Genealogy Chat

A turncock is like a stopcock - used to control a water supply. IF he worked on inland waterways, I believe he may have been in charge of ensuring the water was at the right levels. With boats going through locks and water transferred from one level to another, it could easily get out of kelter, especially if there was a lot of traffic one way and not the other. There is a pumping system to compensate for this - water is pumped from one stretch to another. I am guessing that this may have been his job?? Jay

Thankyou, both of you. Just another question, please. This man went on to be a Turn Cock Waterman. I know that a waterman used to hire his boat for passenger transport but do you know what a turn cock did? Jayne

On canals the boatman was in charge of the narrowboat . They were horsedrawn, and often towed a second boat, or butty, which the wife steered. The butty had to be set loose and glide alongside, so the boats went into the locks together, or at single locks, the butty had to be pulled through separately. Boatman and his wife had the cabin on the narrowboat, children slept in the cabin of the butty. I think the term boatman was also used for other jobs allied to boats. Jay

I think they transported goods along rivers and canals. It was an alternative to moving stuff on roads. Some of mine were boatmen on the rivers and canals of the Somerset Levels and relations of theirs went on to become mariners in the Bristol Channel moving goods back and forth from Wales to Somerset. I don't know if it is true of other places but along the Somerset waterways cottages used to be cider houses too with their back doors onto the rivers and canals being used by the boatmen. Some of these men later went on to become publicans. Sue

I have a relative who was a boatman in Liverpool. I know that a boatman usually worked on canals or rivers but what did he actually do. I have been on the victorian occupation site and the Hall site but it doesn't say what they actually did. Can anyone help please? Jayne