Has anyone done any research into the boatmen who were employed on the various canals in the region throughout the 1800s?

I have tried to find more information about the history of the canals in the black country.
I have a Charles James in my tree who owned barges on the Canals, he came from Tewkesbury originally but moved to walsall sometime between 1856-1865. His sons Samuel and John are shown to be working with him on the 1881 census. They live on Pleck Road in Walsall.
They are still working the canals in 1901.

I have a large family of Bushells working on the canals around Tipton during the 1800s. They originally came from Polesworth in Warwickshire.

I wondered if anyone had compiled any sort of index of Boatmen, have you ever come across one?

John

I have been searching the internet for the same thing, I have not yet come accross anything.

Fear not there is a list and I accessed it from the Black Country pages about a year ago. Must dash now but will try and find it, I took info from it re Fletchers, and post the details here later.
Tara a bit

This is the link to a database of Boat People of the Wolverhampton Canal. I got it via genuki and it lets you look up names alphabetically and then if there is a reference eg I looked for Fletcher along side the name are the page references in the chap's research. He has done a great job. You can contact him via e-mail for more info. Here goes
www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/STS/Names/WolvCanal.htm/
Hope it is helpful to you.
Tara a bit.

John,
i am wondering if you are a relative? My fathers name is John W. Evans and his fathers name was Ren McClure Evans. let me know if this rings a bell.
Mary ( Evans) Gingerich
gingrich@frontiernet.net

Hi there
I live in the Black Country and there is a Local newspaper called the Black Country Bugle which local people can give their account of the conditions in the area in times long since past.
There are a number of articles about life on the narrow boats in the 18oo's / 1900's it deals with canals all over the area, Jack Taylor, Mary Ann Smith,George&Jim Arnold
There is a good write up in BCB nov 23rd 2006/ I will scan it and send you a copy if you want.brian

Brian,
I am interested in the paper you are talking about. Please send it to me this is my new e-mail address. mary_49244@yahoo.com
Thanks Mary

Mary
Can you please send to me your postal address.
I send you the newspapers I have with articles on bargees and their lifestyle.
I have hundreds of copies to sort out to find about 6 or 7 for you,

All the very best..............Brian Hall