Looking for information on the vessel Argnum

[Joelrio]

At the time of the 1891 Census my wife's Grandmother is shown as a Shipkeepers Daughter living with her father William Sturla on the vessel Argnum. Does anyone know anything about this craft. He was with his second wife and her children too. Did Families live on board? or would it just be for census details. Is Shipkeepers Daughter an occupation?
Joelrio

[Meliora]

Hello, Joelrio,

My reading & understandng of the 1891 census for William Sturla & family on the vessel Argnum is this.

The heading on the census  is for Argnum Ice Hulk, probably more like a barge moored in dock in Polpar so is not an ocean going vessel.   This is probably why William Sturla's occupation is classifed as Shipkeeper & not Master, meaning his job was more of a live-in manager with his family.    Enumerator's often listed wives & children as being,   i e shipkeeper's wife or daughter, this does not mean they were employed as such.

I am not too sure of this, perhaps someone else can help here, but I think it was the custom to bring ice into London docks where it was stored in straw for distribution to hotels, restaurants & large houses.

Meliora

[Joelrio]

Meliora,
Absolutely fascinating. Not as romantic as we first thought but then I guess someone had to do it. Any ideas where the ice would have come from or how long a 'barge' load would last before we were left with a hold full of water? What a damp cold existence for those on board.
Joelrio

[Meliora]

As I said, I really don't know much about the Ice industry in Victorian times beyond having read in books that the kitchens of large houses that did a lot of entertaining had  large blocks of ice delivered daily.   I would also hazard a guess that the ice came from Scandivania, probably towed across the North Sea by barge then transfered to the hulks moored in the London Docks, these hulks would old vessels, probably rotting away in some cases with plenty of drainage for any melting ice water.    There must have been a very quick turn around to get the ice away to it's destination by horse & cart, there was no profit in melted ice.

I have come across this if you are interested.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frozen-Water-Trade-Gavin-Weightman/dp/0007102860

Meliora

[RJ_Paton]

according to http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/education/victorian/enquiry8sl3.htm In early Victorian times ice was imported from lake Wenham in the USA and then from Norway.

http://www.victorianlondon.org/publications4/low-13.htm

also gives an insight into the storage of the ice which was often not on board but in buildings known as ice wells

A shipkeeper was also often a "watchman" employed while the ship was docked and was often a former member of a ships crew who through whatever circumstances was no longer able or fit to go to sea.

[Joelrio]

Falkyrn/Meliora
Thanks for those latest findings. That has certainly opened up a whole new area for us to explore, no wonder the refrigerator was invented!!! William Sturla was generally shown on census forms as an Engineer. His father (of the same name) was a Shipwright in Limehouse, Chatham (where he was born) and Plymouth. There appears to be no other evidence of service at sea for William the younger. After the death of his first wife he remarried the widow of a Lighterman within about a year. His second wife is on the Argnum with him.
Thanks again
Joelrio