The History of City Barges

Kings, Queens, Lord Mayors and other dignataries have been rowed by their servants on rivers for centuries and this transport is almost as old as the cities themselves. Rivers were the most important means of transport in many of the world's capital cities. In some cases, the town had no bridge, or it had been swept away, so people had to rely on a ferry to take them across the river. In Venice the main streets are still the canals and water transport is one of the principle way to travel. - as it was in 1450. Venice was a very rich town and so it had a ceremonial barge, the Bucentaur, for the Doge to travel in. It was richly carved, decorated in gold and rowed band serviced by officials in gorgeous costumes. For certain annual events, the Bucentaur was used and was a centrepiece to any carnival or celebration

In Thailand too - there were ceremonial barges for important people.

This tradition of using ceremonial barges was continued by Royalty in Great Britain. Indeed Queen Elizabeth I was rowed to her coronation. She and subsequent monarchs had many pageants and processions on the Thames. Catharine of Braganza  was rowed up the river in a barge to meet her future husband, King Charles II.  After this time, the city livery companies decided to emulate Royalty and they arranged a Lord Mayor's procession on the river Thames. Since the Lord Mayor was chosen from among the officials of the largest livery companies, it was important that each livery company should have its own barge.

From around 1850, the barges began to need expensive repairs and the Lord Mayor's procession had become land based. It is believed that Oriel college, Oxford, purchased the Goldsmith's barge in 1848. Other colleges, such as Brasenose and Christchurch also had barges, from reports of the Torpids, in the 1850s. There were no boathouses along the river in Oxford at the time, so the ceremonial barges were moored at strategic places so that spectators could watch the rowing races from some more sheltered accommodation. None of the original city livery company barges of the 18th century have survived, but some of those built in the mid 19th  have survived and are being restored : namely Oriel, University College, Jesus, St Johns and Magdalen and New College, - at least two of these being moored near hotels on the River Thames downstream from Oxford. (for further information as to where to find these barges - refer to Clare Sherriffs book on The Oxford College Barges.)(links to books etc)

Although it is believed that Cambridge University also purchased, or tried to purchase barges from City livery companies, none actually reached the Cambridge colleges. One explanation is that they couldn't just be rowed on a direct river from London - they were taken round by the North sea, where they all sunk. It may also be that the river Cam and in particular "Backs" are not wide enough to moor these broad-beamed barges. No shipwrecked barges have yet emerged from the North Sea however.