Difference between revisions of "Canals and Canal Carriers"

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[[Image:Launch Of Raymond.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Launch of Raymond]]</div>
 
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== The History of the Canal Network ==
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The canal network started to appear in the 18th century, in the days before the railways the canals were used to carry goods, people and documents around the country. The network continued to expand and linked the major industrial areas of the country together.<br>
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As the forerunner to the railways and motorways of recent times, the canals provided employment for many people, the men who built the canals (called ''navvies'', as the canals were referred to as ''navigations'') would often find employment on the canal when construction was complete. Whole families would live and work on canal boats and raise several generations whilst living afloat. Many children were born on the boats so don't be suprised to see a boat name on a birth certificate.<br>
 
 
 
By the 1850's the railways started to take more and more business from the canal companies, the ability to move goods and people far more quickly allowed the railways to expand at the expense of the canal owners. The situation continued until in the 1940's water carrying became nationalised, British Waterways took responsibility for operating boats and set about changing the appearance of boats forever. Gone were the highly decorated boats of yesteryear to be replaced by the blue and yellow livery of BW. The 1970's saw what was in effect the end of canal transport, the canals (now in need of major investment) could not compete with road and rail competitors and commercial water transport had all but stopped.<br><br>
 
 
 
'''Useful Links for Boats, Historic Records and Genealogy Forums'''<br>
 
 
 
 
 
* '''[[Bargemen/Boatmen/Watermen/Lightermen]]'''<br>
 
 
 
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'''Family Tree sites with Canal Connections'''<br>
 
 
 
* '''[http://www.wix.com/boatmen/miners Boatmen/Miners]'''<br>
 
 
 
==Canals==
 
 
 
* [http://www.hnboc.org.uk/ Historic Narrow Boat Owners Club] contains a gallery of pictures and information about surviving boats, with detailed information about each boat the site is well worth a visit.<br>
 
 
 
*[http://www.virtualwaterways.co.uk/home.html Virtual Waterways] is the online catalogue of the British Waterways Archives, many historic records are held throughout the country and the site can help find the location of records.<br>
 
 
 
*[http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Occupations/CANAL-PEOPLE.html Rootsweb Canal Pages] links people with geneaology questions and information, not the busiest rootsweb page but worth a visit.<br>
 
 
 
*[http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/index.php Jim Shead Waterways Site] (''Recommended'') a HUGE site with photo galleries, glossary of terms, maps and useful book listings. Descriptions of the [http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/jim.shead/Boats2.html#C1 types of narrowboat] is a very comprehensive guide.<br>
 
 
 
*[http://www.canaljunction.com/canal/history.htm Canal Junction] describes the heyday of the canal network and the industry of the country.<br>
 
 
 
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canals_of_the_United_Kingdom#Canals_in_England Canals of England] ( Wikipedia) is a comprehensive list of the canals (in excess of 100 past and present waterways) throughout England, information for the Welsh canal navigations and links to some of the major engineering feats needed to allow canals to be built throughout Wales, and detailed information about the Scottish canal network.<br>
 
 
 
*[http://www.blisworth.org.uk/images/index.html Blisworth Images]<br>
 
 
 
*[http://www.nas.gov.uk/guides/canal.asp Canal Company Records] lists the records held by the National Archives of Scotland.<br>
 
 
 
*[http://www.bridgewatercanal.co.uk/ Bridgewater Canal] <br>
 
 
 
*[http://www.weyandarun.co.uk/hist1.php Wey and Arun Canal] <br>
 
 
 
*[http://www.gentle-highway.info/ Wiltshire & Berkshire Canal]<br>
 
 
 
== Canal Carrying Companies ==
 
 
 
Many of the carriers were quite large companies with large fleets of boats, although online information about many of the companies and boats is sparse these links can prove useful to researchers;
 
 
 
*[http://homepages.which.net/~shardlow.heritage/shwpcarri.htm Shardlow Based Companies]
 
 
 
*[http://www.wcbs.org.uk/styles/atob-boats.htm Grand Union Canal Carrying Company] GUCCC boat listings, last known location and condition of vessel reports.<br><br>
 
 
 
== Boats, People and Places ==
 
 
 
*[http://www.canalmuseum.org.uk/collection/family-history.htm Checklist for Researching Canal Family History]
 
 
 
*[http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/STS/Names/WolvCanal.html Boatpeople of the Wolverhampton Canal System]
 
  
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