Dear list, I have several relatives (Footman family) that were working and living on barges in the 1870s - 1890s. A lot of their activity appears to be centered around Hanbury Wharf and Tibberton. I just wondered if anyone was aware if any of the record offices or history societies have such a thing as registers of boat owners and or registers/histories of barges. I have the names of barges that these people lived on and would be interetsed to see if they just rented these (could one do such a thing) or actually owned them, and also what was the fate of these barges. Many thanks, Iain Dr Iain Shaw Immunodiagnostics Laboratory National Diagnostics Centre National University of Ireland Galway Ireland Tel: 00353 91 492090 Fax: 00353 91 586570 email: iain.shaw@nuigalway.ie

Hello Iain, This, I regret, is not going to be anywhere near as Useful as I would've hoped, because it's shown up a Sad Failing in my note-taking and referencing... Within the past couple of months I KNOW ! came across a reference 'somewhere' concerning "Barge Registration Numbers" - that they were some sort of 'Public Health Registers' set up around the 1880s that permitted Local Authorities to inspect - and trace if necessary - any inland-waterway Trading Vessels to ensure compliance with the then-equivalent of Health & Safety Regulations. [This came as news to me, as I'd always believed them to be more the equivalent of Annual Licences.] I had Honest Intentions of both recording and following this up - but if I did, I can no longer trace the Source (and I *know* I didn't follow it up!) BUT... The Waterways Archive/Museum at Gloucester Docks may well be able to tell you what may have survived, and where it may be accessed. Sorry it's so scrappy, but it MAY lead you where you want to go! Gus PS If there's anyone else Out There with knowledge of these arcane matters I'd be grateful to be kept informed :-) ----- Original Message ----- From: Iain Shaw <Iain.Shaw@nuigalway.ie> To: <ENG-WORCESTER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 11:03 AM Subject: [WOR] Barge registers > Dear list, > > I have several relatives (Footman family) that were working and living on > barges in the 1870s - 1890s. A lot of their activity appears to be centered > around Hanbury Wharf and Tibberton. I just wondered if anyone was aware if > any of the record offices or history societies have such a thing as registers > of boat owners and or registers/histories of barges. I have the names of > barges that these people lived on and would be interetsed to see if they just > rented these (could one do such a thing) or actually owned them, and also what > was the fate of these barges. > > Many thanks, > > Iain > > Dr Iain Shaw > Immunodiagnostics Laboratory > National Diagnostics Centre > National University of Ireland > Galway > Ireland > > Tel: 00353 91 492090 > Fax: 00353 91 586570 > email: iain.shaw@nuigalway.ie > > > ==== ENG-WORCESTER Mailing List ==== > FreeREG Project: parish register database > http://freereg.rootsweb.com > > UK Census on-line > http://freecen.rootsweb.com/ > >