Hello ! My interest in canal people stems from F.H. research that has found a great- great grandfather John Slater- a boatman who is listed with his wife Martha and numerous children in the 1851 and 1861 census for Penkridge. Their eldest daughter Sarah (great grandmother) was baptised in Stourport in 1815 and I think they may have been married in Manchester cathedral in 1814. If I am right Martha's name was Martha Fox. John Slater gave his birthplace as Armitage, Staffs. In 1851 Martha gives her place of birth as Highcliff Yorks. I haven't found such a place but parish records for Lightcliffe produces a record for a Martha Fox ( Keighley). No parents listed perhaps because they were not parishioners. Keighley has a large Fox family and the father is William Fox boatman. So I would like to hear from anyone who knows anything about these two families. I presume it was not unusual for canal couples to have come from two fairly distant places and to baptise their offspring in a town on their regular route. Did newly weds live together on the barge until they had a couple of children in the early 1800's?? Are there any records of boats and their owners /workers from the first half of the 19th century? Thanks Liz Mason --------------------------------------------------------------- This mail was sent through the Nova Scotia Provincial Server, with technical resources provided by Chebucto Community Net. http://nsaccess.ns.ca/mail/ http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/