watermen

[jake]

can anyone explain the difference between a waterman and a boatman
                               thanks jake

[Bryan.]

Hi
Taken from GenDocs Genealogical Research in England & Wales.


WATERMAN
A person who worked with or on boats usually on rivers.

BOATMAN
A person who worked on a boat, predominately on rivers and canals. Also the name given to a boat repairer.

Bryan

[jake]

thanks bryan
                      appreciated
                            jake

[jorose]

Look up the Watermen and Lightermen's guild.

Specifically, a Waterman took passengers.  A Lighterman took cargo.  They kept good records and apprenticeship and other details are held at the Guildhall Library.

[jake]

thanks jerose will do that
                    jake

[moon]

my watermen are from Richmond area and they are named 'Cripps' so any Cripps out there that was watermen, maybe we can share info. please
Jennifer

[behindthefrogs]

If you you can't find anything in the records of the Waterman and Lightermans company in the Guildhall Library, (which incidently is one of the ancient City Companies rather than one of the guilds because it covered boat registrations and things like that as well people and apprentices etc.), it might be worth looking at the records of the Port of London Authority who administer the Thames up to Teddington Lock.

They may well have records also in the Guildhall library.  Its worth asking. 

I also suggest you review what they hold on the Watermans Company because there are lots of records beyond names of Watermen which might reveal some of your ancester's history.  These include naval service details of watermen, river traffic logs, court summons etc.

David

[mc8]

http://www.victorianlondon.org/ has an interesting page on Watermen-under professions, dockers and riverworkers

[J.J.]

here's a Walter in 1629...this often was a family thing, I hear, so could be some family history:
http://www.geocities.com/thameswatermen/muster.htm
http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/html_sessions/T17730707.html