Dear Joan, What a lovely surprise this morning - got your copies of Les Hales' notes of the boats, 'Clara', 'Hydra', 'Margaret' and 'Only Daughter' owned by Thomas and James Cutts of Old Radford. Thomas was the father of James Cutts bapt 13.4.1828 Radford. James was married to a Sarah c.1849 (not yet identified - possibly Sarah Pear m. 3.10.1849 Basford St. Leo's) Thomas Cutts, son of William and Elizabeth Cutts was baptised at Bilborough 12.6.1803 and buried at Radford St. Peters 2.7.1887 aged 76, indicating that the Clara was probably 'leased out' after his death until its sale in 1888, or could it have been towed by another boat mastered by his son James? I remember seeing canal barges towing others down the River Trent in my childhoold. I am inclined to believeThomas's marriage was to a Mary Bates at Kinoulton 18th October, 1824. Kinoulton is very close to the old Limeyards between Cropwell Bishop and Kinoulton, Notts. The fact that they traded in coal, gravel, lime and bricks, to Cropwell, Stanton, and Nottingham, and coal and lime to Derby, Leicester and Nottingham and gravel in the Nottingham District helps put them into the framework more accurately. This makes the Shardlow/Sawley area more significant. In addition to limeyards a Cropwell Bishop, Notts, (and Ticknall, Derbyshire) there were gravel pits at Attenborough and Holme Pierrepont, and I believe there were brickworks at Stanton and also at Carlton. Perhaps Les could confirm this? Any researchers of this family, please do let me know so we can expand the picture. Regards, Mavis in Somerset, researching all CUTTS in East Midlands.