I have recently been in touch through my River Welland, Shipping & Mariners of Spalding book publishers with a lady who found out about her ancester in it and sent me these photos & obituary press cutting. His name was James Charles Atkin who lived at Fern Cottage in Albert Street and was one of the last Master Mariners of Spalding, Capt. of the ketch ‘Fern’. A pity that I did not have these before my book was published to include. The ‘Fern’ is acually on the cover of my book just upstream of the steamer ‘Misterly’ on the Welland.
Huge thanks to Keith Seaton