1) A flat-bottomed vessel, used on northern rivers in particular.
Early Yorkshire references include: 1464-5 ‘paid for one keel load of great timbers’, Hull
1475 pro una navi vocata Kele Willelmi Jonkyn xjd.
1484 rede heryng … rescewyd [received] at Cawod of a kele of William Handcok , York
1533 shypps and keylls freghtyd with merchundyses and vyttell , York
1572 it is agreed that there shall noo keles or catches lighe at the stathe except they have twoo good fendars of wood, York
1602 trafficked all summer in a keel with coals , Hull
1657 one quarter parte of one keelle called the Ann , Selby
1683 all that sixteenth parte of the keell knowen by the name Caire-for-all , Selby
c .1750 The Labouring people Digg their Turff ... and ... the Men Brings them in small Boats ... Down the Canals and Drains ... into the River Don ... and puts them on board Keels ... which Carry them to market , Thorne. Note: 1466-7 Navis Roberti Johnson vocata Antonykeele de Hull .