canal boatmen and women #2

[jvb]

We have "boat people" as we affectionately call them by the names of Beauchamp, Lamsden, Allen and Skinner on our tree.  We know of them in the Abingdon/Oxford area, but have no idea which way they were going from there.  It could have been to Coventry, to London (on the Thames) or even to Swindon.

The Beauchamp and Skinner families were quite famous 'owner boatmen' or 'number ones' on the Oxford Canal, their main cargo being coal from the Warwickshire pits around Nuneaton and Coventry carried to Banbury, Oxford, or the northern reaches of the Thames. I'm sure that if you google their names you will find more, but if you have difficulty with this, PM me for help.
John

[Jonah777]

Thomas Jones, barge captain born 1850 Tipton Staffs
Elizabeth Jones, wife............1861 Derby
Sarah Ann Jones, daughter........1885 Spon Lane Warwicks
Thomas Jones, son................1887 Platt Lane Shrops
Hanna Jones, daughter............1891 Elsmere Port Lancs
Henry Jones, son (my grandfather)1895 Barton Cheshire

At the time of the 1901 census they were moored in Warwick, at either Emscale or Elmseale wharf.

The wharf at Warwick is Emscote.
If you don't already know, Spon Lane is a set of locks on the Birmingham Canal Navigations near West Bromwich (so I think has always been Staffordshire !).
Platt Lane is on the Llangollen Canal near Ellesmere.

Thanks so much for the info, I didn't know the exact locations and it ties in perfectly from the birth areas on various census returns I have, I have recently found out that my great grandfather was Thomas Jones and he was captain of the canal boat "BEECH" this from the marriage cert of his daughter Sarah Ann to Edward Bannister in 1907 in Wolverhampton, the Bannisters were on the canal boat "SWINDON" ......Again , many thanks for your help......Paul

[adriatikfan]

Does anyone have any information on the canal boat 'Rifleman' please, operating between the West Bromwich and Potteries area in the 1870s - 1890s?

Thank you

Best Wishes
David

[Polly2]

Hi all, just wondered if anyone knew of the Tonks, my  great grandmother, Nancy, I believe, came from that boat family her father was a John Tonks and her mother was a Nancy Howe and they were married at Stone in Staffordshire.
John it seems had a second wife Martha Smith (a common name I know) who came from Etruria Vale, Stoke-on-Trent.

Thanks Polly2

[kerry1212]

hi polly this is from the 1881 census

at Grindley Brook (Canal Boat),Whitchurch,Shropshire
John TONKS/M/23/Boatman (Barge) (Wolverhampton) with wife & 2 step ch,(Howe)


kerry

[Polly2]

Well that certainly sounds promising, the wife's name is correct but where do the two step children come in ? 
I  thought that Martha was John's second wife I wonder if I've got Nancy and Martha the wrong way round and Martha was the first wife and the two children where her's and not Nancy's

[kerry1212]

the children are his stepchildren so his wife must have been married before, has their names are howe

kerry

[Laurette]

I have been searching  for Sarah Ann BATE born 1853 in Staffordshire.  On both of her marriage certificates she states her father as being Thomas, a boatman.  I did find a Thomas BATES on both the 1871 and 1881 Census but that is all I can find.  Nothing shows up for 1861.  She has always stated on marriage and birth certificates that her maiden name was BATE.  Sarah also married boatmen, the first was Hugh GLOVER and the second John TONKS/TUNKS.

Any help would be most appreciative.

Laurette

[gingernut1]

Hi

I have some Bates in my tree who were boatmen.   Thomas b 1827 in Wolverhampton.  He married Elisabeth.    Children were Thirza, Ellen and Isaac.

cheer
Ginger