Barnetttheboatman

I'm actually going to the Black Country Museum in July and it mentions on this page this boat is now there...so this is an example of a Joey boat? And her name is Cascade or No 15? It would be nice to see her!

How would I find railway records? I got his wife's death certificate today and it says he was a retired railway good loader as well. Am I right in thinking that he would've driven a joey boat for the railway company have I got that right?

So he may have moved from the boats to a land based depot? He was still living at Slater Street when he died.

Thanks everyone! I've just got William's death certificate back and it lists his occupation as retired Railway Goods Loader does that help confirm anything? Sounds like my kind of person, maybe we're related ?

Thanks where would I start with trying to see if mine went up there? As you can see by the censuses they have houses although what they did in the 10 years between each census I guess I'll never know. What boats would they have most likely have driven? I know nothing about canal boats so would they have looked like your typical narrow boat that we see on canals today or would they been different?

Hi thanks for your reply. Sarah was indeed born in Newport Staffordshire/Shropshire however her father Joseph Slinn was a shoemaker and so far I can't find any other boating connections. I haven't looked into her mother's side of the family yet, I believe she was Jane Pearce born 1805 in Eccleshall. Edward's father, John Barnett, came from Bray in Berkshire but he is down as a labourer. His wife Mary Yeomans was born 1816 is Haselor Warwickshire but I've not looked at that branch yet. Does the fact that Edward and William appear to have worked for a company mean that there is no way of tracing them to specific boats?

Hi, This site has been recommended to me as I have Boatmen ancestors and I would love to find out more about how they lived and if possible whether any of the boats they worked on still exist. My x3 Great Grandfather was Edward Barnett born 1842 in Lapworth, Warwickshire. On his marriage certificate he is listed as a Boatman and is listed as one on the censuses from 1871 up until 1911. He lived at locations within walking distance of the Dudley and Walsall canals over the years including Cherry Orchard in Rowley Regis, Eagle Street Tipton, Oldbury Road West Bromwich and Stour Street West Bromwich to name a few. The only extra info I have about him is that in 1911 he worked for the "Railway Company" as a worker so presumably not self employed. His son Joseph was a "Barge Steerer Boatage Dept" in 1901 and was also living on Oldbury Street in West Bromwich. My ancestor, Edward's son William born 1877 in West Bromwich is listed as a Barge Canal Boatman in 1901 living at 13 Stour Street West Bromwich, a Canal Boatman for the "R. Railway Company" at the same address in 1911 and he is listed as a "H.W. Boatman Loading and Unloading" living at 12 Slater Street in West Bromwich in 1939 aged 77! He died later that year. People on various canal boat related groups on Facebook have suggested that they most likely moved coal along the Shropshire canal. Is it possible to find out more about the boats they would've worked on, more about them and their lives as boat people and whether their boats still exist?