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Family history... Cotton - Benton - Holdback


Hairy-Neil

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I've known for years that I'd got boaters in the family but have recently discovered that my great, great, great grandmother drowned in the Warwick & Napton Canal at Stockton.

From The Leamington Courier 20 December 1873

 

Death Drowning. Susannah Benton, 55 years of age, wife o: Frederick Benton. steerer, of Warwick, was accidentally drowned in Griffin's Pound, Stockton, on Saturday last. The deceased was returning to Warwick empty canal boat, belonging to Messrs. Greaves, Kirshaw, and Bull, and fell over into the canal. supposed she was under the influence of liquor. The husband also fell into ai, but contrived to ai, to rescue nimself. At the coroner's inquest the deceased, the verdict Accidentally drowned was returned. The body of deceased was brought Warwick, and interred on Wednesday. We are informed a discreditable scene occured at the funeral, through the misconduct of one of the bearers. It is stated that the body of the unfortunate woman was conveyed to Warwick in a carrier's cart.

 

Could anyone please tell me:

 

1. Which is "Griffin's Pound, Stockton",

 

2. Any information on the boats of "Messrs. Greaves, Kirshaw, and Bull",

It is sobering to realise that soon afterwards, and quite possibly as a result of the drowning, her daughter (my great, great grandmother) and husband John Cotton, moved onto the bank at Uxbridge, where they settled and he thereafter worked as a Coal Heaver. Fast forward a couple more generations and mother was born, Uxbridge 1937.

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I've known for years that I'd got boaters in the family but have recently discovered that my great, great, great grandmother drowned in the Warwick & Napton Canal at Stockton.

 

From The Leamington Courier 20 December 1873

 

Death Drowning. Susannah Benton, 55 years of age, wife o: Frederick Benton. steerer, of Warwick, was accidentally drowned in Griffin's Pound, Stockton, on Saturday last. The deceased was returning to Warwick empty canal boat, belonging to Messrs. Greaves, Kirshaw, and Bull, and fell over into the canal. supposed she was under the influence of liquor. The husband also fell into ai, but contrived to ai, to rescue nimself. At the coroner's inquest the deceased, the verdict Accidentally drowned was returned. The body of deceased was brought Warwick, and interred on Wednesday. We are informed a discreditable scene occured at the funeral, through the misconduct of one of the bearers. It is stated that the body of the unfortunate woman was conveyed to Warwick in a carrier's cart.

 

Could anyone please tell me:

 

1. Which is "Griffin's Pound, Stockton",

 

2. Any information on the boats of "Messrs. Greaves, Kirshaw, and Bull",

 

It is sobering to realise that soon afterwards, and quite possibly as a result of the drowning, her daughter (my great, great grandmother) and husband John Cotton, moved onto the bank at Uxbridge, where they settled and he thereafter worked as a Coal Heaver. Fast forward a couple more generations and mother was born, Uxbridge 1937.

 

Can't particularly help on the canal questions, but I can add another question that adds to the "colour" that the report brings ("supposed she was under the influence of liquor" and "discreditable scene" (sounds like one or two of my ancestors).

 

Whilst the reports are explicit that she was his wife, and she is represented as being his wife in the 1861 and 1871 census returns, I haven't managed to find any evidence of their marriage.

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Could this be them

On 20th Feb 1837

Susanna Irland Daughter to Mary ann & William Irland

Married

Fredrick Benton

@

St Marys Warwick

If this is she

Susanna was Baptised on 9th Dec 1821 in Bedworth

Death reg @ Southam Warwick volume 6d

page 446

 

My Dad was also born in Uxbridge/ Harefield (inside Black Jacks Lock) a few years after your Mum

Grandparents settled in the Yewsley/Cowley area in the late 60's

  • Greenie 1
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Thanks for the information. cool.png

 

 


 

My Dad was also born in Uxbridge/ Harefield (inside Black Jacks Lock) a few years after your Mum

Grandparents settled in the Yewsley/Cowley area in the late 60's

 

My grandmother lived in Pinn Close, Cowley, for around 40 years (c.1960 - 2000), just opposite the Paddington Packetboat PH, off Cowley High Road. My uncle still has the property.

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Thanks for the information. cool.png

 

 

 

My grandmother lived in Pinn Close, Cowley, for around 40 years (c.1960 - 2000), just opposite the Paddington Packetboat PH, off Cowley High Road. My uncle still has the property.

Grandparents lived in Castle Ave close was also other family members Sibley's, Nixon's ,Holt

,Chimney Chain another forum member also had boating family within the close circle.

They where still their own little community even after they came onto the bank.

Iv noticed not just in this area but also other area's where I still have living working boat family's i.e. Linslade , Blisworth, Long buckby ,Coventry .

They all seem to live in groups.

Maybe it could be that when leaving the cut the local council's did not like to house boat people, so most had to live in caravans

for months before getting a house & where housed in the same area.

What I do know is that the Community spirit & the bond amongst them is still as strong today as it was a those years ago.

  • Greenie 1
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It is nice to see family history subjects on this website. Regarding the question of locations. Griffins cement works, presumably William Griffin at this time, were located beside the Warwick & Napton Canal between locks 5 and 6. So presumably this was the pound referred to. Greaves Bull and Lakin's works were between locks 10 and 11. The partnership comprised Richard Greaves, J.W Kirshaw and John Bull. Richard Greaves died in 1870, and his nephew Michael Lakin joined the partnership when subsequently the firm became Greaves, Bull and Lakin. I recall that their boats were listed in the Sanitary Registrations which came into force from 1879 and no doubt they also feature in gauging lists Birmingham Sanitary lists include Albion under the captain Edward Holt (reg no1312)

 

Ray Shill

  • Greenie 1
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Interestingly the father's occupation on that record is listed' as 'Vagabond'

On one who has her baby in the poor house the poor little one when it died is listed as another of Mary's bas----ds on its baptism record.

Every one has a few skeleton's

in the cupboard but I seem to have a whole walk in wardrobe full but then my tree covers over 6,000 boatmen & attatched family's so bound to have a few bad apples in the barrel can be expected & as I say that don't make me a bad person.

It is nice to see family history subjects on this website. Regarding the question of locations. Griffins cement works, presumably William Griffin at this time, were located beside the Warwick & Napton Canal between locks 5 and 6. So presumably this was the pound referred to. Greaves Bull and Lakin's works were between locks 10 and 11. The partnership comprised Richard Greaves, J.W Kirshaw and John Bull. Richard Greaves died in 1870, and his nephew Michael Lakin joined the partnership when subsequently the firm became Greaves, Bull and Lakin. I recall that their boats were listed in the Sanitary Registrations which came into force from 1879 and no doubt they also feature in gauging lists Birmingham Sanitary lists include Albion under the captain Edward Holt (reg no1312)

 

Ray Shill

That interesting Heartland I will have to check & see if Edward Holt is one of my Holt family

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It is nice to see family history subjects on this website. Regarding the question of locations. Griffins cement works, presumably William Griffin at this time, were located beside the Warwick & Napton Canal between locks 5 and 6. So presumably this was the pound referred to. Greaves Bull and Lakin's works were between locks 10 and 11. The partnership comprised Richard Greaves, J.W Kirshaw and John Bull. Richard Greaves died in 1870, and his nephew Michael Lakin joined the partnership when subsequently the firm became Greaves, Bull and Lakin. I recall that their boats were listed in the Sanitary Registrations which came into force from 1879 and no doubt they also feature in gauging lists Birmingham Sanitary lists include Albion under the captain Edward Holt (reg no1312)

 

Ray Shill

Greaves, Bull and Lakin boats are much better documented than the earlier company. I have records of 29 boats health registered for Greaves, Bull and Lakin at Birmingham, Coventry, Daventry, Paddington, Stratford upon Avon, Towcester and Warwick, and there were possibly other authorities as well. I also have about 50 gaugings for this company on the B.C.N., Grand Junction, Oxford Canal and the Port of London, although some of these are for the same boat with two or more gaugings.

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