Searching for info on a thornycroft m/c

[chrduke]

Hi,
My parents own a Thornycroft motor cruiser called Prunella and we have successfully managed to find out alot of information on her history (even managed to get a copy of her plans and her sea trials photo! pm me for details on where to get them from) but we still have a few gaps and I wondered if anyone on here may have any info, or even be able to point me in the right direction for more! i have attached a photo. Shes 52'6" long and lived most of her life in Brightlingsea.

regards

Chris

 

[dunmor]

pm sent

 

[burgundyben]

She's a fine ship!

 

[Forbsie]

She was owned by F.H. Muirhead, 3 Westbury Court, Croydon Road, Beckenham, Kent...







...in 1949

 

[chrduke]

Hi,
Thanks Burgundyben, we kinda like her even if she can be a little truculant in marina's! she tends to decide where she wants to go and we have to go along for the ride!
Thanks Forbsie, she was actually built for Francis Heron Muirhead in 1938 at the Hampton Launch works on the thames. He had her built to be used as a floating test bed for his companies products, Muirhead electronics who built and desined stabilizing fins for ocean liners. We think this is why she has an odd layout, the engines are in the forward end and not under the wheel house where you might expect them to be! this gives better access to the hull where the mock up fins were fitted. His estate sold her in 1971 i think, and its kind of this area where the trail goes cold - we know where she was for this period but dont really have any of the info associated with it if that makes any sense!

chris

 

[mkpbyrne]

hi chris

she looks exactly like a thornycroft i have in my yard, which was built as an navy pinnance in c1916, same rough length her beam is only about 9 feet with 3' 6" draft. ill try to load a picture !!

mick b