The Wilfordkaai is named after an English family that brought many tourists to Temse by boat. In 1828, William James Wilford, son of a linen manufacturer from Brompton, England, arrived in Temse. He wanted to establish a sailcloth weaving mill and saw his future here because the Scheldt was a major waterway. To transport the materials here, he started the boat William Wilford I, which both transported freight and brought tourists to Temse. Whoever says Wilford, thinks of boats. William Wilford, along with three other entrepreneurs, founded a steamboat company in the Scheldt municipality. The Wilford I went on the water in 1857, and more were added in the decades that followed. These boats brought many tourists from Antwerp to Temse. That's why Temse also had many hotels. Various events were also organized here, such as the International Flying Week and regattas. Back then, weekend tourism wasn't like it is today: Antwerp-Temse was still a real journey for many.
However, the boat service suffered greatly from the economic crisis of the 1930s and the rise of new modes of transport. In 1938, it closed its doors. William Wilford's sailcloth weaving mill, expanded and modernized by his son John and grandson Ernest, survived longer. In the decades around 1900, Wilford's high-quality fabrics won several gold medals at world exhibitions. But like all other textile mills in the region, Wilford's couldn't compete with low-wage countries: in 1976, the mill was sold to Wittock-Van Landeghem, and the factory buildings on Philemon Haumanstraat were made way for social housing. William Wilford's descendants were also enterprising. William's many children and grandchildren went on to establish all sorts of businesses. One started with cycling, another had a steam sawmill, and yet another was working on airplanes... Paul Wilford even built the Wilford automobile in 1897 and manufactured and sold cars for four years. It was Belgium's first car factory. Arthur Wilford, John's son, composed numerous pieces of music. His bust has graced Wilfordkaai since 1933: first near Hotel Scaldis, and since 1992 in a green corner near the Market Square. Today, there are no Wilfords living in Temse anymore. They have emigrated to all sorts of places: France, New Zealand, Canada, and so on.
Source: HLN 16/04/14
Translated by Google •
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