Watermen

[a.l.rickards]

The canals and rivers are an important part of the industrial heritage of Manchester and the surrounding towns. The 'Watermen' and their families made it all work and appear to be vanishing from historical memory.The stories of these people must be another important contribution of the industrial record of the ninteenth century. Is there a register of the 'Watermen'? There are photographs somewhere which show boats on the Irwell in front of the Cathedral.

[John]

Originally Posted by a.l.rickards

The canals and rivers are an important part of the industrial heritage of Manchester and the surrounding towns. The 'Watermen' and their families made it all work and appear to be vanishing from historical memory.The stories of these people must be another important contribution of the industrial record of the ninteenth century. Is there a register of the 'Watermen'? There are photographs somewhere which show boats on the Irwell in front of the Cathedral.

I've never come across one, which doesn't mean that one doesn't exist, but trade directories frequently mention watermen, boat builders and the like.
I would imagine that the boat museum at Ellesmere Port would be a very good place to ask.

John

[Henry Mantell]

Northern Heritage - Boatmen, Watermen and Mariner Ancestors - Home Page is a site I have found useful in the past but all projects like this need volunteer help.
Until the project expands to Lancashire and Manchester in particular as you have highlighted an area of the City's heritage and family and social history which recedes from us.
There are considerabe volunteer efforts in Lancashire to organise local Birth Marriage and Death indexes for the county on ukbmd.org.uk and addditions to this are considerable each month.