COMPANY
HISTORY
Board a Turk’s boat and you become part
of an unbroken tradition of boatbuilding and passenger boat operation
on the Thames, stretching back to the time of Richard the Lionheart.
In fact, early records show a Turk engaged, in 1195, in building two
galleys for “the
defence of the Realm” on land near the Tower of London. And
a shipwright Turk was Lord Mayor of London in 1230, long before Dick
Whittington made his famous journey.
The present business was established by Richard Turk,
in Kingston, in 1710 during the reign of Queen Anne, when road transport
was still both difficult and dangerous and the river ruled. Today R
J Turk and its associated companies are run by his great-great-great
grandson, Richard Daniel Turk, who intends to keep them in the family.
He took over from his father Michael Turk who has been the most prominent
of his predecessors. Michael Turk has been a Swan Master and Bargemaster
to the Vintners' Company and a Queen's Waterman. He is also a Past
Master of The Company of Waterman & Lightermen of the River Thames.
In 1997 he built the Grand Turk which was the most ambitious vessel
ever built by a Turk.
Initially, the firm concentrated on building passenger
wherries and fishing punts, but our reputation soon spread and soon
we were making boats for English and foreign royalty and exporting
pleasure craft – especially touring canoes and skiffs - all over
the world, often winning prizes at international exhibitions. We even
built boats for the amusement of Queen Victoria on the Home Park waters! |
