NOTE: For background to this article you may wish to read the two blogs of Tuesday, April 26, 2011, "'Navvies': Builders of English Canals and Railroads in Dept. 56 Villages" and "Dept 56 Dickens' Village 'Abington Canal Series.'"
The Golden Age of Canals in England, between 1770 and 1840, gave rise to a whole new subculture of canal people, who helped fuel the industrial revolution by plying narrowboats through England's extensive canal system, carrying loads of either raw materials or finished products. This is the story of these colorful canal people
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Dept 56, Dickens' Village
"Abington Canal Boat," 58522 |
Living on Narrow Boats Families of narrowboat operators originally lived on land. By the 1830's, however, boatmen were suffering from competition from the new railroads, and fares for transporting goods by boat were being slashed. Boatsmen could no longer afford rent on land, and they needed more "free" help on the boats to stay competitive.
Abington Canal Boat (Set of 2) - Department 56 (Retired)
Using family members, instead of hired help, could cut the cost of labor, and thus raise the profit margin. Faster hauls and expeditious turnarounds were important since boatsmen were paid by the tonnage hauled, not by the time required for transportation. More "hands" made hauling faster, and thus more profitable.
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| Photo from www.canal-photos.co.uk |
Additionally, the boatsman would be paid more if he unloaded the cargo himself, so the family help was even more beneficial. Of course, many families just wanted to stay together, and came on board for that reason. Therefore, increasingly, married men and their families came to live on the narrow boats.
http://www.articlesbase.com/writing-articles/narrowboats-a-brief-history-3272548.html
Narrowboats could only measure about 7 feet in width in order to navigate through all English canals and locks. However, the boats could be up to 70 feet in length. The owners had great pride in their boats, painting them in bright colors and highlighting their names in two-colored shadowed lettering.
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Ropework design on narrowboat.
Photo from canaljunction.com |
Ropework woven in intricate panels also decorated the boats.
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Interior of Narrowboat caption.
Photo from fotosearch.com
#u18506316 |
The rear of the boat became the boatman's cabin, where the family cooked, ate, slept, and lived. It measured only about 3 meters (9.9 ft.) X 2 meters (6.56 ft.) Imagine storing food, water, clothes, supplies, and everything else needed for a family in such a small area. It is easy to romanticize, but the life must have been difficult, particularly since small children shared the space.
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| Photo from National Waterways Museum |
To protect young children from falling into the canals, the mothers would harness them to the roof of the boat. Starting at about age 5, the children might begin to work by steering the boat. At 7, children could be seen leading towhorses, and by age 12 or so, even opening the locks. By 1895, there were approximately 4000 children living on narrowboats.
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| Photo by Robert Longden |
Canal boat families with children lived on the water into the 1950's.
Canal People: The Photographs of Robert Longden
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Castles and Roses painting.
Photo from canaljunction.com |
Art of the Narrowboats The interiors, panels on the exterior, and even domestic tools like pails, stools, and pots were frequently painted in the "Roses and Castles" style. This folk art included very colorful paintings of landscape scenes and profuse explosions of flowers. Roses and Castle painted goods were a source of pride to boat families.
Some of the most popular decorative pieces were called "bright bits." These intricate brass workings, made from sand casting molds, were originally made for harness decorations, but later adapted for boat decoration. The bright bits were executed in bold, yet simple, designs, such as crescents, sun discs, stars, or hearts. Many believed they brought good luck or protected against the "evil eye."
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| Photo from canaljunction.com |
While steering the narrowboat, women had time to crochet, and many produced delicate shelf edgings or decorations for shawls, hats, and belts. They even crocheted earcaps for their horses, to protect them from flies as they pulled the boat.
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Measham Ware teapot.
Photo from etsy.com |
The most valued cookware on board a narrowboat was Measham pottery. Also called bargeware or canalware, this pottery was made around 1860 to 1910. It was usually glazed in dark brown and featured flowers and sometimes animals in white relief.
In subsequent blogs I will introduce you to the horses that towed the narrowboats and to the men who made a living on land servicing the narrowboat trade.
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