Price Wolverhampton Boatman

[Pengy]

Hi all, I'm new here but have been researching my family history and it seems my great grandfather Joseph Alfred Price was a boatman. I thought i'd found the record of his birth in 1881, but now i'm not sure.

I've looked at the canal museums site and theres a record of a joseph alfred price born 2 years earlier than what i thought around 1879, and his parents match what I have.

Basically i guess what i'm asking is how likely is it that canal boatmen and women would record their births and marriages so that they'd appear on th BMD Indexes?

Any help would be really appreciated. Thanks

-Steve

[yonderpeasant]

What were the parents names and were they also on the boats?Maybe we could do a little detective work around them to help.

[Necromancer]

Basically i guess what i'm asking is how likely is it that canal boatmen and women would record their births and marriages so that they'd appear on th BMD Indexes?

After 1874 it was mandatory and fines could be levied if you didnt - of course that doesnt mean that they did, but more of an incentive - as it were - than previously .... and a 2 year age discrepancy isnt uncommon....

So if the parents, and places tally it sounds good !

 

[Pengy]

Well, I have his marriage certificate from May 1909 on which he lists his age as 29. So I'm assuming that he was born around 1880. On the Certificate his fathers name is Joseph. The marriage took place in Wolverhampton, and one of his children; my gran was born in wolves. From this I assume that he was also from the Wolverhampton area.

Looking on the Census for 1881 there is a Joseph Price aged 1 living on a canal boat with his parents Joseph and Caroline. Later in 1891 what I believe to be the same family seems to have settled in Wolverhampton now with 5 children. Joseph Senior who in 1881 was a boatman, is now a Railway Labourer.

On the 1881 census Joseph Jnr aged 1 has his place of birth as Wolverhampton and the Joseph Jnr in 1891 aged 12 has place of birth as Chester.

Now on my gran's birth certificate Joseph Jnr gives his name as Joseph Albert. Looking through the BMD Indexes from 1878-1883 there is only one Joseph Albert born, July 1881, and he was born in Wolves. I assumed this was the one and got the certificate. but now I'm thinking that it can't be as surely his age wouldn't be 1 on the census of that year.

Then I came across Holt's List on the Canal Museum site and found an entry for a Joseph baptised in November 1879, son of Joseph and Caroline. Also there is a record of a marriage on the list for a Joseph Albert and Caroline in July 1878.   I'm thinking that this is the family that I found on the 1881 census as the ages seem to match.

It's all quite complicated, especially when both son and father are called Joseph, but if anyone can make sense of it all I would really appreciate it, thanks.

-Steve 

[yonderpeasant]

yes his is adifficult one due to the large number of Joseph Prices and the changing birthplace in the census.I think I spotted west Bromwich on one of them.The one thing I would say is the place of christening need not have been  the same as the place of birth.He coud have been born while travelling and all of these places are on the canal system.He need not have been registered with his middle name.

The family looks good to be his and looks like Joseph as the name of the father went back even further.

Sometimes the witnesses to the marriage can be a real help in detecting the correct family.Especially if they are siblings.Do you have any names.

Looks like Joseph and Caroline went on having children right up to Sheridan in 1899 and Henry Alfred in 1905 and were still in the boating community.I see  Joseph is away from the home in 1901 though.

[Pengy]

Thanks for taking a look at this Yonder.

The wintess names on Joseph Jnrs marriage certificate are Matilda Price and John Donnelly. I'm guessing Matilda is Josephs sister?

I hadn't found Joseph Jnr on the 1901 census, where did you find him?

-Steve

[yonderpeasant]

Cannot find either joseph sen/jun in 1901 but Caroline is described as married and has daughter Matilda with her.William also away from home as Im sure you have found.i was hoping to find father and sons lurking on a boat together but could only find a possibility for William on boat Bombay at Lapley.

Still the Matilda link sounds good for your gut feeling re parents Joe and Caroline.

[Pengy]

Thanks Yonder, I'll see if i can find their marriage on the indexes.

On another note, what does SURCO mean in reference to the boat they were on? Is it a canal company?

-Steve

[Pengy]

I think I may have found Joseph Jnr in 1901. Seems he could be up in manchester at a canal boat horse drivers dorm.

The Jospeh there is listed as 21 (so about the right age) and born in chester. Has him as working as a canal boat horse driver.

Think i'm reaching a dead end with this branch of the family though, as there are so many joseph prices listed on the index, and a large portion of them in the right sort of area/areas.

SURCO seems its the Shropshire Union and Railway Canal Company.

-Steve