SKIPPERS ISLAND PAPERS
63
11th September 1896. John Salmon of Sneating Hall admitted on
Surrender from F. Foaker.
8th June 1899. John Thompson Salmon admitted under the Will
of John Salmon.
28th July 1915. John Bernard Salmon and William Preston
Salmon, both of Birch Hall, Kirby le Soken admitted on
death and as co-heirs of J. T. Salmon.
7th May 1917. Nathaniel Charles Rothschild admitted on Sur-
render of J. B. & W. P. Salmon.
7th May 1935. Manorial incidents extenguished by Compensation
Agreement of this date made between Clara Freeman of
Canterbury and Owen Warner of Chertsey, Lady and Lord
of the Manor of Kirby within the Soken of the one part
and Nathaniel Mayer Victor Rothschild of Tring Park,
Herts., of the other part.
References
Dugdale, W. (1662). The History of Imbanking and drayning of divers
Fenns and Marshes, both in foreign parts and in this Kingdom;
and of the improvements thereby. London.
Round, J. H. (1923). Norse Place-names in Essex. Trans. Essex arch.
Soc, 16 n.s.: 169-177.
Victoria History of Essex (1903). The Victoria History of the Counties
of England: Essex, 1 : 470.
SKIPPERS ISLAND, 1955-1961
By E. F. Williams
All my life I have been interested in islands. My chances of
owning one in my own county seemed remote so that, when I
heard in 1952 that Skippers Island was in the market, I was
eager to buy it, but my bid was unsuccessful and I was bitterly
disappointed. However, by 1955 the new owner found that he
could spend so little time there that he decided to sell; he offered
it to me and I accepted.
The only living accommodation at that time was the house-
boat Alpha, a spritsail barge built at Faversham in the nineties.
Although splendidly furnished, her hull was in poor condition,
and too many high spring tides flooded her for our comfort. She
is now only an outline in the mud. Three cedar bungalows have
been built, also a barn for the tractor and other equipment. The
original workshop is still in use. (A thirty foot high observation
tower which was built in 1960 has many uses; not only birds, but
poachers too, can be spotted, and the B.B.C. have used it for
making a film for television!)
The landing steps and saltings paths have been improved since
1955 but much more work needs to be done. Constant mainten-
ance is necessary.