By Traders

[Heartland]

The term by trader referred, in canal terms, referred to the private carriers on the canal network. But for most canals this group would be the only carriers on the waterway. There were a few exceptions and this was the Duke of Bridgewater's carrying operation on the Bridgewater Canal and Hugh Henshall & Co who operated along the Trent & Mersey Canal and connecting waterways. Henshall was effectively the carrying department of the T & M. The Act of 1846 and enabled canal company's to become canal carriers.

 

The origin  of the term Bye, or By, Trader is something that probably deserves comment. A meaning of "By" can be accessory as in By- Law and it is reasonable to assume that a by trader was an "additional" trader in respect to the company boats. If this was the case then the term By Trader would appear to originate from a time post 1846, but with the Bridgewater may have been used earlier.

 

It was generally the case that the company name was enough on each boat for identification. On the Grand Canal in Ireland, a number and prefix B came to identify the By Trader Craft. The naming may have been a railway rule, created after the C I E took over the Grand Canal. These Irish by trader also had another term assigned and that was "Hack".  This is another term, which deserves explanation.

   

[Ray T]

I'm not sure about now, but newspaper journalists were once known as "Hacks."

A writer who is paid to write low quality, rushed articles with a short deadline.

Apparently the term was first used in the 18th Century.

 

Any connection?

[Pluto]

Canals which had their own fleet were usually those with substantial merchandise traffic; bulk cargoes seem to have been left to private carriers, and on the L&LC, these were usually just called traders. I suspect that the term bye-trader came into regular use in the late 19th century, when it appears in some legislation. The term 'bye', according to the Oxford Dictionary, is of mid-16th century origin and denotes a side issue or incidental matter.

 

The term 'hack' can be used for horses which could be hired, resulting in an old hack being someone who was passed their prime. It can also imply that the horse was available for rent or hire, and this is probably where the Irish usage comes from.

 

Looking the terms up in online dictionaries did bring up the following. Sorry Ray, but I couldn't resist!

What does shill mean?

noun. a person who poses as a customer in order to decoy others into participating, as at a gambling house, auction, confidence game, etc. a person who publicizes or praises something or someone for reasons of self-interest, personal profit, or friendship or loyalty.

[Heartland]

Ah well Mike.

Names or nomenclature is a fascinating subject and you may well have come across a reason for the naming of the irish boats.

 

Looking at names, it is no doubt now well known that Pluto was a planet, but has been downgraded now and there was also a railway locomotive called Pluto.

 

 

[Pluto]

This was the Riley 9 special I built whilst living on Pluto (the ex Canal Transport boat), and which I called the Pluto Special. When at Preston Brook, circa 1975, I use to take Charlie Atkins canal sight-seeing in it. The seat was a bent sheet of aluminium and a flat piece of ply. One friend commented after a journey that it was more like the Uranus Special than the Pluto Special.

[Heartland]

Returning to the topic of by traders, I note Joseph Sandars used the term bye carriers in a pamphlet dated 1825 when he was organising support for the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. Sandars was concerned about the exorbitant profits, the Duke of Bridgewaters Trustees made on carriage, Being a corn merchant it is easy to see how his trade was affected by such charges and the reasons whilst he first promoted the Liverpool & Manchester Railway aided by West Midlands industrialist William James. James bankruptcy brought George Stephenson into the frame and by 1825 Sandars was actively promoting this railway against strong canal company opposition  

[OldGoat]

21 hours ago, Pluto said:

This was the Riley 9 special I built whilst living on Pluto (the ex Canal Transport boat), and which I called the Pluto Special. When at Preston Brook, circa 1975, I use to take Charlie Atkins canal sight-seeing in it. The seat was a bent sheet of aluminium and a flat piece of ply. One friend commented after a journey that it was more like the Uranus Special than the Pluto Special.

Aha a Riley - after all the tidy bits have fallen off....

I spent part of my pre-teen youth marshalling (! no rules about age in those days, just a willigness to do the task) at Riley Club events.

Nowadays, I suppose things are a lot 'safer' , but being thrown in to do 'a man's job' at a young age  stood me in good stead for later life.

 

Rileys were great cars, lovely shape and performed just a bit better than Morris or Austin. Even the early post war cars had some style - before the bean counters had their way.

 

[Pluto]

1 minute ago, OldGoat said:

Aha a Riley - after all the tidy bits have fallen off....

Fortunately things did not fall off as it was my everyday car at the time. It had been a 1934 Riley 9 Kestrel saloon, with the usual body frame problems - basically a lack of frame. I wanted an open car, but could't afford one, so made my own. It must have cost me all of £20, including £10 for the original car. The pointed tail was eventually cut off to make more of a trials car. The photo, taken at Henhurst Lock, Wigan, in 1975, is the only one I have of both Plutos together, though Pluto the dog was elsewhere.