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Tom and James Draper Collection

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CRT/DRA

Administrative /​ Biographical history

Tom Draper Collection: Admin History [E 2009.01] Tom Draper (1902-c1985) was the eldest son of James and Jane Elizabeth (née Aspinall) Draper, both from well known boating families in Burscough, Lancashire. Tom worked for 52 years on the Leeds & Liverpool canal. He left school aged 12 and worked for the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Company for 52 years before retiring in 1967. He initially worked with his father as mate on the Foulridge steam tug that pulled boats through the Foulridge tunnel (1,640 yards) at the summit of the canal near Barnoldswick. The tug ‘Foulridge’ had dual tillers at the front and back of the boat and was built by Hudsons of Whitebirk, nr Blackburn in 1880. It continued to tow up to 13 boats at a time through the Tunnel until 1937 when the service was withdrawn and the boat scrapped. Boats were charged 5 shillings (25p.) for each passage. Tom succeeded his father as master of the tug on his retirement, and subsequently worked as a lengthsman working on the canal banks. He and his disabled brother James were keen amateur photographers and contributed many photographs and memories of working life on the canal. In his retirement he lived in Warehouse Lane, Foulridge Timothy Peters, 15 August 2010

Associated material

Photographic collections [D0720] and [D0763]

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