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 in England, ended up in Temse. He wanted to set up a sailcloth weaving mill and saw his future here because the Scheldt was an important waterway. In order to bring the material here, he started the boat William Wilford I, which both transported freight and brought tourists to Temse.
When you say Wilford, you say boats. William Wilford, together with three other entrepreneurs, founded a steamboat company in the Scheldt municipality. The Wilford I went on the water in 1857 and more copies were added in the decades that followed. These boats brought many tourists from Antwerp to Temse. That is why Temse also had many hotels. All kinds of events were also organised here, such as the international flying week and regattas. At that time, weekend tourism was not like it is now: Antwerp-Temse was still a real journey for many.
However, the boat service suffered greatly from the economic crisis in the 1930s and the rise of new means of transport. In 1938, the books were closed. William's canvas weaving mill, expanded and modernised by his son John and grandson Ernest, survived longer. In the decades around 1900, Wilford's quality canvases won several gold medals at the world exhibitions. But just like all other textile factories in the region, Wilford's could not compete with the low-wage countries: in 1976, the weaving mill was sold to Wittock-Van Landeghem, the factory buildings in the Philemon Haumanstraat made way for social housing.
But William Wilford's descendants were also enterprising. William's many children and grandchildren set up all kinds of businesses. One started with cycling, another had a wood steam sawmill, another was busy with airplanes,… Paul Wilford even built the Wilford automobile in 1897 and made and sold cars for four years. It was the first automobile factory in Belgium. Arthur Wilford, son of John, composed many pieces of music. His bust has adorned the Wilfordkaai since 1933: first at the height of hotel Scaldis, since 1992 in a green corner near the Markt.
Wilfords no longer live in Temse today. They have emigrated everywhere; France, New Zealand, Canada,…
Source: HLN 16/04/14
Translated by Google •
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