Luke & co

Luke & Co was a boatbuilding firm, established in 1829 in Limehouse near London. They moved to Oakbank at Itchen Ferry in 1868 and in 1895 settled at Hamble. At Hamble they became successful in designing and building many yachts of all sizes, as well as offering all kinds of services to the then fast increasing number of yachts either visiting or having their berth at the river. The river Hamble was a popular place to "lay up" yachts for the winter.

There are at least three members of the Luke family known as boatbuilders: W. S. (Walter Smith) Luke (1844–1904), and his sons Walter G. Luke (born 1868) and Albert R. Luke (born 1875). The name of the yard changed over the years from "W. S. Luke" to "W. G. Luke & co" (1895), later to become "Hamble River Luke & Co. Ltd.", and finally "Luke Bros".

When W. S. Luke died in March 1904, his sons took over the yard: Albert ("Bert") as designer, and Walter managing the boatyard.

In their early days they built Itchen Ferrys, Fishing Smacks, Pilot boats and other sorts of working boats, like a 75-foot Lifeship to a design by Capt. Hans Busk in 1873. But there were also yachts built, at least as early as the 1870s. In 1895 the yard moved from the river Itchen to the village of Hamble at the river of the same name, near Southampton. The former Itchen Yard then became known as Fields Yard. According to an advertisement in an 1891 edition of The Yachtsman they had "Yachts for sale or hire, Spars, blocks, Anchors, and Galvanised Ironwork either kept in stock or made on the premises, all sorts of chandlery, mudberths", etc. At first at Hamble point but soon after they were based at Back Street (now Rope Walk) with building sheds, slipways and yacht stores. Hamble Point became their winter slips.

Luke mainly built boats to their own design, but they also built boats to the designs of Arthur Payne, F. R. S. Bircham, L. G. Moore, Frederick Shepherd, Albert Strange, St. C. Byrne, John I. Thornycroft & Company, H. Emmons, H. W. Ridsdale and John G. Alden. They also designed ships that were built by others such as William Fife, A. Westmacott, Camper & Nicholson, A. Apps, Randal Vogan, Everett and Lt.Col. G. P. Stewart.

...
Wikipedia