We have heard of the ‘Annie Jones’ but know very little about her other than she was a houseboat berthed at Smallgains Creek. This great picture from Norman Chisholm’s collection started us asking about her. We have two mentions of her here on the website.
- ‘At one time we lived near the creek enjoying many happy hours on the Annie Jones houseboat, loaned to us by a friend.’ Quote from the late Joyce Humphrey
- Peg Kitchener talks about the old ship ‘Annie Jones’ berthed in the mudbank in a picture about the little rowing boat ‘little Peggy’ on Smallgains Creek.
Do you remember her? Can you tell us who owned and/or lived on her. Please comment below.
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Hi, I didn’t remember the name but this is the boat that was for many years left high and dry in the middle of Small Gains Creek after the dam was built post Flood. You can check it’s position by the brickworks chimney at the Salvation Army Colony in the distance. This photo seems to date from when the Creek was tidal (mooring chains, rowing boat etc) I’ve just got one memory of it pre-Flood, on a hot summer day (1950?) I went with my Dad to retrieve his Prouts folding canoe which had been stolen and found it’s way aboard the houseboat. It was being looked after by Fred and Lil Wiles who were living there at the time. Later in the1960s Fred with Buck Hodder put in many of the concrete side roads on Canvey and Lil owned the Roadhouse Cafe. p.s. I think there was a rickety board-walk over the saltings to the houseboat so it was accessible except at the highest tides.
Is that a small child sitting/standing at the top of the steps. I am not sure but this could be the boat we used to play on when we were kids. Would be mid 50’s. If not there would have been another berthed in the creek about the Same size.
There is no-one on the steps Joan. As far as I know this was the only one of this size.
Bob Craske’s recent comment on the ‘Is this the Annie Jones’ 2016 page prompted me to refer back to this original reference to the old hulk. Subsequent to my comment at that time I soon had second thoughts and decided that this was not the residence of the Wiles family as the bow of their boat faced west towards the bow of the Annie Jones which was a short distance away and was probably already a hulk! I think Jan did some investigating and came up with a name for Wiles’s houseboat.
Ah! the Annie Jones ‘ an intrysting place in the late 50s 😘😇🤔😀. G.
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