Lockgate keepers.

[bolton]

 Hi
 How can I find out if there
Is there any records of lockgate keepers.
 Or barge or boat folks on the wiltshire canals.
 would the records office have records?
Also does anyone know if the Trowbridge records office has moved to Chippenham yet?
Kind regards Christine

[behindthefrogs]

You need to decide whether the canal in question is run by British Waterways, the Environment Agency or a private trust.  In the first two cases the appropriate body will probably have records of Lock Keepers.  In the latter case there are less likely to be any surviving records although there may be something in the local record office or with British Waterways.

The Environment Agency is more involved with rivers which have been canalized than cuts which were man made.  In the Wiltshire area their involvement will be restricted to the Thames catchment,  that is the Thames itself and its tributaries.

A lot of British Waterways old records are held in their canal museums but I am not sure what would be appropriate for Wiltshire as I am not clear which canal you would be talking about.  The Kennet and Avon is the most likely, which I think is a trust.  There might be something at the Blakes Lock museum at Reading but I have no idea what that holds.

There were also some canals associated with the upper Thames but I know nothing about these.

David

 

[Tantan]

Yes the Trowbridge WSRO has now moved to Chippenham.
Regards
Tantan

[behindthefrogs]

The following site about the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal might be of interest:

http://www.wbct.org.uk/

Can you put some dates round your request please as I find the term lockgate keeper rather strange.

David