Dear Veronica, Boatmen can refer to members of the Navy, fishermen, members of the coastguard, and also people who worked on the canals. It's a bit broad unfortunately. I have coastguards in my family history so I've looked up a few relevant sites before. Boatmen were members of the coastguard service, which was part of customs and excise. There is a lot of info on Coastguards, but Charles Ashton is not listed. www.genuki.org.uk/big/Coastguards/. Just to note, the coastguards on Thanet would not have been based at Minster, which is not on the Coast. But, when looking at records the wives do not always live in the stations, so Emma's mother may have been at Minster for the birth. Details of Archives for Customs and Excise can be found at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=299&CATLN=2&accessmethod=5 microfiche though, not online. In the 1881 census there is a Charles Ashton living in Derbyshire who was born Liverpool 1807 and gives his occupation as retired Customs and Excise Clerk- I wonder if this is your Charles Ashton? Hope this helps a little Louise veronica howorth wrote: >Dear Suzannah > > Thanks for your reply and census information. That's certainly the right people on the 1891 census but unfortunately I don't think its the same Edwin Bolton on the 1881 and 1871. I should have mentioned that i traced Edwin on the 1841 census which showed him living at Pall Mall, St. James Square, Westminster. He was aged 10 and living with his father Peter Bolton who was a Tailor and mother Jane, along with his brothers and sister. I also found Christening records for him and his siblings on the Family Search IGI which shows he was christened at St. James, Westminster. I also found him on the 1851 at which time he was a Clerk staying at the home of a sister in law [ I presume] in Chelsea. Again, his birthplace is given as St. James, West [Westminster] On his Marriage certificate in 1875 his occupation is Comedian and Emma's is Artiste. On my Grandmother Florence's Birth Certificate it gives Edwin's occupation as Artist which I assumed to mean Artist in the theatrical > sense rather than painterly, although i suppose that could tie in with the ornamental painter, but the Bermondsey birthplace and unmarried status in1881 doesn't fit. > It is Emma though who is proving to be a woman of mystery as far as her earlier life is concerned. I know that she died in 1929 I have just discovered her burial place in Shipley, West Yorkshire which is where Florence and husband Sam Allen had gone to take over management of a local theatre. Emma had looked after the children [my father and his siblings] sadly they can't be questioned as they are all dead now. I seem to recall one of my aunts who always spoke of Emma with great affection,saying that she [Emma] had been disowned by her family for marrying beneath her. It is also believed that her occupation had been a Lady's Maid before taking to the stage. Apart from that i have no clues. I have started going through the 1841 Census for Minster in Sheppey on the Ancestry website. I can't find Minster in Thanet though, does it come under another district? Of course she may well have born after the Census took place. >I'm also wondering if there are any organizations or Websites that might have records of Boatmen in Kent? > Sorry for being so long-winded, and thanks once again for your interest and help. > > Veronica. > >Suzannah Foad <suzannah.foad@btopenworld.com> wrote: > Dear Veronica > >You didn't mention a date they married nor the Grooms name, so I assumed >this to be correct > >Cannot find anything about Emma nor her connection to Thanet. Possibly being >an actress she did change her name. It looks as though Edwin Bolton was a >Stage Painter?Actor. >If you wish to reply to me regarding Edwin and Emma I am quite happy to help >of list, as we cannot determine the Thanet connection >Regards >Suzannah > >Marriages Sep 1875 >Bolton Edwin Pontefract 9c147 >Marriages Sep 1875 >ASHTON Emma Pontefract 9c147 > >On the 1901 Census, Edwin, Emma and Florence are Actresses and an Actor. >I looked at the 1891 Census and thier birth places are not recorded. >Class: RG12; Piece: 1372; Folio 14; Page 22; > >1891 England >about Emma Bolton (Indexed under Hassan on the 1891 Census) >Name:Emma Hassan >Age: 46 >Estimated Birth Year:abt 1845 >Relation:Wife to Lodger >Gender: Female >Where Born: N > >Civil parish:Barking >Ecclesiastical parish:St Margaret >Town:Barking >County/Island:Essex >Country:England >Registration district:Romford >Sub registration district:Barking Town >ED, institution, or vessel:8 > >Household Members: Name Age >Caroline Hassan 53 Widow 119 Worth Street, Barking Essex >Elizabeth Hassan 17 >James Hassan 19 >Edwin Bolton Lodger 60 Actor >Emma Bolton 46 Actress >Florence Bolton 13 > > >Daughter Florence >Births Jun 1877 >Bolton Florence Pontefract 9c 127 > >Hard time finding Emma on the 1881 census but think this may be Edwin > >Name RelationMarital StatusGenderAgeBirthplaceOccupationDisability >1881 >Clarissa BOLTON Head U Female 59 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England >Letting Furnd Appartments >Ann BOLTON Sis U Female 57 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England Letting >Furnd Appartments >Charles BOLTON Bro U Male 54 Deptford, Kent, England Shoemaker >Edwin H. BOLTON Bro U Male 52 Bermondsey, Surrey, England Ornamental >Painter >Michael LESLIE Lodg U Male 29 Ireland Civil Serv Writer War Office >Laurence LESLIE Lodg U Male 24 Ireland Civil Serv Writer War Office >Cornelius LESLIE Lodg U Male 16 Ireland Scholar >Henry STEPHENS Lodg U Male 37 Devonport, Devon, England Bankers Clk >Thomas G. RICHBELL Lodg U Male 48 London, London, Middlesex, England >Agent Nk > >Source Information: >Dwelling 14 Osbourne Terr >Census PlaceLambeth, Surrey, England >Family History Library Film 1341138 >Public Records Office Reference RG11 >Piece / Folio 0602 / 52 >Page Number 38 > > >1871 Census, Edwin is staying with his brother in Lambeth >RG10; Piece: 671; Folio: 31; Page: 18 > >Name:Edwin Bolton >Age:41 >Estimated Birth Year:abt 1830 >Relation:Brother >Gender:Male >Where born:Bermondsey, Surrey, England > >Civil Parish:Lambeth >Ecclesiastical parish:St Mark >County/Island:London >Country:England >Registration district:Lambeth >Sub-registration district:Kennington First >ED, institution, or vessel:16 > >Household Members: Name Age 14 Osbourne Terrace, Kennington > >Charissa Bolton 49 Head Unmarried Fund Holder Born Bethnal Green >Ann Bolton 47 Sister Unmarried Born Bethnal Green >Charles Bolton 44 Brother Unmarried Bootmaker Born Deptford Kent >Edwin Bolton 41 Unmarried Ornamental Painter Born Bermondsey Surrey >Jenny Bayly 22 Boarder, Unmarried Outfitter. > > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: veronica howorth >To: Isle-of-Thanet-L@rootsweb.com >Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2006 11:11 PM >Subject: [ISLE-OF-THANET] charles ashton - boatman > > >Hello, I wonder if anyone can help me. my grandparents and great >grandparents were actors who travelled about the country. I tracked them >down on the 1901 census at Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire and discovered from >that my great grandmother, Emma Bolton was born in Minster, Kent around 1841 >[ i don't know which Minster though ] >I traced their place of marriage to Pontefract in Yorkshire and >subsequently found from the marriage certificate that her maiden name was >Ashton - father's name Charles Ashton, his occupation was a boatman. I don;t >know whether their stay in Kent was temporary or if they actually lived >there. i cannot find them on the censuses or Emma's birth in the BMD >records. The possibility has occurred to me she may have changed her name >for some reason in which case finding her will be very difficult, however >i'm pinning my hopes on someone knowing of a boatman named Charles who might >fit the bill. Any suggestions please? >Veronica [Bradford, West >Yorkshire] > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >ISLE-OF-THANET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ISLE-OF-THANET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ISLE-OF-THANET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >