Boat people .

[susyswan]

Is there any where to look for poeple who where canal boat people.in the Black country .

[Ecneps]

If you enter 'canal boat men' or 'watermen' into your search engine quite a lot comes up

This is a very good site to start with
http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/collection/family-history.htm

and the National Waterways Museum
http://www.nwm.org.uk/


Barbara

[susyswan]

Thank you i will take a look. S Swan.

[willow154]

Hi S Swan,
Just came across your post today, after discussing a similar query regarding Ilkeston boatmen, who moved my ancestors up form the Black Country to work at the iron works near Ilkeston.
I was told that apart from the boat registers, there would be information on the boats in the records of the Inspectors of Nuisances (Sanitary Inspectors) of the areas concerned - and these might contain information on owners.
He also suggested looking at old copies of 'Waterways World' as they have articles on old canals, workers, boats, etc.
There is information on the Birmingham Canal Boat Registers on:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=3731626
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=3731630http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=3731629
........etc
Hope this helps.
Paulene

[wheeldon]

Hi Paulene and thanks I will also have a look at those links.

S Swan, there are some interesting threads on the 'travelling people' board,

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/board,387.0.html

I haven't researched very well but from my understanding a lot of canal families used the same church for their baptisms and marriages which makes sense to me....perhaps a bit of tradition and keeping to what you know   

However, some used the church that was near to where they were on the canal system at the time.  I think once you delve deeper you will see the same names cropping up in a few churches along the canal systems.

Good luck with your search

Fiona