the prow of the first went to the Marquis of Buckingham, who was joined by Messrs Praed and Selby (Canal Committee members), and Philip Box, Buckingham’s greatest banker. The great, the good and a supporting festival band were on succeeding craft; the rear being 3 narrow boats containing typical cargoes: coal, slate and fine goods. After a Civic welcome complete with cannon fire, all the dignitaries repaired to Cobham Arms Inn for a handsome dinner, presumably subsidised by the Marquis.”

It is one thing to show what the Canal might do for Buckingham and North Bucks in terms of enabling both heavy bulk goods and fragile knick-knacks to be imported cheaply, speedily and safely, but another matter to ensure that entrepreneurs were equipped to rise to the challenge: to fill the canal with craft and pour money into the coffers of the Canal Company. After all, Buckingham’s canal link was super narrow gauge. It wasn’t just a case of boats from the Midlands or Paddington turning right or left at Stony Stratford and chugging along the nine and a quarter miles to Buckingham. Most craft were too wide to navigate our link.

But Messrs Praed and Selby aided and abetted by the Marquis and the rest of the Committee had engineered a crafty ruse. All was revealed barely a week later in an advertisement in the Northampton Mercury placed by Stony Stratford’s brilliant auctioneer: John Day. Before the month of May was out, he held a great auction at the Stony Stratford Wharf of stout canal boats, each capable of carrying upwards of a ton of freight and suitable for the Buckingham Arm. They had been the property of the proprietors of the Canal.

By now, you will have guessed how many were on offer: TWELVE. The flower bedecked, glory barges bought for the opening ceremony had been stripped of their finery and were flogged ready to carry bricks to Buckingham. Ed Grimsdale.