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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Trees on Tuesday 03 July 12 12:01 BST (UK)
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Is a warterman a waterman? there are several with the occupation warter man in Droitwich in 1851. What would they be/ Bargemen possibly the one family the father and three sons wer Wartermen and the daughter a salt maker
Trees
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Waterman on a Canal boat/barge. The census enumerator got his spelling wrong. :)
Stan
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yes that's what i thought until I found several others in different areas by Go..ling
I think bargeman seems good but I am surprised to find a land address for them i thought the families lived aboard barges
many thanks again Stan
Trees
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In 1771 a "barge" canal was opened from droitwich to the river severn capable of taking river severn trows. I think riverboatmen always called themselves "watermen" wheras on the narrow canals they were boatmen
mike
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That is interesting mazi so at least we know there was a canal for them to work on was it usual to have a land address though?
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It was more of a river navigation than a placid canal, although the inland waterways traditionally had families living on the boat as permanent homes I'm not aware of that on navigable rivers like the severn,River navigations are tricky and dangerous at times,no place for a family. It seems to have been build for the salt trade, to get it to gloucester docks, with the trows bringing coal back on the return journey.
I do wonder tho' whether there may be a connection with the salt process, if a warterman was something to do with pumping the salt laden water around.
if you search droitwich canal there is lots of info, when i looked at the map there is a lot of water around droitwich ;D ;D ;D ;D
mike
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I've just googled severn trow they were big boats definitely a waterman job.
I never knew the severn was tidal as far as worcester in those days.
mike
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yet more to quote wiki " they could take 90 tons of salt from droitwich to france across the channel" well I learn more every day :) :) :)
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that is in keeping with the daughter being a salt maker and Droitwich being rich with mineral waters hence the spa. I feel a fascinating study coming on can't wait to visit the new Hive
Trees
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Trees
The enumerator may have written it down as it was said to him. I'm from Droitwich and I've heard 'water' pronounced as if it were spelt 'warter' with a long 'hard' a.
If you Google 'Wych barge' you will get several hits that provide info on the salt trade. If you PM me I have an transcription from the local paper that details how one of these barges was sunk in a collision at Bristol Docks in 1889 which I am more than happy to share with you.
My 3x great grandfather was a waterman hence my interest.
Andrew
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That is a kind offer thank you I will pm later (just walked in after a long weekend away.
trees