Dockland is very approachable and knowledgeable - you could ask them? Paul ________________________________ From: HILARY BLANFORD <hilaryblanford@btinternet.com> To: eng-surrey@rootsweb.com Sent: Friday, October 9, 2009 1:31:06 PM Subject: [SRY] Thames Lightermen and Watermen Records Hallo Is anyone familiar with the records for the Thames lightermen and watermen please? I have several members of my family (Ambrose/Ambross) who describe themselves as waterman, or more usually lighterman, in census returns, marriage certificates and baptism records.  Recently I purchased the set of transcripts of apprentice bindings from Docklands, and although there are some Ambroses and Ambrosses listed, none of them matches any of mine. I had understood that these transcriptions were thought to be complete.  Can anybody tell me if this is not the case, and if so, suggest some other specific references where I might look, either in Guildhall Library, SOG or elsewhere? Would they have been allowed to work on the river as lightermen if they were Freemen of the City because they held hereditary membership of another Guild?  My 4xggfather was a mariner known to be in Bermondsey in 1805 - 1807, rising to become a chief mate and master.  I have a copy of his widow’s application to Trinity House dated 1816.  It is his grandsons, b 1827 and 1832, and his great grandsons I am looking at.  Hilary *************************************** Send your List messages using **PLAIN TEXT** and always **TRIM AWAY** superfluous old messages in replies. List Admin can be contacted at:  Eng-Surrey-admin@rootsweb.com.   ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-SURREY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message