Captains and Cargoes (Part 2)

The records that I’m working with have so far revealed that Smart had at least eight Captains (or Masters) either working for him or contracted by him on a regular basis. These were George Crook, James Davis, A. Meadows, Walter Pearce, Henry Stephens, Henry Tenty, Henry Watkins and John Webb.

These Captains mostly kept to their own geographical areas. No doubt this was due to the type of vessels they were operating. Trows for example, mainly kept to the Bristol Channel. Barges could only use certain canals and rivers and Narrowboats would go where the wider and deeper boats could not. Also they tended to keep to certain cargoes but were not averse to carrying anything that presented itself.

The trow Flora, captained first by Watkins (as we have seen) and then by Meadows, carrying mostly coal, plied its trade across the Bristol Channel from Bristol to Cardiff, up to Bullo, Framilode and Saul and occasionally putting into port in Gloucester.

Crook on the Charity by contrast mainly seems to have worked the canal system around Birmingham and Cannock whilst making occasional journeys down the network to Worcester. Most of the time carrying bricks.

Tenty on the other hand worked the canal though Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Berkshire calling at Devizes, Swindon, Cricklade, Cirencester,  Abingdon with occasional visits to both Gloucester and Worcester. His cargoes tended to be timber and bricks. (More about Tenty to come).

Pearce and Stephens were a bit different. As captains they overlap, Pearce being 1880 – 1894 and Stephens being 1891-1899 (again, I should mention that this is only from the records I have seen). But they both seem to have been working roughly the same routes and had a variety of cargoes.

Carrying coal, salt, stone, timber and grain they would sail anywhere from Stourport, Wolverhampton and Birmingham to Worcester and Gloucester but also head east to Lechlade, Pangbourne and Reading. Then there was the adventurous Webb who covered the same territory but would sail as far afield as London.

One of the things you notice looking at all these postcards and letters is how often the captains were asking for money. The amounts could be anything from ten shillings to twelve pounds or more. The sums were for locks, donkeys, horses, loads, unloading and loading etc. and the costs seem to depend on the captains and where they were. Working into the Midlands seems quite cheap but heading east the costs go up significantly.

And all the time the little missives kept on coming……

A narrow boat at wallbridge, wilf merrett collection (2007.183/1490)

Ps. I can’t help but get interested in the individuals that come up in the narrative of James Smart. With that in mind, here’s something extra about Tenty.

In the 1891 census Henry William Tenty is living in Chalford Hill with his wife Louisa and his occupation is listed as Bargeman. But ten years earlier he can be found in HM Navy serving aboard HMS Terror. Of course I couldn’t know this without wanting to know more and it didn’t take much to find an image documenting his service history.

The things that this document tells us about Tenty are that he was born 18th January 1846 and he enlisted on 18th January 1864. He was 5’6.3/4” tall, had light brown hair and grey eyes. He was eventually invalided out after suffering a back sprain during gun drill in July 1884. But during his time in the Navy he served on the Megaera, the Black Prince, the Royal Adelaide (twice), the Raccoon, the Impregnable (twice) and of course, the Terror. He was said to be of “Very Good” character at his time of discharge.

Of course, all of this information opens yet another rabbit hole for those so inclined but I gave myself a slap on the wrist and stopped there!