The steam tug tender DANIEL ADAMSON was constructed as the RALPH BROCKLEBANK for the Shropshire Union Canal and Railway Company in 1903 by the Tranmere Bay Development Company. The passenger carrying capability of the tug-tenders facilitated the provision of a scheduled cross-river passenger service.

DANIEL ADAMSON was acquired along with sister vessels W.E. DORRINGTON and LORD STALBRIDGE by the Manchester Ship Canal Company in 1921 and remained in service as a tug and passenger vessel used by the ship canal company for special for guests and directors. Outlasting her sisters by many years she was finally laid up at the The Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port in 1986.

Unfortunately lack of maintenance and vandalism meant that by 2004 she was in a sorry state and her owners The Manchester Ship Canal Company, part of the Peel Ports Group, planned to sell her for scrap to a Garston based breakers.

Fortunately the Manchester Ship Canal Company’s intentions became known to professional tug man Dan Cross who set about the task of saving her.

The Daniel Adamson Preservation Society was established quickly and by April 2004 her ownership had passed to the society.

After many years of hard work the historical and cultural importance of Britain’s last surviving tug – tender was recognised and in early 2015 it was confirmed that the National Lottery had awarded a £3.8m grant to fund the vessels restoration and reintroduction to service for cruises.

She entered Cammell Laird ship yard at Birkenhead during the summer of 2015 for a complete rebuild and made her public debut in 2016.

This large collection of images were taken by your web master in the early days of the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society. Some have appeared before on the Irish Sea Shipping and original DAPS web site. However I am now presenting the full collection which I took.

To find out more about the Daniel Adamson and book a trip on this splendid steamship please visit http://www.thedanny.co.uk .