The Gloucester Waterways Museum
Index> Museum Exhibits>

2.4  Waterways Operation

Collecting the Tolls
     When a boat passed along a canal or river navigation, the owner had to pay a toll that depended on the weight and type of cargo being carried. To determine this weight, a toll collector used a gauging stick to measure the 'dry inches' above the water line at four places around the gunwhale, calculated the average and then consulted a gauge book which listed the weight for that measurement recorded in an earlier test. The display includes a toll collector's notebook in which he averaged the four measurements of 'dry inches', a gauge book that gave the corresponding weight of cargo, a ticket given to the boatmen to show his cargo had been checked, and two lists of the cargoes recorded by toll collectors.

Canal Police
     Many canal companies had employees who were sworn in as special constables. They were responsible for the security of goods in the company's buildings and on their wharfs, and they could be on hand to protect cash when wages were being paid. The shotgun is inscribed Trent Navigation Company, the arm band, powder horn and lead shot mould are from the Aire & Calder Navigation and the handcuffs are from Gloucester Docks.

Company Pride
     This cabinet contains objects illustrating canal operation, management and celebration. A commemorative jug marks the opening of part of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, the hedging mittons are from the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and the fireman's helmet is from Sharpness Docks.
     The souvenir plate celebrating the bicentenary of the Wedgewood company in 1959 shows a horse-drawn narrow boat approaching the company's factory at Etruria beside the Trent & Mersey Canal. Wedgewood was the driving force behind the canal which gave him cheap transport for his raw materials and his finished products.
     A brick mould is stamped with the initials of the Shropshire Union Canal Co, and a cup, saucer and bowl were made for the Weaver Navigation Trustees in 1895. A padlock from the Calder & Hebble Navigation was used to chain lock gates closed on Sundays and is said to have been used in a stunt by Houdini.
     Five pieces of silverware inscribed 'WP' and 'An honorable token from the Hereford and Gloucester Canal Company' were presented to William Price in 1793 in appreciation of him acting as unpaid manager of the company for its first two years. The silver cream jug inscribed 'WPP' was presented to William's grandson William Philip Price on his retirement from the committee in 1873.
     The cutlery and glassware were used at official functions of the Coventry Canal Co and the tins in a tray held workmen's pay at the Ellesmere Canal Yard.

Administration
     The central administration of a canal company was typically carried out by a General Manager, an engineer, an accountant and a number of clerks who dealt with correspondence, accounts, wages and property matters. The display includes administrative notices, fireproof boxes for storing deeds and other vital records, and a double desk of the type used by two clerks.

Boundary and Distance Markers
     The various cast-iron posts along the wall marked the boundary of a company's property.
     Mileposts were needed along most waterways because the toll paid by the user depended on the distance travelled. The milepost at the top of the stairs was one of a series erected every half mile along the River Severn by the Gloucester & Worcester Horse Towing Path Company. This example was sited near the ancient ferry at Rhydd, to the east of Malvern. The path was opened in 1812 to provide a good surface for horses to tow vessels on the river, replacing the previous practice of gangs of men struggling along the natural bank as best they could.

Maintenance
     Regular maintenance work, supervised by the Engineer, included grass cutting, hedge laying, drain clearing and dredging, and there were some special tasks. The diving suit was used for inspecting underwater features and carrying out minor repairs on the Forth & Clyde Canal. The model ice boat illustrates the design of boat used to break a way through ice by being pulled forward by a team of horses while being rocked sideways by a gang of men holding on to the central bar. The documents report work carried out using ice boats in November 1947. The 'hockey stick' (missing its handle) was used to break ice by hand.

Second World War
     Inland waterways played a vital role during the war in moving imports away from ports where they were vulnerable to enemy action. As men were called up for war service, their places were partly filled by women volunteers. The women were given badges carrying the initials IW for Inland Waterways, but this led to them getting the nickname Idle Women. The display includes a number of possessions of one of the group's leaders and the book she wrote about her experiences. Other items are documents concerned with air raid precautions and a 'tin hat' from the Grand Union Canal.

Locks
      Locks were kept in good order by lock keepers who lived in cottages on the canal bank, often in remote places. On some canals, they also operated the paddle gear that controlled the flow of water into or out of the lock. The varied paddle gear on display came from the Huddersfield Broad Canal (c1790), the Witham Navigation (1827), the Birmingham Canal Navigations and Sharpness old entrance (from the time it was made reusable in 1942).

For Index to Museum Notes, see www.gloucesterdocks.me.uk/museumnotes