RootsChat.Com
Some Special Interests => Occupation Interests => Topic started by: Fotofunguy on Tuesday 23 December 08 09:37 GMT (UK)
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Hi All
I’m completely new to this situation and feel a little unsure of what to do first, but anyhow here goes.
I am trying to find details about my ancestors some of whom I believe were boat people; I assume they worked on the inland waterway systems.
I have recently obtained my great grandfather’s marriage certificate and on it his occupation is described as being a “Boatman”, also on that certificate his father’s occupation is recorded as being a “Boatman”.
My great grandfather was William Henry Glover and he was born in Dudley, Worcestershire, England in 1871, his father was Samuel Glover according to the marriage certificate and I have been unable to find any more information about him.
Can anyone please point me in the right direction, any help provided would be greatly appreciated.
Best wishes for Christmas
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Hello.
Cannot believe that no one has replied to you....so here goes..............
I have Boatmen in my Family going back to at least 1772.
It has taken me many years to find them but I have persevered and had huge success. All you need is stamina.
My grandfather was the son of a Boatman he was born in 1876 and all I had to go on was that his Father was a Boat steerer. Since then I have been up and down the trent and Mersey,, the Shroppie the Staffs and Worcs, etc just looking and I have found out so much.
I would help you more if I knew more details but rest assured there is plenty of hope you just need to get started!!!!
Regards
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Hi
Welcome to Rootschat. Too much festive spirit seems to have left you alone for too long and I am sorry.
Freebmd shows one William Glover born in Dudley round about the early 1870s. The reference is
Births Apr-Jun 1873 Glover William Henry Dudley 6c 152
It's not unusual for people to get their ages wrong on their wedding certificates so if you got his age off the wedding certificate this is probably your William.
This William is recorded in the 1881 census as living with his mother, Mary, married, age 35, a provision dealer, born in Baschurch. Also in the family are her mother, Elizabeth Witton, widower, 73, born in Welshpool, and two siblings of William - Alice M, 5, and Bessie G, 3, both born in Dudley (census reference RG11/2797 24 p3).
Freebmd lists
Births Oct-Dec 1875 Glover Alice Margaret Dudley 6c 135
Births Jan-Mar 1878 Glover Bessie Gwendoline Dudley 6c 120
All the best
Gobbo
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Hi
Happy New Year.
Many thanks for your suggestion but I have already discounted this one, my William was a boatman who was apparently born circa 1871 and definitely married Elizabeth Woodcock in St Michael's, Brierley Hill, (Dudley) on November 10th 1895. There are several birth dates listed for William Glover's around the 1971 date, I am almost at the point of buying all of the certificates to get the right guy.
It is his father Samuel, also a boatmen, who is very illusive.
My searches to date show that there were families of Glover's who were boat builders in Bewdley, Stourport and Worcester all on the River Severn and I have been amazed by the number of Glovers' who were working on the canals that have shown up over the past few days of my search, unfortunately not the right one so far.
I am hopeful that the culprit will turn up soon, once again many thanks for your suggestion.
Fotofunguy
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How do you know that his father is samuel????
I have canal boatmen on the Staffs and Worcs and they live and breed in Stourport which was Lower Mitton in the time you are talking about.
The folk in Dudley would go to Stourport and then turn about and go to London or Chester or Middlewich or where ever,,
my lot are just everywhere.
I agree with you that Glovers turn up in lots of places I have found a Glover here in Cheshire marrying .................
Don't discount any Glovers keep them close they might be yours eventually
sb
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Hi
I have William & Elizabeth's marriage certificate, William's father is named as Samuel on it and his occupation is listed as being a boatman.
I will keep trying, once again many thanks.
Fotofunguy
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Hi
How do you know that William Henry Glover was born in Dudley please?
Gobbo
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your welcome.
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I have an address you can try for an index of Canal and Boatman
I will PM you
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Thanks, your help is very much appreciated
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Is the list the one compilled by mr Roberts?????
am very interested
do you have connections with the canals
sb
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Good Morning
Yes I believe that the list mentioned is the one which John Roberts of Sutton Coldfield has.
John has kindly sorted our several Glover occurrences for me from his records but he has not supplied the entire catalogue of names, I shall write and ask him if I can purchase that from him.
The answer to your other question about my canal connections is; I live a few feet from the Stourbridge arm of the Midlands canal system and I enjoy walking and photographing various aspect of the canals but other than having ancestors that apparently worked on the canals there is no other connection.
Thanks for your obvious interest.
Fotofunguy (My ID is due to my interest in photographing fungi, nothing else!)
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Hello.
On a morning like this I thank my lucky stars that I am not a Canal Boatwoman ...it would be a bit nippy I think on the cut today!
I have a copy of the Canal lists that you are talking about ...have has them several years now.
My connections go right back to the beginning of the canals in the midlands, my TURTON ancestors are very much Stourport/Stourbridge/Tipton and Wolves, it has taken over 20 years for me to get to grips with a lot of them but it is hugely interesting and you meet some lovely folk along the way!
As for Fungi I know nothing about that at all...........
regards sb
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No my Index is from a Mrs Bingham
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I have a feeling that Mrs Bingham started the list and it was taken over by John Roberts.
I am about to write to John, I don't think he has an Internet connection, I will check and let you know.
BG
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my lists are on floppy disks
have boat registers and canal registers..................
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First of all I apologise if this offends you and I don't really know how to say it other than "How computer literate are you?"
Is it possible for you to copy the files to CD? I will pay any costs involved.
If you say "No" I will understand and will not be offended.
Cheers,
Barrie
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Ha Ha you have made me smile!
i am no wizz kid at the computer,, just enjoy it for what it enables me to do
but will ask instructions about transfering and take it from there.
and never think you can offend me! If you do, I shout and then get on with life!!!!!!
sb
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Mercy Banquet
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not sure how i email to you
sb
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Hi sb
Send a PM to Fotofunguy giving him your email address and ask him to email you in reply. You then just "reply" to his email and his address should magically get into your address book.
Good luck
Gobbo
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Thanks for that ..so simple!!!
sb
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Hi everyone.
I can't help anyone at the moment, but I will express an interest.
Mt paternal ancesters originate from Tewkesbury and are all associated with the rivers, the majority being watermen / boatmen. My great, great grandfather was the lock keeper at Avon Locks.
So far, I have been researching the Gregory family and this is a full time occupation in itself, especially as I do not live locally. However, my great grandfather was a Glover, but he died at the age of 30. I have only covered basic research and my task after I have finished the Gregory family is to explore the Glover line.
Tofgem
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Hello.
I am not going to be able to help you.
I know nothing about the Watermen/Boatmen of the Avon
My interest is centered on the Midlands, where my Boatmen lived.
with that in mind I have done quite a bit of research into the movements of the family over the country and the canal net-work, and as I live in the middle of Cheshire have transcribed some of the registers.
Maybe the Boat museum in Gloucester can help you.
-or indeed folk with the 'Avon' in their blood.
Best wishes
Sb
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Hello all,
I am also looking for Boatmen, named Meredith, who were based at Stourport / Wolverhampton.
I have the marriage certificate of Richard Meredith to Elizabeth Cope on 1st. July 1839 at Dudley.
I have had some luck with tracing a few baptisms / burials on the Wolverhampton Archives site but am very interested to know if it is possible to purchase a copy of the boat and canal registers mentioned recently on this list?
I would be very happy to reimburse all costs.
Thank you,
Jan.