Boat-builders of Leicester: The Rudkin Family

Historical Profiles: NarrowBoat, Summer 2025

Christopher M Jones

Chris M. Jones revisits and builds on the pioneering research of the late Leslie Hales in uncovering the story of Leicester’s Rudkin boat-building family

There are a number of places on England’s canals that have become associated with the boat-builders that were once located there: Lees & Atkins of Polesworth, Nurser Brothers of Braunston and Rathbone’s of Stretford, to give just a few examples. Leicester also had its own boat-building name: Rudkin Brothers. It was maybe not as well known as some of the others but it certainly had an important place in boat-building history. First yard at Meadow Bridge Dock The line of the Rudkin boat-building family can be traced back to the village of Uppingham in the county of Rutland during the middle years of the 18th century. John and Jane Rudkin had ten children, the last being Joseph baptised in 1790. After Joseph moved to Leicester as a young man, he married Elizabeth Woodcock in April 1815 while working as a sawyer. They started a family, eventually producing eight children, the first being John in 1815 and the last being Joseph Jnr in 1833. The boys followed their father&rs…