WOW! You guys are amazing. Thank you all so much, you have all helped me massively. I know absolutely nothing about boats and didn't think I was going to be able to get much info but this, combined with some research I've been doing myself, has allowed me to draw up a working theory.
My 3xGG was William Foster. His first wife was Elizabeth Shaw whom he married in 1839. Elizabeth had a sister called Harriet Adelaide Shaw. The Shaw's were a well known family of Mariners in Leigh at the time and there were 3 cottages called Shaw Cottages where some of them still lived.
The first time I've found William Foster listed as a coal merchant appears to be 1849 but he continued to be one, as well as many other things, until 1881.
In 1851 Harriet marries a Lewis Lennard who is a Master Marina from Whitby. The two are recorded as being in Middlesbrough in 1851
In 1856 Harriet and Lewis have a son who they name Lewis William Foster Lennard! Interestingly the son never appears to live with his parents but instead lives with William Foster.
In 1861 William Foster and Lewis William Foster Lennard are living in Shaw Cottages in Leigh. At the same time Harriet is back in Leigh herself, living less than 1/2 mile from William and her son and is recorded as being a Mariners Wife
In 1863 William builds Pittington House in Leigh and he and Lewis William Foster are living there in 1871 with Williams second wife (Elizabeth died in 1868)
In 1865 he is recorded as owning the boat (possible Thames Barge) Eleanor which we now know sailed up and down the east coast quite probably transporting coal.
In 1871 Harriets husband Lewis, is recorded as a boarder in Sculcoats, Yorkshire. Whether this was because he was just staying there the night whilst sailing up/down the coast I don't know but Harriet is still recorded as being married but now living in Witham and working as a glass, china and fancy good repository and has three more children with her, the oldest being 13.
In 1881 William retires as a coal merchant
In 1882 Harriets husband Lewis Lennard drowns in the old harbour, Hull. The inscription on his grave stone implies he may have been drunk or have been known to drink a lot.
So my working theory is that William owned the Eleanor quite possibly from as early as 1849 when he set up as a coal merchant and that he employed Lewis Lennard to sail the Eleanor up to Middlesborough (or somewhere close by) where coal, possibly from Pittington Colliery 20 miles away, was loaded on and sailed back to Leigh. As this would mean Lewis being away from his wife for long periods of time, William agreed to raise their son Lewis William Foster Lennard and hence why he has that name. This would also perhaps explain why William left Lewis William Foster Lennard £200 in his will when he died in 1900, the equivalent of £15,500 today.
Possibly when William retired from coal in 1881 the loss of business turned Lewis Lennard to drink and how he ended up drowning in 1882, but I'm less sure about that as by this time trains had arrived in Leigh and I can't help but think that William would have used them instead of slow barges.
I can't prove any of this yet and it's just a working theory to explain why he would call his house Pittington House but hopefully the records of the Eleanor might shed some further light on the matter.
Thank you all again, I really do very much appreciate it.
