Hello Valerie >From one antipodean to another, I'm on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. The only book I have on the Canals is Working Life on Severn and Canal, and mainly covers the Severn System, going up to Worcester and sometimes further. I have checked for the name Blunt and sorry, there's no mention of your name. Eilleen

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My g grandad,s name was Samuel LLOYD. He is listed as a canal rope maker. He was in Salford, Manchester in 1857, and he was in Halifax in 1879. At the moment that's about all I know about his life ( .......................yet Could anyone have any information concerning this proffesion, and/or anyone else with information concerning above relative? John in Doncaster UK

I am a new subscriber looking for information on my ggrandparents, William LANDRY and Eliza Jane ANDREWS. All I know at this point is that his occupation was listed as "Canal Servant" on his son's labour certificate. They were in South Hamlet, Gloucester in 1880 and Selly Oak in 1893. Does anyone know anything about them? Lynn Landry Smith West Virginia

Attn: Eilleen: Hello Eileen, I'm new to the List - and have just seen a James asking about one of his ancestors re a look up in one of your books? I'm wondering if you could do the same for me - considering his query was around the Birmingham area - and you might - or might not - have information re this particular area. My ancesor was William BLUNT and he was born in Wolverley and lived around the Kidderminster area..... his daughter Ann married in Birmingham and all her progeny also - as was I..... Trust this isn't an imposition... Cheers from the Antipodes..... Valerie Kennedy (Launceston, Tasmania, Aust.)

Hello James Sorry James no Pearce in my book. Eilleen

Hello, I am afraid I haven't got much information to ask this question but I thought I would ask and see if anyone can help. My husband remembers being told by his father that one of his family used to go up and down the Aire and Calder canal to Goole and it was found that he had a still on board and made whiskey on his travels, when he got found out he was sent to prison, but we don't know his name , it could be Caswell but we don't know, we think it would be around the late 1800's early 1900's but it is only a guess. We wonder if there are any records that might show of anyone going to prison for making whiskey on a barge. We would be grateful if anyone has any ideas of where to look, and would anyone know the name of any newspapers around that area that may have written about it. Regards Eileen, Vic, Australia. [email protected]

Hi everyone I just found out about this list so sorry you have all drawn the "short straw" - I intend to stay around for a while!! My GGG Grandfather was Edward READING. At the time of his first child's (Joseph or John) birth in 1828 his occupation was "boatman" Edward married Selina Clarridge on November 6 1826 at Holy Trinity Coventry. This man is the major "brick wall" in my research so if any one could help me, I can assure it will be appreciated. Thanks in advance and cheers, Peter Reading Victoria, Australia

My Canal people, from the Worcester and Birmingham Canal, are: (Taken from 1881 Census) My X3 Great Grandfather James WALDRON Age 63 Dwelling: Canal Side, Stoke Prior, Worcester Occ: Lock Keeper (Inl. Nav. Serv.) His Son Thomas WALDRON Age 28 Occ: Lock Keeper (Inl. Nav. Serv) My X2 Great Grandfather James WALDRON Age 38 Dwelling: Canal Side, Stoke Prior, Worcester Occ: Lock Keeper (Inl Nav) Regards Martin.

Hello Eileen.. My grfthr. Thomas PEARCE, 1869-1938, was a Lock Master and Toll Tax Collector with the Birmingham Canal Co. and lived in a house beside the lock near Dudley, Worcester. I believe he and a brother owned several boats. I wonder if you might have come across him in your book? Cheers, James.

Posted for Mel ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: CANAL-PEOPLE-L <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2000 8:04 AM Subject: Greaves > G'day List > > I am searching for one of my wife's long lost ancestors. > > John Greaves of Birmingham migrated to Australia between 1851 and 1854. > He was mentioned on the 1851 Census and in 1854 married in Melbourne, > Australia. > > On various documents he stated that his parents were William Greaves a > waterman, and Mary Waters. Mary, John and his two sisters have been found > on the 1851 census, but the father was not present at their Birmingham address. > The mother was not shown as a widow, but as the Head and aged 61 years. > > So can anyone do a lookup for William Greaves aged probably 61-65 yrs > a waterman, as to where he was around 1851? The family were living at > 12 Hockley St., Birmingham, Warwickshire. > > Cheers (Julie this is the test message) > > Mel in Melbourne > > > Melvyn D Grieveson > > Download NeoPlanet at http://www.neoplanet.com >

Hi There Looking for information on my family the WALDRONS, in 1780 they were on The Severn at Ribbsford ...... Bewdley Shropshire by 1810 they were in Worcester Worcestershire by 1875 they were in Cannock Staffordshire. On the way they had married into fellow Waterman families .... PARSONS and ANDREWS. They plied their trade along the Severn into Bristol and up the canalway into Birmingham and around the miriarde of canals that fed the Birmingham navigational link. Members of the family became Lock Keepers but the family tended to call Worcester home. I am looking for any knowledge of this family and its accompanying families John Steane [email protected] Oz researching Steane and all variants, anywhere. One name study Goon 2735 Baldwin Britton Chiffers Staffs & Derbyshire Waldron Arrowsmith Parson Andrews Worcestershire / Shropshire/Staffordshire Chivers Hampshire

Is anyone researching PANTHER? I have an interesting pieceabout James Panther dismissed for refusing to work on a Sunday. He was working for Pickford & Co at the City Road Basin, Paddington, London in 1837. Mary Hanna LEES, a young Sunday School scholar was knocked down by a cart and killed in Green Lane, Walsall. Reported in September 1916 in The Waterman. Baptism at the Boatmen's Rest, Walsall: 6 September 1914: Florence Jane, daughter of Samuel Henry and Nellie May TOMES, 22 Rowland Street, Walsall. Possibly a family who had 'gone ashore' but people other than canal folk attended the missions.

Here are a few books which will provide a wealth of background material about how boatmen and their families lived and worked 'on the cut'. I can recommend Hanson and Freer. Some older titles may have been reprinted. Freer, Wendy, Women & Children of the Cut, (Railway & Canal Historical Society, 1995). Hadfield, Charles, The Canal Age, David & Charles (Newton Abbot, London, 1981, 1st edn. 1968). (Hadfield wrote many, many books about the canal system) Hanson, Harry, The Canal Boatmen 1760-1914, Manchester University Press (Manchester, 1975). Hanson, Harry, Canal People, David & Charles (Newton Abbot, London, 1978). Prior, Mary, Fisher Row: Fishermen, Bargemen, and Canal Boatmen in Oxford, 1500-1900, (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1982). Rolt, L T C, The Inland Waterways of England, George Allen and Unwin Ltd (London, 1970, 1st ed. 1950). George Smith attempted to improve the living conditions of brickmakers, boatmen and gypsies. He was greatly concerned about their moral state as well as their physical conditions. Smith, George, Our Canal Population: A Cry from the Boat Cabins, with Remedy, Reprint of 2nd ed., 1878, E P Publishing Ltd, (Wakefield, 1974, 1st ed. 1875). Smith, George, Canal Adventures by Moonlight, (Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1881).

Hello Listers:- The following two families in the 1881 census are ancestors of mine. Elizabeth Hewitt was my great grandmother. Does anyone have knowledge or reference to them? The lived in Selly Oak Birmingham on a lane leading to the Bristol canal bank and I think they worked the canals in the area. Dwelling: High Street Dingle Census Place: Northfield, Worcester, England Source: FHL Film 1341706 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 2952 Folio 93 Page 10 Marr Age Sex Birthplace Daniel HEWITT M 43 M Leicester, England Rel: Head Occ: Beerhouse Keeper Elizh. HEWITT M 40 F Upton On Severn, Worcester, England Rel: Wife Hannah HEWITT U 14 F Harbourne, Stafford, England Rel: Niece Dwelling: High Street Dingle Census Place: Northfield, Worcester, England Source: FHL Film 1341706 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 2952 Folio 93 Page 10 Marr Age Sex Birthplace Willm. HEWITT M 34 M Selly Oak, Worcester, England Rel: Head Occ: Barge Boatman Ellen HEWITT M 32 F Shipston On Stour, Worcester, England Rel: Wife Henry T. HEWITT U 6 M Selly Oak, Worcester, England Rel: Son Occ: Scholar Elizh. HEWITT 5 F Selly Oak, Worcester, England Rel: Dau Occ: Scholar Rebbecca HEWITT 1 F Selly Oak, Worcester, England Rel: Dau Grateful for any information. Ken Johnson, Ilkley, West Yorks. UK

This is the title of an article in the January 2000 Family History Monthly. Very informative and worth getting hold of if you can. Regards Julie Goucher [email protected] ***Please note NEW Email address***

Thanks Julie that's a very kind offer of a video, but I'm in Australia!! ALSO I can recommend a very good map of Inland Waterways. I have it up on the wall in my office. Double sided it covers the whole of England and Wales. Entitled Inland Navigation. An historical waterways map of England and Wales. ISBN 0947712-20-8. Published by M & M Baldwin, 24 High Street, Cleobury, Kidderminster. Worcs DY14 8BY. I bought mine at the Gloucestershire Waterway Museum. I found it invaluable as a way of tracing where my ancestors the Rice's would be able to access in their lives. For example my 3xgt grandmother died at Pershore, but lived in Gloucester, after realising the Canal went up that way to Stratford on Avon, I was able to buy that Death Certificate in the almost certain knowledge that I had the correct Ann Rice. In 1872 Ann's husband Richard died at Newent and I wondered what on earth he was doing at such a tiny place, but when you look at this map it tells you that there was a Canal going through to Newent, that is no longer in use. Not only does it give you all the current canals but the ones that have opened and closed in the history of Canals. Hope this helps. Cheers from a warm, humid and damp Sunshine Coast. Eilleen

One book I have is entitled Working Life on Severn and Canal - Reminiscences of Working Boatmen. Compiled by Hugh Conway-Jones ISBN 0-86299-745-3. All sorts of information on many topics covering the life of the boatman/waterman, including names of some of the people and operators. Eilleen in Australia

If any of the new subscribers would like me to forward digests 1 and 2 please let me know. Regards Julie Goucher [email protected] ***Please note NEW Email address***

Hello all, I am trying to sort out my relatives who worked on the Grand Union Canal between Basingstoke & West Bromwich. The names of other families also include Randel, Chater, Whitehouse and Clarke. Any takers? Alan Hale