Bill Shakespeare in the Band of Tewkesbury Boat Builders
Everybody should know about Bill!
Bill Shakespeare was the last in a line of Tewkesbury Boatmen – always known as “Bill”.
Sadly, he was the last in the line because he lost his life on 23 October 1971 in an attempt to beat a water speed record of 104mph on Lake Windermere. His body has still to be recovered.
He was also famous for building power boats which were usually safely built using the skills he learned as an apprentice with Bathursts’ Boat Builders.
His Shakespeare ancestors had pioneered use of boat power - and making and losing fortunes – operating canal boats, then Severn Trows and Stm Barges.
Bill trained on building stately wooden yachts but learned about attaching power to them with Bathurst successors, Robinson’s, who were awarded MOD contracts to build powered launches in World War II.
Using family legacies, he set up his own boat building company concentrating in harnessing power to elegant yachts, starting from a family shed in Red Lane and then moving south along the Mill Avon to set up his own Shakespeare International Marine, adjacent to where the plaque is placed on his former home and offices, Riverside House. The factory has now been demolished and replaced by residential flats, adorned with his name, Shakespeare Court.
Shakespeare Ancestral History - Life on the Canals
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Great-grandfather William – used an oak and elm barge, powered by two horses on the Midland canals, carrying Gloucestershire stone. He invested profits in a “great load of shovels” and cornered market to expand his fleet
Mastering Severn Trows
Bill commented that “Grandfather Alfred Shakespeare, [1880-1935] trading mainly hay to Devon, made and lost his first fortune”;
He married daughter of engineer Rufus Raggatt, 1879
Converting to Steam
A Shakespeare Steamer still propping up banks of the Sharpness Canal!
In 1901 Alfred was still a waterman living in Gravel Walk, In 1917 he was also buying Rags, Bottles, Bones, and Rabbit Skins. By 1921 he was a Furniture/ China Dealer.
He had moved to 91 High Street but he had invested £49 a parcel of land between Quay Road and River Avon from which Bill later benefitted.
1930 “Our Bill” born
Father Alfred died 1935: "exceedingly well known and highly popular"; retired 8 years ago [1927] as furniture dealer; boxing enthusiast.
William [1905-79] a Landlubber and Dealer
High Street in 1958Click Image
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Sister Edith (1907-1982) married Jim Attwood owner of Chapman's furniture shop; bought no. 91 in 1982
Her son, another Bill, lived in Australia
Professional Beginnings: a Bathurst Apprentice
1944 let school Started from the bottom as a “nipper” to very skilled men; 100 “other skills I laboriously learned”
Foreman “allowed no blundering in boatbuilding”. Repaired a lot of 60ft RAF pinnaces 3 torpedoes fitted with 3 diesel engines- exceptionally seaworthy with crew of 10’ - later MTBs – difficult to repair: “I had good reason for bless my training…when I started up on my own”.
The Boat-Building Beginnings
After 1948-1950 National Service with seaplanes - “I was learning about behaviour of small craft in all kinds of weather”. -never regretted - but what good did I do?
By 1911 Alfred had bought this land - with a derelict shed
Photographed with, Nick Nixon - Foreman then General Manager until 1971 - another apprentice-sawyer; he sarted with Bill in 1954
Later bought by Mr. and Mrs. A Cromwell who erected their own plague to Bill Shakespeare's memory.
"Young man with Madcap ideas"
View of the same house amended a little with 'tudor' timbers. Healing barges to the fore
In National Service he read up a lot on power boat design and construction; He wanted lightest but strongest a 12-footer stretched to 12.5 in oak and plywood. RAF’s constant Preoccupation with ratios between power and strength – In 6 months he used "most of his RAF savings.” Sea trials vital for spotting design errors – nippy strong and stable. He earned a good name for repairs
1958 - A New Factory
Red Lane proved too small – so Bill took over a new factory on the Avon from Collins & Godfrey - big enough for 45ft boats to repair; engaged “4 first class hands”
The first boat that moved into moved in was The Grenadier, an ex-sailing barge.
In 1960 he met Francis Woodcock “an engineer to his fingertips; a fanatic re precision for power”
Site of 2nd Factory?
Mrs. Shakespeare, and baby Christina, look over Bill - a hot worker!
Two more slipways in addition to this public one is still there. One to the south; the other north of show room;
Back story to the Riverside House
![Red: Factory 2 [1958]<br>Brown: C&G builders converted [c1958]<br>Green: Riverside House](/images/THS09713_big.jpg)
Brown: C&G builders converted [c1958]
Green: Riverside HouseClick Image
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Extract from the above-mentioned meeting 17th September.
It was resolved that the Yard and Landing piece on which Mr. Browett’s crane is erected together with the Boat building Yard and Dock with the Saw Pit thereon in the possession of Charles Bathurst be let to the said Charles Bathurst at the rent of eight pounds per annum commencing on the 12 th day of August last payable half-yearly it being understood that the same extends in a straight line from the corner of the warehouse to within four feet of the Gate Post leading to the Ham.
It was also resolved that the land on each side and over the watercourse be let to the Local Board of Health at 5/- per annum payable on the 12th August.
IR58/33070 Particulars and Notes on Inspection 31st March 1913 Ref Number 91 Mapno 12.9.24H
Description:
Yard & Building Address: Back Of Avon
Occupier:
Charles Attwood. Monthly Tenancy. Rent £6p.a.
Owner:
The Capital Counties Bank Ltd. 39 Threadneedle Street
Former
sales: n/a
Details: 158 Sq.yds Brick & Timber. Workshop
& Yard Opens On To River.
Gross
value: £80 P.v.
Served 2991913 1836 Poor Rate
Revolutionary Phoenix!
Later Bill the designer – took a floor out to get 26ft cabin cruisers in “lofting” sized template in paper on the floor actual size;
Experiments with fibre glass boats – with Nick Nixon & Dave Burgess
“Puppet on a Chain ” a 1970 British Film
It is based on 1969 novel by Alistair MacLean.
The film's signature boat chase (8 minutes of screen time) along Amsterdam canals, reportedly inspired by James Bond Live and Let Die
Ultimate Poster Celebrity?
The famous boat chase sequence was directed by Don Sharp who was specifically hired to do it over a four-week period, with additional sequence - the plot was adjusted, the ending changed,
![Bill’s Technical Cast for the Film! [S Pocock]](images/THS09723.jpg)
Vernon Clements (Bill’s best friend did engineering side), x, Nick Nixon, x, Chris Bayliss, Chris Sallis, Henry Ricketts; Bill + sleeping partner Francis Woodcock; x; Maurice Hawker [Echo 2014]
“Tewkesbury Terror” or “Shakespeare Stinger
“On Lake Windermere, a whole week for the timed national speedboat trials on 22 October - he reached 105 m.p.h.”
First run: his engine seized up. Telephone call to Tewkesbury and a driver left his yard at Back of Avon with a replacement 135 b.h.p. Johnson engine, arriving only just in time. The motor changed, for his successful world record attempt. Tewkesbury Stinger completed only ten days before -no time to test it.
Lake Windermere - Tragedy struck on 23 October 1971
Eye witnesses said that his boat flipped and then sank within seconds in about 100 feet of water. It was reported to have hit the water stern first. Mr Shakespeare was not strapped in, but he was wearing a life jacket.
He had been at Lake Windermere the whole week for the national speedboat trials, and on a timed run the day before his death he reached 105 m.p.h.
A year ago he set up a world record of 104 m.p.h. in his catamaran, “Shakespeare Stinger”. The boat he was driving in the fatal crash was almost identical.
Mr Tom Biggs, a team mechanic of Newtown told the “Journal” that they did not know what happened. “The boat was one of Bill’s own designs”, he said, “and was fully tested”.
Bill Shakespeare, 1930-1971 “Great Credit to Tewkesbury”
Bill’s Professional Achievements
- In 1964 he became the youngest-ever president of the British Motor Boat Racing Drivers’ Club
- In 1968, his first book: Powerboat Racing [Cassell]
- 1969 World Speed Record of 104 m.p.h
- 1970: Mayor Cllr. Webber: “His enterprise in his boat-building yard has brought great credit to Tewkesbury”
Windermere Plaque
Anita: “The family took wreaths to Windermere where we put the on the water from a boat where dad died.”
“Shakespeare Special”
After Bill
In Decline: 1976
In Decline: 1982
1987 before Demotion [James Boskett]
After Bill died his business was taken over by Peter Richards, a businessman involved with Ladies Fashions from Cheltenham. - but not a boat builder
Eternal Life?
April 11th 2026 - a new memorial
On Saturday Apil 11th 2026, among showers and sunny spells, the committee gathered with Cllr. Emma Ash, deputy Mayor of Tewkesbury, members of Bill's family, friends and colleagues to unveil this plaque on the wall of Riverside House. A talk was given on the life of Bill Shakespeare by John Dixon. The stories and photographs from that talk are presented here on this page. Many thanks to
- Nick Nixon
- Late Dennis Vickeridge
- Beverley Shakespeare
- the late Roger Butwell
- the late Derek Round
- Richard & Sheila Nash
- Anita Shakespeare-Smith
- Helen Carver
- Hattie & Lottie McGeary
- Adrian Shelley
- Cllr. Emma Ash
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