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Oxford Canal, Bridge 70 at Hillmorton


neil40

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Hi

 

My ancestors were Grantham's who mainly worked the Oxford Canal, and established a Wharf in Lower Heyford in the 19th century.

 

Whilst attending a talk on the Oxford Canal last evening, I was chatting to someone who told me that Bridge 70 at Hillmorton is called "Grantham's Bridge". I'd not heard this before.

 

Does anyone know why it is called Grantham's bridge? I note that there is a boatyard or wharf there too, perhaps the Grantham's had some sort of link to that?

 

Many thanks for any ideas

Regards

Neil Grantham

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19 minutes ago, X Alan W said:

No idea of the reason but the times I worked that area delivering piles for BW late 50's early 60's the then ex & working boaters refereed to it as Granthams bridge

 

And the yard/dock there trades as Grantham Bridge Boat Services.

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22 hours ago, neil40 said:

Hi

 

My ancestors were Grantham's who mainly worked the Oxford Canal, and established a Wharf in Lower Heyford in the 19th century.

 

Whilst attending a talk on the Oxford Canal last evening, I was chatting to someone who told me that Bridge 70 at Hillmorton is called "Grantham's Bridge". I'd not heard this before.

 

Does anyone know why it is called Grantham's bridge? I note that there is a boatyard or wharf there too, perhaps the Grantham's had some sort of link to that?

 

Many thanks for any ideas

Regards

Neil Grantham

Neil,

 

Welcome to the forum. The Grantham family did indeed come to the canals via Lower Heyford but they then migrated all over the Midlands and South East canals. I have many records of the family through their links to my own boating family (Neal) which are numerous. I have no knowledge of the origin of the name of the bridge at Hillmorton but given members of the Grantham family were prominent at Hawkesbury and Buckby Locks and they boated right to the end of regular commercial carrying from the Midlands to London then there must be a fair chance of a connection.

 

JP

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A Mrs Grantham once lived in the cottage next to Hillmorton Bottom Lock. 

 

A story I heard was that when the Collins / Nicholson guide for the North Oxford was being complied the writers inserted the name to see if the proof readers were paying attention. Apparently they weren't and the name stuck. I used the term Grantham's Bridge to  describe the area to a ex Barlow's boat captain and he said "I've no idea where you are talking about." The working boaters I know only ever refer to it as Hillmorton Bottom Lock. 

 

There was a Henry Grantham lived near Buckby bottom lock and was lock keeper there for a while. He has a seat dedicated to him there. 

 

https://www.whiltonmarina.co.uk/Narrowboat-Blog/The-story-of-Henrys-Tow-Path-Bench-at-Whilton-Locks/

For some reason? the photo's are no longer visible.

 

http://www.wbla.org.uk/toms-tales/tale-02/

 

https://www.whiltonmarina.co.uk/narrowboat-blog/2010/11/A-Well-Respected-Lock-Keeper-at-Whilton-Locks-Henry-Grantham/

 

Henry Grantham.jpg

Edited by Ray T
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Surely two different people in those pictures Ray? I believe the Henry Grantham of the horse boat motor conversion was the father of the lock keeper Henry Grantham.

 

Henry Sr also had a cousin and an uncle by the name of Henry who were boatmen. The Grantham's are the largest single family of boat people I can trace in my record of c2000 people I can demonstrate to have lived or worked on a boat or associated canal business.

 

JP

Edited by Captain Pegg
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5 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Surely two different people in those pictures Ray? I believe the Henry Grantham of the horse boat motor conversion was the father of the lock keeper Henry Grantham.

 

Henry Sr also had a cousin and an uncle by the name of Henry who were boatmen. The Grantham's are the largest single family of boat people I can trace in my record of c2000 people I can demonstrate to have lived or worked on a boat or associated canal business.

 

JP

Yes two different people but the same family, as you say above father and son. The gent with the dog is the ex Buckby lock keeper. The ex NB captain I know said Henry jnr worked Forget me Not as well as Henry snr.

Edited by Ray T
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Wow, thanks for all the answers. I rather like the one about the proof reader missing the reference!

 

I do have a copy of the picture of Henry and his dog, and knew he was a lock-keeper, but I've not seen the narratives before. Well worth adding to my 'Grantham's of the Canal' document I've been inspired to start.

I also have a very poor photocopy of the picture of the barge, so this is much better quality. Interesting to know she's still afloat.

 

The last know Grantham in my direct line, to be on the canals, was my grandfathers brother John George 'Jack' Grantham (1881-1975). I remember being taken to meet him when I was a boy, and I think he was still working then.

Here are some pictures of him.

 

I would be really pleased to correspond with you 'JP' (Captain Pegg) about the Grantham's if you are willing?

 

John George (Jack) on boat.jpg

John George (Jack) Sarah Elizabeth.jpg

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This a wedding picture of Doris Grantham, daughter of "Jack" Grantham and Sarah (Hoare) to Albert Huckins in 1937, her second marriage

Not sure who they all are, but Albert and Doris are in the centre, and I think his parents to Doris's right (George Huckins and Florence (Bonham), not sure who the elderly lady at the right is.

Sarah (nee Hoare) is seated on the left and Jack to the right. The earlier picture of them together is the same day.

The other picture is of Doris's first marriage, in 1925, to her cousin James Albert Grantham, son of William Joseph Grantham and Ellen (Neal) - JP mentioned the Neal connection

Marriage of James Grantham to Doris Grantham.jpg

Doris and James.jpg

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I can answer this one :)

 

The yard at Hillmorton was the O.C.C's (latterly B.W.B's) maintenance yard. My family moved from Yiewsley to 5, The Locks in 1962 when my grandfather, A. V. Grantham MBE was appointed as Area Engineer for what was then known as the Warwick District. Canal House, as it is called, had been the Oxford Canal Company's Engineer's house, and it came with the BWB Area Engineer's job. The only access was by foot over Br. 70, which according to the O.C.C. length books was un-named.

 

The first reference to Br.70 as "Grantham's Bridge" was in the first edition of the Nicholson's cruising guides. It came about because my grandfather was the proof reader for this area, and author added the name in for a joke to see if he was paying attention. He did indeed spot it, smiled, and left it there assuming the editor would remove it, but somehow it made it to print and seems to have become fact.

 

No-one who ever lived or worked at The Locks that I knew in the 25 years I lived there called it anything other than its number, or "the bridge over the arm". I only found out about it when I was browsing through a Nicholson's in my teens, and I'd lived there since I was born in 1973. At which point I went and asked my granddad, and was told it was no more than a slightly embarrassing mis-print!

 

There's no link I'm aware of between our family or any of the boating Grantham's - but I'd be interested to know if there was one.

 

hth,

 

Anthony Grantham

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Neil,

 

In relation to your photos James Grantham's mother Ellen Neal was my great great aunt. Also Sarah Hoare's mother was Sarah Ann Neal who was Ellen's sister and therefore also my great great aunt.

 

There are a number of photographs online relating to the Grantham, Hoare, Neal and Hone families all of whom were boating families and all had addresses in Factory Street, Banbury and were inter-married. I think at various times you may even find the house numbers swapping between the family names. It does give me cause to wonder if they were all permanently resident or simply used a family land based address while living and working on board their boats.

 

I will PM you. From the info above you must be my third or fourth cousin, maybe removed a generation or so?

 

JP

 

ETA - one for the boat historians but wasn't Neil's ancestor John George 'Jack' Grantham the owner of the horse boat Forget Me Not slowly rotting away above Shrewley Tunnel?

Edited by Captain Pegg
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2 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Neil,

 

In relation to your photos James Grantham's mother Ellen Neal was my great great aunt. Also Sarah Hoare's mother was Sarah Ann Neal who was Ellen's sister and therefore also my great great aunt.

 

There are a number of photographs online relating to the Grantham, Hoare, Neal and Hone families all of whom were boating families and all had addresses in Factory Street, Banbury and were inter-married. I think at various times you may even find the house numbers swapping between the family names. It does give me cause to wonder if they were all permanently resident or simply used a family land based address while living and working on board their boats.

 

I will PM you. From the info above you must be my third or fourth cousin, maybe removed a generation or so?

 

JP

 

ETA - one for the boat historians but wasn't Neil's ancestor John George 'Jack' Grantham the owner of the horse boat Forget Me Not slowly rotting away above Shrewley Tunnel?

Thanks JP, look forward to your PM, and finding out the exact link.

I have found the following boats that I know were Jack Grantham's.

5441 Marlborough (1908)

5494 Rose of Sharon (1914)

5616 Forget Me Not (1928)

5624 Rose of Sharon (1930)

5639 The Rocket (1935

 

I've also seen Factory Street occur many times, but I don't know if they lived there, or as you say, used it as a base.

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2 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

ETA - one for the boat historians but wasn't Neil's ancestor John George 'Jack' Grantham the owner of the horse boat Forget Me Not slowly rotting away above Shrewley Tunnel?

I have never seen anything to absolutely connect J.G. Grantham's FORGET ME NOT (built 1928) to the hotel boat of the same name that is now sunk at Shrewley - but it is very likely to be one of the same boat :captain:

4 minutes ago, neil40 said:

I have found the following boats that I know were Jack Grantham's.

5441 Marlborough (1908)

5494 Rose of Sharon (1914)

5616 Forget Me Not (1928)

5624 Rose of Sharon (1930)

5639 The Rocket (1935

For anybody wondering what the four figure numbers are before the name of each boat these are the Oxford Canal Company gauge numbers :captain:

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Quote

For anybody wondering what the four figure numbers are before the name of each boat these are the Oxford Canal Company gauge numbers

Meant to say that! I got a gauge report as a spreadsheet with all "Grantham" registered boats

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I used to know Joe Grantham, he then lived in Coventry, and he had amongst others "Tackley" (old cement works boat I believe) and also  "Rose of Sharon". Used to tell some good tales, eg having boathorses ex-army that would only respond to military commands!  

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6 hours ago, Rose Narrowboats said:

I can answer this one :)

 

The yard at Hillmorton was the O.C.C's (latterly B.W.B's) maintenance yard. My family moved from Yiewsley to 5, The Locks in 1962 when my grandfather, A. V. Grantham MBE was appointed as Area Engineer for what was then known as the Warwick District. Canal House, as it is called, had been the Oxford Canal Company's Engineer's house, and it came with the BWB Area Engineer's job. The only access was by foot over Br. 70, which according to the O.C.C. length books was un-named.

 

The first reference to Br.70 as "Grantham's Bridge" was in the first edition of the Nicholson's cruising guides. It came about because my grandfather was the proof reader for this area, and author added the name in for a joke to see if he was paying attention. He did indeed spot it, smiled, and left it there assuming the editor would remove it, but somehow it made it to print and seems to have become fact.

 

No-one who ever lived or worked at The Locks that I knew in the 25 years I lived there called it anything other than its number, or "the bridge over the arm". I only found out about it when I was browsing through a Nicholson's in my teens, and I'd lived there since I was born in 1973. At which point I went and asked my granddad, and was told it was no more than a slightly embarrassing mis-print!

 

There's no link I'm aware of between our family or any of the boating Grantham's - but I'd be interested to know if there was one.

 

hth,

 

Anthony Grantham

If you can provide details of your immediate paternal ancestors - back to your Grandfather should be enough - then if there is a link it shouldn't be too hard to find. PM if you wish.

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19 minutes ago, MartinClark said:

Forget-me-not is now in Ashton.

Photo from the Wooden Canal Boat Society website. See http://wcbs.org.uk/boats/forget-me-not/

forget-me-not.jpg

Different boat. The boat decaying on the offside at Shrewley along with Mabel is of the same name and they belonged to different members of the same family. There are threads regarding the other Forget Me Not on this forum.

 

JP

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15 minutes ago, MartinClark said:

Really? Mind you, I'm not that surprised.

It's some coincidence for two of the oldest (quite possibly the oldest two) surviving wooden horse boats but they are most definitely two different boats. I suspect they once met regularly but I doubt they will ever be reunited. You wouldn't have trouble telling them apart though :(

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17 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

The picture looks ancient but it must be pretty late on in terms of carrying on the Oxford, 1950s?

Opposite Tooley's, 22nd April 1946. Jack & Rose had recently been married. Photo by David Bolton.

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