In Search of Wilf Townsend...

[MartOBeirne]

Evening all - First Post on here, My name is Mart O'Beirne - Have been living on my boat - 'Prefiguration' - for 4 months, currently moored on towpath at Linslade (nr Leighton Buzzard)on the GUC.

 

My uncle - or grand uncle - was a boatman all his life - know little of him - when he finally retired he couldn't deal with living in a house with a relative - he moved in to the garden shed where he felt more at home.

 

Have found a few snippets on the web - and even mention of him on this forum - he worked on the grand union - and have found ref to two boats he skippered - 'Boote' and 'Barnet' have found images of these boats and even a youtube clip of boote- but have a lot to learn, places and people to visit, things to clarify etc....

 

So just in case some historians on here may know more - here I am

 

planning to visit Stoke Bruern and some long lost relatives in the nr future too

 

Cheers!

Mart

[Rich]

My mate comes from a boating family, he was born in Braunston. He has done a lot of research into his family and may have sources of online information. Would they be of any interest?

[dave moore]

Hi

 

David Blagrove, a respected canal author and personality knew Wilf in the 60s and refers to him in his book Bread upon the Waters, an account of his boating during that time. I believe he still lives at Stoke Bruerne, certainly worth talking to him. Good luck!

 

Dave

[fanshaft]

Hi

 

David Blagrove, a respected canal author and personality knew Wilf in the 60s and refers to him in his book Bread upon the Waters, an account of his boating during that time. I believe he still lives at Stoke Bruerne, certainly worth talking to him. Good luck!

 

Dave

 

Yes, well worth talking to David Blagrove at Stoke Bruerne. Nicholas Hill also knew Wilf who (if I understood from Nick correctly) worked single motor boats for British Waterways (SE Division) - a bit unusual on the GU I think. Nick said Wilf had 'independent means' (not specified but obviously another source of income) and so basically pleased himself to some extent as to when he travelled. Nice life! I am not sure if he was from a boating family or not - David would know.

 

regards

 

David

[AshleyT]

Hi I don't know if I know you but some of my family have the name townend with out the s, and they all live in Milton Keynes

[Offcumden]

Hi Mart

You might want to try Ancestry.com free 14 day trial start from yourself and work back to wilf

John

[Laurence Hogg]

I own "Barnet" now and we feature Wilf in the boats history. We stil run with the "Liner funnel" for which he was well known as retaining. I would really reccomend Ancestory.co.uk as a try as it turns up remarkable info.