I have just joined the list and post my first offering of people on my interests list. Thomas HEEDS,waterman, b about 1800 (perhaps 1804, IGI). He lived at Chesterfield up to about 1834 when he moved with his family to the Ancoats area of Manchester where he lived until at least 1864. Francis HEEDS, waterman, b about 1790, also of Chesterfield. The brother of Thomas above. John HEEDS, waterman, canal carrier, b Manchester 1834, son of Thomas above. George BURGESS, waterman, b about 1820, son-in-law of Thomas HEEDS above. George's father, George, was also a waterman. George BURGESS and Martha HEEDS married at Manchester Cathedral in 1844. Robert HEEDS, waterman, son of John above, b Manchester, 1865. Thomas HEADES (sic), b Liverpool abt 1846 and living at Witton-cum Twambrooks (Northwich) in 1881 Thomas HELPS (possibly HEEDS), b abt 1839. He was the mate of the boat "Richard" at Hawley Quay, Warrington at the 1881 census. He may be the son of Francis but is recorded as having been born at Stone, Staffs. With him on the Richard were two boat boys William Henry HEEDS and David HEEDS who were 14 and 12 and born at Runcorn and Barnton respectively. I suppose this is entirely possible given the nature of their work. I also have MOORE(S) flatmen on the Weaver at Northwich about 1800 but they are very unlikely to be related to the HEEDS family. It is interesting to note that several of the HEEDS watermen became publicans in Manchester when their canal work ended. If these people are of interest to anyone or if you have more information about them please contact me. The Chesterfield/Manchester migration is a little tenuous and I would be glad to have comments on the connection in canal work between the two locations at that time. The following names are not all connected with canals. Regards, Eric MILLWARD of Marple, Cheshire [email protected] Interests in Cheshire, BRUCKSHAW,BUCKLEY, CHARLESWORTH, DALE, HANSON, JOHNSON, LEA, LEE, LEIGH, LEWIS, LITTLER, MILLWARD, MOORES, MOSES, NIELD, PODMORE, STREET, WASHINGTON, WILLIAMSON, in Derbyshire, MILLWARD, RADFORD, in Lancashire, GROOM, HEEDS, MORGAN, MURPHY, ROBERTS, in Staffordshire, DALE, HODSON, JOHNSON, MILLWARD, SIMCOCK in Shropshire, JOHNSON in WR Yorkshire, WHITEHEAD and coming to UK from America before 1820, HOLDEN.