Hi, I’ve come across several men living in attercliffe *** Darnall area listed occupation as boatsman. I can’t find any other info on this occupation. Will it just be working on transporting boats along the river don?
Any pointers/ info would be appreciated.
Hi Claire,
As I understand it, a boatman transported commercial goods (quite often coal) up and down the canals or rivers. They either owned their own boat(s) or it belonged to the Company they worked for.
The canal boats were long and narrow and referred to as 'narrowboats' or barges. There was usually a cabin with sleeping quarters at one end of the boat, the rest of the boat was open to accommodate loading and unloading but often this area was covered by a type of tarpaulin.
The boat was steered by a 'tiller'. The early canal boats had sails, then graduated to diesel engines
Often the boatman was towing another boat full of goods. On the rivers they could tow more than one boat.
Boatmen often had their wives and families with them who also helped in the operation of the barge, the children were educated as best possible.
From our canal boating days we still saw private/commercial narrowboats plying the waters carrying goods, they were always so very colourful.
HAPPY HUNTING Wendy in Guelph
Many barges in use on the River Don were larger than the standard Midlands narrowboat because the waterway is larger. The waterway is known as a "navigation" because it used long stretches of the river, with sections of artificial channel to bypass hazards. It began as the River Dun (sic) Navigation, and eventually became the South Yorkshire Navigation. (The term "navigation canal" is incorrect.)
The boat type is a Humber Keel which had a large sail and was suitable for sailing in the Humber, taking cargoes to Hull etc. for export. This hull shape was also used for motorised barges later.
Up until 1819, the navigation part of the River Don didn't extend to Sheffield, it ended at a wharf at Tinsley. After a number of years of planning and construction, the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal finally opened in 1819 enabling barges to be used to transport goods to and from the centre of Sheffield. These earlier boats or barges would have been towed by horses; sails would have been inappropriate on this section and engines were not used for many years to come.