Lorna

Hi Anna I am the grand daughter Mary Jane Theobald born 1878 at Middlewich Cheshire and the great granddaughter of Henry Theobald and Ellen Bailey Henry married Ellen Bailey 15/10/1876 Middlewich Cheshire 2 daughters Henry married Ellen Lydia keen 2/12/1895 St Lawrence Long Eaton Derbyshire Henry married Sarah Jane Bailey 30/1/1904 All Saints Odd Rode Cheshire. The Theobalds worked the River Trent before going onto the canal system. There are always good and bad bits in Family history but that's life I have some information on the Bould family back to the early 1800's Regards Lorna

You are correct it does not apply to either picture Rose Narrowboats asked if anybody knew who was the steerer around that time

18/5/1960 from Braunston Lock Keepers log 130 Chertsey steerer Withey loaded to Apsley

Hi Captain Pegg thank you for your comment, I'm signing off now for today. I'm on my way to Stoke B Canal Museum to do a workshop on family history.

I can give you one example John Corrie/Corry baptised 1778 Newcastle under Lyme Staffordshire he is my 4x Great Grandfather and is on the 1795 Boat Register for Staffordshire. He Worked for Hugh Henshall James Brindley's brother in law.

The first national census was taken in 1801 no names purely numerical to ascertain what the population was. The 1811,1821 and 1831 were also just numerical 1841 did give names ages and occupation and if born in the county enumerated in and no family connections ie husband , wife and so on. The 1795 Boat Registers where taken in counties where there were canals these are held in local county record offices if they have survived.

Hopefully there will be an article in the Autumn 2019 Narrowboat Magazine of my research into the origins of the Canal Boat Families which has taken me 25 years to find. No Gypsies, one Navvy, some Farm Labourers, quite a lot of Watermen from the navigable rivers and a few surprises.

Thank you for your answers I think you are right that it might be the board containing asbestos. Which seemed to be the in thing at that moment in time hopefully we know better now.

Need advice and information, when the small Northwich boats left Yarwoods yard what wood lined the cabin internally?

Most of the boatmen mentioned were seconded to the Inland Waterways division of the Royal Engineers and were based at the so called secret port of Richborough in Kent. Some went to France and worked the French and Belgium canals and some to Mesopotamia (Iraq) working on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers there is a lot more research to be done on this and I would at sometime like some help on understanding the military codes and definitions on the various regimental forms I have found.

Hi Tam Thanks for the info of George Beauchamp he was born 1903 at 30 Fisher Row Oxford came from a long line of boatmen off the Oxford Canal before that the family were barge men on the Thames at Abingdon. George married Mary Cartwright 1930 Birmingham when they had the FMC Glasgow. Mary's fathers family came from Droitwich and they worked the salt boats Her mothers family were from Tipton the Yarnalls "my Lot" Lorna

Hi kay Another possible sighting of the elusive Mr Kay 1911 census Birmingham boat "Digby" Joshua Sidwell 23 Master born Runcorn Thomas Key 23 Mate born Stoke Staffs Joseph Sidwell 24 Mate born Wolverhampton Staffs The "Digby" home address was Fazeley Street Birmingham which was Fellows Morton and Claytons Head Office. I've just been speaking to my cousin Lily she has given me some information Thomas Kay had a sister name unknown and they were placed in a children's home in Sandbach Cheshire and they were from Manchester. Lily's mother was Elizabeth Hodson's sister Lorna

Mr Thomas Kay seems to be a very elusive person, I'm afraid I can tell you nothing more about him than that you already know. But I can tell you about the Hodson family. Elizabeth Hodson was the daughter of John Thomas Hodson and Mary Ann Rebecca Theobald she was born in 1890 Both the Hodson's and the Theobald's are long standing boat families. Lorna

Thank you Captain Pegg and Archie 57 for the extra Boatmen. Since I wrote the original list it has grown to 62 boatmen. I can now add Jack Brookes, Joe Pearsall, David Garrett, David Neal and William Humphreys. I already had William Millard and George Walley. Captain Pegg you didn't know the name of William Humphreys Mother Ellen she was born Ellen Bailey 5/1/1858 Middlewich Cheshire daughter of Joseph Bailey and Mary Ann Broadhurst. Ellen Married Henry Theobald 15/10/1876 at Middlewich their daughter Mary Jane born 28/9/1878 Middlewich Cheshire. Henry Theobald was sentenced to 10years hard labour in 1879. Ellen went onto have a whole new family with Richard Humphries. My grandmother Mary Jane Theobald was bought up by Richard Humphries as his daughter because when she married my grandfather William Yarnall 19/9/1902 at Daventry Register Office she married under the name of Humphries so William Humhreys would have been her half brother and Ellen Bailey was my Great Grandmother.

Samuel Withey born 20/8/1904 married Emma Priddey born 1/6/1908 7/4/1928 St Lawrence Long Buckby Northamptonshire Son Christopher Withey born 1929 Daughter Joyce M Withey born 1931

My Grandfather William Yarnall had a regular run from Brentford to Wellingborough carrying grain from 1910 to 1914 he worked for Emanuel Smith Canal Carrier of Brentford. He carried between 52 to 56 tons on 2 boats. I have his log book of the journeys taken during 1910-1914 I know it is not the time line you are writing about but I have records of my great great Grandfather another William Yarnall carrying wheat to Houghton Mill on the River Nene 21/03/1878 these records are from the Nene navigation records.

1881 census RG11 Piece 2865 Folio 136 page 15 and 16 for Tipton Between 83 Upper Church Lane and 1 Moat Road on page 15 my 3 times great grandfather James Wagstaff aged 81 Boatman and wife Mary living at Fellows Offices. On page 16 you have Fellows Dock. Thought you might be able to pinpoint the area better.

Hi Archie Yes we have had this conversation before and yes we have to disagree. I'm sure your friend is convinced that she thinks she is right but I'm afraid she is wrong.

example 1911 census Wyken Colliery Basin Boat Richmond Owner Emanuel Smith Master William Yarnall/Yarnell my grandfather Wife Mary Jane grandmother Rose aunt George father Albert uncle Richmond built by Nursers Braunston 1909 moored along side Avon Ellen Humphries Elizabeth Humphries half sisters of my grandmother stated on census form working on canal boat under William Yarnall one horse named Thomas family information From my grandfathers log book of journey's taken between 1910-1918 April 1911 "Coal Wyken Colliery to Kingston 61 tons Boat Registration "Hasty" 319 Brentford Engine Petrol Parrafin Owner Emanuel Smith Master William Yarnall From Canal and River Trust digital archive Ref BW 192/3/2/2/12/1/69 Stoppage at Cowroast Locks Shows my grandparents on motor Hasty butty Richmond Hope this explains your question

California is not the name of a working boat. It is the name of an area in the Kingswinford Borough

Hi everybody I am an avid reader of this Forum don't often post, but I wondered if anybody has any knowledge of the Boatmen who went to war. I'm in the process of doing a project for The Friends of the Canal Museum Stoke Bruerne on this subject I have so far found 30 names are there any more? William Allcott Enoch Appleton Abel Beechey John Cheshire Frederick Dakin Frederick Charles Dale William Faulkner Harrold Fellows Joseph George Henry Grantham William Grimes John Allen Harrison James Hollinshead Thomas Jackson Richard Jinks James Meese William Henry Millard William Norton Frederick Owen John Samuel Pegg William Postles Albert John Powell Samuel Pritchard Tom Sibley David Stokes Herbert Matthew Townsend George Walley Michael Ward Edward Westwood Walter Joseph Withey I have quite a lot of information on the above. I'm related to a lot of them in one way or another as most boat families are. Lorna York Canal Boat Family Historian

Hi Alilsomar A little bit more information for you and it might be of interest to other people. Register of Canal Boats Name of Boat Britannia Registered Birmingham 19/2/1879 B C N number 4431 G J C number 9506 Owner John Corbett Stoke Prior Works Worcestershire Master Philip James Horse Boat Carried Salt, Sand and Chalk I'm related to you through the Wenlock Family Lorna

Good morning everbody after a very long weekend I find myself being discussed on Canal Forum I won't go into the ramblings on "gas Bottles" The reason I and Jenni Glyn were talking to Robin Evans as Alan Fincher has already quoted was to discuss the recognition of the boat families during the World War 2. There have been many articles and books written about the exploits of the "Idle Women" but very little about the boat families during this period.After speaking to many of the remaing people who lived and worked through the war on the canal system we felt it was time to do something about it. Everybody has thier own adgenda with regard to the canals mine of course is historical being a canal boat family historian Thats why Jenni and I were bending Mr Evans ear we start at the top and work down.Watch this space!!!!! By the way the weekend was very successful

Hi Pete I didn't take it as a personal attack like you just stating the facts, as I knew who had painted it last, and to Kitman the paint on the inside of Sculptors engine room doors is the same as the rest of the cabin as they were done at the same time and yes it has weathered.

I have read with interest all the comments about Sculptors paint work. I'm the person who arranged for it to be repainted it was done by proffesional boat painters to a very high standard and they matched the paint to what was already on there. The only wrong colour was the stern end bands which should have been cream and not white. Time and memory play tricks who rembers what colour, colours change with weathering. I no longer look after Sculptor as I got fed up with all the politics and nit picking and suggested somebody younger should be persuaded to look after her this hasn't happend. I'll stick to researching all my boatman ancestors if they could have read what is sometimes discussed on this forum they would have laughed there heads off. Right got that off me chest I'll disappear into the back ground again.