Hello; I am searching for my grandfather William DICKINSON and any other Dickinsons on the waterways round Leigh, Lancs. I have information on some of the DISLEYS who are on my Grandmothers side. and I know a lot of the boats they were on but have not found anything on the Dickinsons. any help would be greatly appreciated. Regards John T Rutter.

Hi folks, Searching for Canal Boat people from 1790's to 1950's with the following names:- WOOD - COLCLOUGH - SANT - NIXON - SLATER - WILKES - HILLMAN - PARTRIDGE - BROUGH All known ones mainly Staffordshire and South Cheshire, but with the movement on the canals they could start from anywhere and land up anywhere. Have collated numerous entries for boat people in the North Staffs and South Cheshire areas. I have only done a few of the canals for the census years in these areas, but have a few people from 'out of the area' listed. Good to have a list of this kind for like minded folk regards Mo [email protected]

Hi Listers This is my first mail to the list. It sounds as if it is going to be a great list. I am looking at the family CORBETT who actually gave their work on census as waterman but were I think on the canals between Bristol and Worcester. I am especially interested in trying to find out about their residence which is given as Spa Row, Worcester but which on a parish record is given as Blockhouse. It is a term I am not familiar with . Can anyone out there shed any light on it please? The Corbett family at the time 1844 consisted of Thomas born Devon about 1803 his wife Elizabeth (Prescott) born about 1805 Devon their children Joseph b about 1834 Somerset, William b about 1836 (place unknown ) , Harriet b 1838 Worcester, George b 1842 Worcester, Thomas b 1844 Worcester. This Thomas CORBETT is my husbands great grandfather. I look forward to hearing from anybody who is working on this or a similar family. Janet Corbett

Eilleen, That is really terrible, email makes it so easy to reply to mail. I will be videoing the program, so when I have finished I can always post to you. Julie

Mel Can you post the details? Someone maybe able to help. Regards Julie Goucher [email protected] ***Please note NEW Email address***

G'day Gil, Do you do lookups re Watermen around 1850? Trying to find my wife's distant rellies. Cheers Mel in Melbourne > ** Original Subject: [CANAL-PEOPLE] The Waterman and GRAINGER > ** Original Sender: "Gill Foster" <[email protected]> > ** Original Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 02:10:43 -0000 > ** Original Message follows... > > I am researching religious missions to canal boatmen in the 19th and 20th > centuries. A colleague and I have quite a lot of information but would > welcome more on the subject if fellow 'listers' find any reference in the > course of their family history research. > > Also if anyone could tell us the whereabouts of any copies of The Waterman > from 1948, we would be deeply grateful. We can access them from 1894 to 1947 > but want to know more about the last days of the magazine and the society. > The Waterman was published by the Seamen and Boatmen's Friend Society formed > in 1850 and now defunct. The magazine was distributed amongst boatmen so > maybe some copies have survived. > > In return, I will be happy to pass on any references to named boatmen. Here > is one. I hope it may be of use to someone. In February 1896 The Waterman > reported the death of John GRAINGER, aged 36. The caretakers at the Bridge > Street, Birmingham mission had taken him into their home and helped his wife > to nurse him until he died. > > Gill Foster > Cumbria > > > > ============================== > The RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > 12.8 million individuals and counting. > http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/ > >** --------- End Original Message ----------- ** > Melvyn D Grieveson Download NeoPlanet at http://www.neoplanet.com

Julie I saw this when you posted the information to the Lancs or Yorkshire list, can't remember which. I emailed RDF to see if the programmes are to be shown in Australia, or asked if they will be available on video. I have not received any response at all. Eilleen C

Gill, Thanks. Have read Mary Prior's excellent book 'Fisher Row'. Am looking forward to the book list. Best regards, Tony. ([email protected])

Hello Joyce, My understanding of it is that the Canal Age started in England from the mid 1760s throught to about the 1850, then the start of the railways slowed things. In the USA it started later and In Europe it started earlier and lasted longer. There is a super book The Canal Age by Charles Hadfield published by David and Charles Newton Abbot Devon England, which looks at the canal age in UK, US and Europe. Regards Julie Goucher [email protected] ***Please note NEW Email address***

I suddenly realised I hadn't posted my Boatmen! My line are the name of DRAKLEY in the Rugby and Nuneaton area of Warwickshire. This is the following Canals: Oxford Canal, Grand Union Canal and the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. Associated names are PETTIFER, WEBB and MATTHEWS. My great x2 grandfather was a coke dealer in Rugby and by 1891 was living in Guildford Surrey. Regards Julie Goucher [email protected] ***Please note NEW Email address***

Hi Val Mmm, there are several angles on this one. Newspapers for the area would have probably published something on this. Also the CRO might possibly have the asylum records, BUT these records are closed for 100 years,generally from the date of death of the person. You might also try the local studies library for the area; there seem to be this fascination with asylums. Also it would be useful to establish if the asylum building still exists. If not the local studies library would surely have been interested in it and may even have some newspaper clippings. If the Building still exists, but serves some other purpose the records regarding the residents would be passed to the local health authority. I worked at a prison establishment in the South East of England, that had originally been built as the Banstead Asylum. The local library had lots of info on the building. Just snippets, sadly, I am not near Wednesbury or I would go and look up for you. Let me know the outcome, my curiosity has been twicked!! Regards Julie Goucher [email protected] ***Please note NEW Email address***

Dear Gill > > I can recommend other books but understand that a book list will be > appearing shortly on this list so I won't mention any more now. Recommend away! The more the merrier. I would rather something was posted twice than not posted at all! Regards Julie Goucher [email protected] ***Please note NEW Email address***

Greeting Listers - Hope I am not the only one looking for US canal information. I am interested in the D&H Canal that went from ? to Kingston, New York in the mid to late 1800's. It ceased operation in the late 1800s and was actually FILLED IN in the 1910s or thereabouts. One of the major ?ports? was Ellenville, where some of my forebears came from. Names: KELB/KELP, KOPF, MILLER all known to have worked on the canal. I believe either the KELB or KOPF family actually lived on a barge in the canal at some point in time. Both families were originally from Germany. I am interested not just in these families but also the general history of the canal and canal life in general. - Joyce Smith Baltimore, MD, USA

I am researching religious missions to canal boatmen in the 19th and 20th centuries. A colleague and I have quite a lot of information but would welcome more on the subject if fellow 'listers' find any reference in the course of their family history research. Also if anyone could tell us the whereabouts of any copies of The Waterman from 1948, we would be deeply grateful. We can access them from 1894 to 1947 but want to know more about the last days of the magazine and the society. The Waterman was published by the Seamen and Boatmen's Friend Society formed in 1850 and now defunct. The magazine was distributed amongst boatmen so maybe some copies have survived. In return, I will be happy to pass on any references to named boatmen. Here is one. I hope it may be of use to someone. In February 1896 The Waterman reported the death of John GRAINGER, aged 36. The caretakers at the Bridge Street, Birmingham mission had taken him into their home and helped his wife to nurse him until he died. Gill Foster Cumbria

Hello Art If you have not already found it, may I suggest that you try and obtain 'Fisher Row: Fishermen, Bargemen, and Canal Boatmen in Oxford, 1500-1900, (Clarenden Press, Oxford, 1982). It is probably out of print but you should be able to obtain it through the Library Service. I do not have a copy of the book but recall that there are copious details about families living in Fisher Row. Narrow boats on the Oxford Canal tended to make short journeys and had little living accommodation. Therefore the wives and families stayed on land. You are right about the lack of canal development in the 1600. The first modern canalization was the eight mile long Sankey Brook Navigation (St Helen's Canal) cut in Lancashire in 1759. I can recommend other books but understand that a book list will be appearing shortly on this list so I won't mention any more now. Best wishes for your research. Gill Foster ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2000 9:34 PM Subject: [CANAL-PEOPLE] Canal boats and river barges plying to and from Oxford > Hello listers, > I am interested in canal and river folk working from Oxford, particularly > those by the name of TAWNEY. Individuals I have listed are brothers William > bc1605 and Nicholas bc1610, both boatmen and/or boatmasters (presumably a > boatmaster owned his canal boat?). Nicholas had three sons, Nicholas bc1635, > Edward bc1640 d1690 and William bc1650 d1686, all boatmen/boatmasters. > Edward had four sons, Henry bc1669 d1717 river bargemaster of "Sovereign", > Edward bc1671 d1744 river bargemaster, Robert b1679 d1745 river bargemaster > of "Kings Arms" and Richard b1684 d 1756 river bargemaster. > Robert had a son Thomas bc1717 d1763 river bargemaster. He also had a great > grandson Richard b1774 d1832, a civil engineer engaged on the construction > and running of the Oxford Canal. > It would seem that canal development in the 1600s would have been limited and > therefore trade restricted to the Oxford area? > River trade was presumably on the Thames to and from London? > Any information and references to records and publications covering the > period would be much appreciated. > With best wishes, Tony. > ([email protected]) > Bedfordshire, England. > > > ============================== > Search ALL of RootsWeb's mailing lists in real time. > RootsWeb's Personalized Mailing Lists: > http://pml.rootsweb.com/ > >

Hello: I'm new to the List - and my interest is in the name BLUNT who lived mainly in Worcestershire. They appeared to move around - as I've found children as far afield as Braunston, Northants. and Tamworth, Staffs. Would be pleased to hear from anyone researching this name.... especially with regard to Kidderminster or Wolverley in Worcs. Cheers! Valerie Kennedy (Launceston, Tasmania, Aust.)

Hi All I am looking for some information on a Mr. PLANT born Wednesbury and maybe named George. He was tried for murder of a man. It is said that the man upset the horse pulling the barge and our Mr. Plant pushed him into the canal and he was drown. Mr. Plant was sent to an assylum and was never allowed to be mentioned in the family again. I think it would have been early 1900's. many Thanks Val Newman - Melbourne

Am forwarding this due to technical error! Nettie is on the list! Julie ----- Original Message ----- From: nettie edwards <[email protected]> To: CANAL <c> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2000 5:29 PM Subject: {not a subscriber} Hello to the list !!! > Hello Julie ! > > It's great that you've started this list ! > Here are some of my interests to get the ball rolling! > > THOMAS EDWARDS and family of TIPTON , STAFFS. > married Mary Hixon in Oldbury 1845 > gave his father's name as Benjamin ( can't find Thomas's baptism , though > he claimed Tipton birth ) > > Their son Benjamin bpt. 1853 - (from whom I'm decended ) was also a boatman > for a while but his second wife - my 2 x great grannie - Mary Jane Johnson ( > nee Smith ) had other aspirations and he ended his days running a second > hand furnature shop an the Oldbury Road , Smethwick ! Benjamin's first wife > may have been Mary Tudor . > > other children of Thomas and Mary - Hannah ,Joshua ( Josia ) Thomas ,Sarah > Ann > > Cannot find them in the 1851 or 41 cesuses - total brick wall !!! > > WILLIAM HIXON(HICKSON) and family of TIPTON. > laboourer and boatman - ran a beerhouse on the canal at Tipton > died between 1849 -51 ( unfortunately ! ) > Married twice - 2nd wife was , I think , MARY ALLENDER > some children - John , Hannah, Elizabeth ,Thomas , Mary , Eliza > > Tracing my canal - living ancestors is so fustrating that I " do " my gypsy > forebears as light relief !!!! > > Best wishes to everyone who has joined the list so far , > > Nettie in Cheltenham ( but from Smethwick ! ) >

Hello Julie and all, My interests lie with the Trent & Mersey Canal and the Macclesfield Canal. Main names of interest - GREEN, HOLLAND, BRADDOCK, SMITH. Stuck looking for a marriage of a Joseph Green and Sarah c.1801. They had twelve children baptised in the Warmingham and Sandbach area. Happy to share all known details. Doreen in Middleton, Manchester, UK

Hello listers, I am interested in canal and river folk working from Oxford, particularly those by the name of TAWNEY. Individuals I have listed are brothers William bc1605 and Nicholas bc1610, both boatmen and/or boatmasters (presumably a boatmaster owned his canal boat?). Nicholas had three sons, Nicholas bc1635, Edward bc1640 d1690 and William bc1650 d1686, all boatmen/boatmasters. Edward had four sons, Henry bc1669 d1717 river bargemaster of "Sovereign", Edward bc1671 d1744 river bargemaster, Robert b1679 d1745 river bargemaster of "Kings Arms" and Richard b1684 d 1756 river bargemaster. Robert had a son Thomas bc1717 d1763 river bargemaster. He also had a great grandson Richard b1774 d1832, a civil engineer engaged on the construction and running of the Oxford Canal. It would seem that canal development in the 1600s would have been limited and therefore trade restricted to the Oxford area? River trade was presumably on the Thames to and from London? Any information and references to records and publications covering the period would be much appreciated. With best wishes, Tony. ([email protected]) Bedfordshire, England.