Watermen
Encyclopedia
Watermen are river workers who transfer passengers across and along city centre rivers and estuaries in Britain and its colonies. Most notable are those on the River Thames
and River Medway
, but other rivers such as the River Tyne
and River Dee, Wales
also had their watermen who formed guilds in medieval
times.
or skiff
they would ferry passengers along and across the river. With bad rural roads and narrow, congested city streets, the Thames was the most convenient highway in the region. And until the mid-18th century London Bridge was the only one below Kingston.
In 1197 King Richard I sold the Crown's rights over the Thames to the Corporation of the City of London, which attempted to issue licensing to boats on the river. It remained under royal prerogative
until 1350 when King Edward III passed an Act of Parliament prohibiting the obstruction of the River. Structures had been built out into the river for fishing and milling purposes making the river unnavigable and an unregulated chaotic mix of boats. In 1510 Henry VIII
granted a licence (a form of licensed public transport) to watermen that gave exclusive rights to carry passengers on the river. In 1545 almshouses for watermen, called "The Hospital of St. Stephen" were built by Henry VIII in the Woolstaple, New Palace Yard, Westminster. An Act of Parliament in 1555 formalized the trade by setting up a company to govern tariffs and reduce accidents. The new company had jurisdiction over all watermen plying between Windsor (in Berkshire) and Gravesend (in Kent). The Act empowered the London mayor and aldermen to yearly choose eight of the "best sort" of watermen to be company rulers, and to make and enforce regulations. It also specified a seven-year apprenticeship
in order to gain an encyclopaedic knowledge of the complex water currents and tides on the Thames. Watermen freeman were now required to pay quarterage, or paid quarterly contributions. This was a constant source of grievance and dispute with company rulers who were frequently accused of taking bribes to "free" apprentice watermen.
A twenty-year campaign by the rank-and-file of the watermen, to introduce a more representative government in their company, resulted, on the eve of the English Civil War
in 1642, in the introduction of a form of indirect democracy. The watermen at the 55 "leading towns and stairs" were empowered to each year choose representatives, who would in turn propose candidates to become company rulers. The representatives or "electors
" also sat with the rulers in the company's hall and collectively made regulations "for the better government of the company". This form of government survived, with vicissitudes, until a new Act of Parliament in 1827 restored an oligarchical form of government.
London's lack of bridges and rolling marsh filled landscape to the south and east were perfect for access by boat and the Thames was the main thoroughfare for all kinds of traffic. In the 15th and 16th centuries the narrow spans of the Old London Bridge
restricted the flow of the slow moving and meandering river Thames allowing it to freeze during the winter months complete with frost fair so that Londoners were able to simply walk across the frozen river.
The Oxford-Burcot Commission
appointed by James I
, in an Act of Parliament in 1605 was an attempt to manage the river and in 1630 built the first of three locks on the Thames. A large proportion of watermen's income came from the ferrying of passengers across river to the theater. The arrival of the horse-drawn coach in 1630, Sedan Chairs and the relocation of most London theatres and pleasure gardens
from Bankside on the South Bank to the north bank resulted in the drastic reduction of in their numbers and financial hardship. During the English Civil War
watermen were free from impressment and were even able to negotiate higher rates of pay from the navy. Samuel Pepys
http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/jswortham/plague.html&date=2009-10-26+01:03:50 who commuted by water from his home to his job at the Admiralty, refers to the death of his waterman in his diaries of 1665 revealing the particular vulnerability of Thames watermen to infection during the Great Plague of London
. In 1700 Watermen, combined with their colleagues in cargo to form the Company of Watermen and Lightermen. The free water clause, introduced by the West India Dock Act of 1799 and the gradual construction of a greater number of bridges, especially Westminster Bridge
in 1750, forced great change on the river trade during this period of Industrial Revolution
. Freight could now be moved along a river and canal system with waterway access to the Midlands and Bristol. The port provided London with its great wealth and relied heavily on the transshipping skills of watermen and lightermen to run smoothly. This was the boom time for Lighterage and fortunes were made by the captains of the distinctive red sailed Thames sailing barge
s at this time.
Thames watermen in times of war were always the first to be enlisted, and until 1814 pressed
, to crew on royal naval or merchant marine vessels and acted as a reserve of skilled mariners. After The American War of 1812 many decided to settle in the USA at the cessation of hostilities. The arrival of steamboats in 1819 and steam launches rendered the small Wherry, with its limited capacity, obsolete for mass public transport use, often the heavy wash from steamers rocked or sank small wherrys and frightened potential passengers away. The Woolwich Steam Packet Company
was established in 1834 and soon amalgamated with the Watermen's Steam Packet Company creating the London Steamboat Company which emerged as the leading carrier.
In the latter part of the 1870s-1890's the growth of railways increased the use of the river for pleasure boating. Villages outside London such as Maidenhead
and Pangbourne
flourished as people came to hire skiffs and punts for a day on the river.
Thames watermen played an important part in the very early movements that ultimately led to the creation of modern trade unionism in the United Kingdom, most notably in the writings of pamphleteer John Taylor
(1580–1653) and later with the use of petitions or "petitions of grievances" in particular the petitions supporting the curtailment of the growth of hackney coaches in the 17th century. As far back as 1644, the House of Commons
had specifically exempted them from land service—the use of watermen in land armies -- as a direct result of the group pressure exerted by watermen and it is clear that these spectacular early victories redefined the way they negotiated with those in power. The absence of an effective police force meant that Watermen often died prematurely in a city prone to riots and mob violence. Apart from the obvious occupational risks of the trade, death by drowning
, watermen were particularly susceptible to Bronchial Diseases caught from working and living close to waters of the Thames. The invention of the humble flush toilet
in the 1840s quickly turned the Thames into a giant sewer causing Typhoid and Cholera outbreaks and the Great Stink of 1858. It forced a redesign of the cities sewage system in The Embankment area, a popular area for watermen to ply their trade. Totally redesigned or embanked
it routed sewage away from the river but also removed the stairs
and sloping incline to the river replacing the access points with piers. In 1859 an Act of Parliament abolished many privileges held by the Watermen's Company further it set up the Thames Conservancy
creating two bodies with responsibilities for the Thames. In 1871 the Labour Protection League
gave lightermen in particular the ability to negotiate better terms from their employers. Early thinkers interested in social reform, such as Charles Dickens
, chose to study river workers, before vividly describing their grim lives in the novel Our Mutual Friend
1865 and watermen in a short essay entitled Silent Highwaymen in 1879, both works that sparked a new social conscience. Latter the sinking of the with the loss of 600 lives, would profoundly shock and change public opinion within Victorian era
society. In 1889 following the lead taken by stevedore
s, watermen and lightermen joined the successful The Great London Dock Strike
and the Amalgamated Society of Watermen, Lightermen and Bargemen
was hastily formed in 1893 eventually merging with the Transport and General Workers' Union
in 1922. Many watermen patriotically turned their barges over to government use during World War I
. The transport of coal and goods was of particular importance during wartime, however, during the 1920s worsening conditions and industrial action
again brought London's docks to a halt. The British Tugowners Association was founded in 1934. It allowed watermen to use their qualifications and skills, particularly in close quarter maneuvers, in ports overseas; skills that in recent years with the use of newer technology especially the introduction of bow thruster
s have seen a decline in use. In the late 1930s speed trials took place on the Thames for Armed high speed launches
some of which would latter form the fleet of boats used in Air Sea Rescue piloted by watermen during the 1940s. 400 barges or Thames lighters were turned over to military use as bumboat
s or simply beached during the Normandy landings of 1944.
Bombing during the Blitz
of World War II
severely damaged the docks and by the 1960s, newer container technology and relocation to Tilbury
had made the lightermen's trade, lighterage, obsolete. In terminal decline most up river docks had been abandoned by the 1980s.
Some waterman encouraged by Festival of Britain
1951 set up river cruise
companies in the late 1940s others in the 1980s but by careful consolidation of ownership and concentrating on passenger comfort, some offering night cruises, have successfully dominated the sector on into the new millennium. In the lighterage sector Cory Environmental
, originally an amalgamation of eight companies, bucked the trend of this traditionally fragmented industry by capitalizing on an opportunity and used its empty coal barges, on return trips, to transport rubbish from London's streets generating enough extra revenue to buy up surplus barges from smaller lighterage companies as they sold up. Between 1967 and 1976 over 40 lighterage firms closed down.
Regular and fairly well paid work for Thames watermen in times of economic downturn was on the so-called Bovril Boats
, which continued as they had done since 1887, to take London's sewage from Crossness and Beckton
to the Thames Estuary at Black Deep
, where the sludge was discharged. This practice continued until the 1990s when new EU legislation prevented the dumping of sewage at sea and forced this process to stop. It also corresponded with a fundamental change in public opinion on environmental
issues and the use of marine resources. In 1999 Thames Clipper
s began operating a water-bus commuter service between eastern and central London. In 2003 a subsidy was made available by local government looking for the greener solution that reusing waterways provide. Passengers traveling by boat or river buses and the removal of London's rubbish by Lighter mean less traffic on London's streets and almost zero vibration from the movement of cargo.
The Company of Watermen and Lightermen is a City Guild without Grant of Livery
and licenses Thames Watermen. Its ancient apprenticeship index is a unique resource to genealogical research however despite its mediæval guild roots it is an active lobbying force today. Working alongside The Passenger Boat Association, it consults and negotiates with national and local government and its agencies on behalf of its members. In 2003 funds were made available via CWL using government grants, to assist apprentices from the riverside east London boroughs of Tower Hamlets
and Newham
.
The Doggett's Coat and Badge
, which was first raced in 1715, is the oldest continuously run river race and is now claimed to be the oldest continually staged annual sporting event in the world.
In 1975 a charity called Transport On Water (TOW) was founded by watermen and lightermen and people in public life. It aims to maintain the Thames and other waterways
, including the river Medway, as working rivers. TOW has organised The Thames Barge Driving Race
which has taken place annually in June, since 1974.
's Transport Strategy for London 2005 states that: The safe use of the Thames for passenger and freight services should be developed. Passenger services will be encouraged, particularly services that relate to its cultural and architectural excellence and tourism. Use of London's other navigable waterways for freight, consistent with their roles for leisure use and as ecosystems, will be encouraged. Transport for London
now has a river transport arm, London River Services
, to regulate and promote travel on the Thames as a public transport service.
A Muster
dated approx.1628 shows a total of 2,453 Watermen "for the towns and stairs from Windsor
to Gravesend
".
.
Regular ferry services across the Derwent existed by 1810, and the first known licensed ferryman was Urias Allender in 1816. By the 1830s these ferrymen were known as "watermen" in official records and the term continued to be used until the last licenced watermen retired in the 1940s. The heyday of Hobart Town's watermen was from the 1840s to the mid 1850s, when over 200 licences were issued to different individuals, but with improved steam ferry services the numbers declined and in 1896 only 21 were licensed. By this stage they were mostly operating water taxi and excursion services around the port. They were held to be distinct from other categories of maritime workers such as the "boatmen", "craftsmen" or "bargemen" who operated sailing vessels in the river trade, and those men operating on the steam ferries and river steamers that also operated out of the port.
Tasmanian watermen's boats varied widely in size and style, from small dinghies for hire up to large sailing-rowing excursion boats around 28 feet in length. The largest of these, the 8-oared, 28-foot Admiral built in 1865, is currently undergoing restoration (as the last known 19th century Tasmanian waterman's boat). During the 20th century motor launches up to 48 ft in length were licenced as waterman's boats, although the term has now slipped from common usage in favour of "excursion boats" or, incorrectly, "ferries." There are currently about ten vessels offering excursions out of the Port of Hobart.
The main base for watermen in Hobart from the 1830s to the 1940s was at Waterman's Dock at the end of Murray Street in front of Parliament House. Watermen's licences were also issued for boatmen operating elsewhere in south-eastern Tasmania including Port Arthur
and the D'Entrecasteaux Channel
.
area, in the United States in small waterside communities on Tangier Island and Smith Island that have retained a unique character and dialect to this day. It was also an area that was simultaneously settled by Afro American watermen. Though the evidence is largely undocumented, African American watermen were expert fishermen in the Chesapeake Bay area and border state
of Maryland
's Eastern Shore. With the arrival of Steamboats in the 19th century many found work as river workers. Traditional watermen shyed away from the considerable risks such as boiler
explosions or fires that were involved with early Steamboats and Afro American watermen went on to gain financial success and freedoms by specialising in the crewing of these boats within The Mississippi
River Steamboat
economy of the 1840s.
, Docklands Library
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
and River Medway
River Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
, but other rivers such as the River Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
and River Dee, Wales
River Dee, Wales
The River Dee is a long river in the United Kingdom. It travels through Wales and England and also forms part of the border between the two countries....
also had their watermen who formed guilds in medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
times.
History
Watermen or Wherrymen were an essential part of early London. Using a small boat called a wherryWherry
A wherry is a type of boat that was traditionally used for carrying cargo or passengers on rivers and canals in England, and is particularly associated with the River Thames and also with the Broadland rivers of Norfolk and Suffolk. London passenger wherries evolved into the Thames skiff, a...
or skiff
Thames skiff
A Thames skiff is a traditional River Thames wooden rowing boat used for the activity of Skiffing. These boats evolved from Thames wherries in the Victorian era to meet a passion for river exploration and leisure outings on the water.-Construction of a skiff:...
they would ferry passengers along and across the river. With bad rural roads and narrow, congested city streets, the Thames was the most convenient highway in the region. And until the mid-18th century London Bridge was the only one below Kingston.
In 1197 King Richard I sold the Crown's rights over the Thames to the Corporation of the City of London, which attempted to issue licensing to boats on the river. It remained under royal prerogative
Prerogative
In law, a prerogative is an exclusive right given from a government or state and invested in an individual or group, the content of which is separate from the body of rights enjoyed under the general law of the normative state...
until 1350 when King Edward III passed an Act of Parliament prohibiting the obstruction of the River. Structures had been built out into the river for fishing and milling purposes making the river unnavigable and an unregulated chaotic mix of boats. In 1510 Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
granted a licence (a form of licensed public transport) to watermen that gave exclusive rights to carry passengers on the river. In 1545 almshouses for watermen, called "The Hospital of St. Stephen" were built by Henry VIII in the Woolstaple, New Palace Yard, Westminster. An Act of Parliament in 1555 formalized the trade by setting up a company to govern tariffs and reduce accidents. The new company had jurisdiction over all watermen plying between Windsor (in Berkshire) and Gravesend (in Kent). The Act empowered the London mayor and aldermen to yearly choose eight of the "best sort" of watermen to be company rulers, and to make and enforce regulations. It also specified a seven-year apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
in order to gain an encyclopaedic knowledge of the complex water currents and tides on the Thames. Watermen freeman were now required to pay quarterage, or paid quarterly contributions. This was a constant source of grievance and dispute with company rulers who were frequently accused of taking bribes to "free" apprentice watermen.
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
in 1642, in the introduction of a form of indirect democracy. The watermen at the 55 "leading towns and stairs" were empowered to each year choose representatives, who would in turn propose candidates to become company rulers. The representatives or "electors
Indirect election
Indirect election is a process in which voters in an election don't actually choose between candidates for an office but rather elect persons who will then make the choice. It is one of the oldest form of elections and is still used today for many upper houses and presidents...
" also sat with the rulers in the company's hall and collectively made regulations "for the better government of the company". This form of government survived, with vicissitudes, until a new Act of Parliament in 1827 restored an oligarchical form of government.
London's lack of bridges and rolling marsh filled landscape to the south and east were perfect for access by boat and the Thames was the main thoroughfare for all kinds of traffic. In the 15th and 16th centuries the narrow spans of the Old London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
restricted the flow of the slow moving and meandering river Thames allowing it to freeze during the winter months complete with frost fair so that Londoners were able to simply walk across the frozen river.
The Oxford-Burcot Commission
Oxford-Burcot Commission
The Oxford-Burcot Commission was the first Commission concerned with the management of the River Thames, appointed by an Act of Parliament of 1605 by James I to make the stretch of river from Burcot to Oxford navigable. The Commission took responsibility for the management of the River Thames...
appointed by James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, in an Act of Parliament in 1605 was an attempt to manage the river and in 1630 built the first of three locks on the Thames. A large proportion of watermen's income came from the ferrying of passengers across river to the theater. The arrival of the horse-drawn coach in 1630, Sedan Chairs and the relocation of most London theatres and pleasure gardens
Pleasure gardens
A pleasure garden is usually a garden that is open to the public for recreation. They differ from other public gardens in that they serve as venues for entertainment, variously featuring concert halls or bandstands, rides, zoos, and menageries.-History:...
from Bankside on the South Bank to the north bank resulted in the drastic reduction of in their numbers and financial hardship. During the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
watermen were free from impressment and were even able to negotiate higher rates of pay from the navy. Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/jswortham/plague.html&date=2009-10-26+01:03:50 who commuted by water from his home to his job at the Admiralty, refers to the death of his waterman in his diaries of 1665 revealing the particular vulnerability of Thames watermen to infection during the Great Plague of London
Great Plague of London
The Great Plague was a massive outbreak of disease in the Kingdom of England that killed an estimated 100,000 people, 20% of London's population. The disease is identified as bubonic plague, an infection by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, transmitted through a flea vector...
. In 1700 Watermen, combined with their colleagues in cargo to form the Company of Watermen and Lightermen. The free water clause, introduced by the West India Dock Act of 1799 and the gradual construction of a greater number of bridges, especially Westminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster on the north side and Lambeth on the south side, in London, England....
in 1750, forced great change on the river trade during this period of Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
. Freight could now be moved along a river and canal system with waterway access to the Midlands and Bristol. The port provided London with its great wealth and relied heavily on the transshipping skills of watermen and lightermen to run smoothly. This was the boom time for Lighterage and fortunes were made by the captains of the distinctive red sailed Thames sailing barge
Thames sailing barge
A Thames sailing barge was a type of commercial sailing boat common on the River Thames in London in the 19th century. The flat-bottomed barges were perfectly adapted to the Thames Estuary, with its shallow waters and narrow rivers....
s at this time.
Thames watermen in times of war were always the first to be enlisted, and until 1814 pressed
Impressment
Impressment, colloquially, "the Press", was the act of taking men into a navy by force and without notice. It was used by the Royal Navy, beginning in 1664 and during the 18th and early 19th centuries, in wartime, as a means of crewing warships, although legal sanction for the practice goes back to...
, to crew on royal naval or merchant marine vessels and acted as a reserve of skilled mariners. After The American War of 1812 many decided to settle in the USA at the cessation of hostilities. The arrival of steamboats in 1819 and steam launches rendered the small Wherry, with its limited capacity, obsolete for mass public transport use, often the heavy wash from steamers rocked or sank small wherrys and frightened potential passengers away. The Woolwich Steam Packet Company
Woolwich Steam Packet Company
The Woolwich Steam Packet Company , operated between 1834 and 1888 and offered steamer services from central London to Woolwich and later to the Kent, Essex and Suffolk...
was established in 1834 and soon amalgamated with the Watermen's Steam Packet Company creating the London Steamboat Company which emerged as the leading carrier.
In the latter part of the 1870s-1890's the growth of railways increased the use of the river for pleasure boating. Villages outside London such as Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
and Pangbourne
Pangbourne
Pangbourne is a large village and civil parish on the River Thames in the English county of Berkshire. Pangbourne is the home of the independent school, Pangbourne College.-Location:...
flourished as people came to hire skiffs and punts for a day on the river.
John Taylor (poet)
John Taylor was an English poet who dubbed himself "The Water Poet".-Biography:He was born in Gloucester, 24 August 1578....
(1580–1653) and later with the use of petitions or "petitions of grievances" in particular the petitions supporting the curtailment of the growth of hackney coaches in the 17th century. As far back as 1644, the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
had specifically exempted them from land service—the use of watermen in land armies -- as a direct result of the group pressure exerted by watermen and it is clear that these spectacular early victories redefined the way they negotiated with those in power. The absence of an effective police force meant that Watermen often died prematurely in a city prone to riots and mob violence. Apart from the obvious occupational risks of the trade, death by drowning
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
, watermen were particularly susceptible to Bronchial Diseases caught from working and living close to waters of the Thames. The invention of the humble flush toilet
Flush toilet
A flush toilet is a toilet that disposes of human waste by using water to flush it through a drainpipe to another location. Flushing mechanisms are found more often on western toilets , but many squat toilets also are made for automated flushing...
in the 1840s quickly turned the Thames into a giant sewer causing Typhoid and Cholera outbreaks and the Great Stink of 1858. It forced a redesign of the cities sewage system in The Embankment area, a popular area for watermen to ply their trade. Totally redesigned or embanked
Thames Embankment
The Thames Embankment is a major feat of 19th century civil engineering designed to reclaim marshy land next to the River Thames in central London. It consists of the Victoria and Chelsea Embankment....
it routed sewage away from the river but also removed the stairs
Watermen's Stairs
Watermen's Stairs were semipermanent structures that formed part of a complex transport network of public stairs, causeways and alleys in use from the 14th century onwards to access the waters of the tidal River Thames in Great Britain...
and sloping incline to the river replacing the access points with piers. In 1859 an Act of Parliament abolished many privileges held by the Watermen's Company further it set up the Thames Conservancy
Thames Conservancy
The Thames Conservancy was a historical body responsible for the management of the River Thames in England. It was founded in 1857, initially replacing the jurisdiction of the City of London up to Staines and later taking responsibility for the whole river from Cricklade in Wiltshire to the sea at...
creating two bodies with responsibilities for the Thames. In 1871 the Labour Protection League
Labour Protection League
The Labour Protection League was a trade union organising dockers and stevedores in the United Kingdom.Founded in 1871, the League was inspired by the North East Nine Hours League...
gave lightermen in particular the ability to negotiate better terms from their employers. Early thinkers interested in social reform, such as Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, chose to study river workers, before vividly describing their grim lives in the novel Our Mutual Friend
Our Mutual Friend
Our Mutual Friend is the last novel completed by Charles Dickens and is one of his most sophisticated works, combining psychological insight with social analysis. It centres on, in the words of critic J. Hillis Miller, "money, money, money, and what money can make of life" but is also about human...
1865 and watermen in a short essay entitled Silent Highwaymen in 1879, both works that sparked a new social conscience. Latter the sinking of the with the loss of 600 lives, would profoundly shock and change public opinion within Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
society. In 1889 following the lead taken by stevedore
Stevedore
Stevedore, dockworker, docker, dock labourer, wharfie and longshoreman can have various waterfront-related meanings concerning loading and unloading ships, according to place and country....
s, watermen and lightermen joined the successful The Great London Dock Strike
London Dock Strike of 1889
The London Dock Strike was an industrial dispute involving dock workers in the Port of London. It broke out on 14 August 1889, and resulted in a victory for the strikers and established strong trade unions amongst London dockers, one of which became the nationally important Dock, Wharf, Riverside...
and the Amalgamated Society of Watermen, Lightermen and Bargemen
Amalgamated Society of Watermen, Lightermen and Bargemen
The Amalgamated Society of Watermen, Lightermen and Bargemen was a trade union in the United Kingdom.The union was founded in 1889 as the Amalgamated Society of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames. In 1901, it merged with the Watchmen's Union of the River Thames to form the Amalgamated...
was hastily formed in 1893 eventually merging with the Transport and General Workers' Union
Transport and General Workers' Union
The Transport and General Workers' Union, also known as the TGWU and the T&G, was one of the largest general trade unions in the United Kingdom and Ireland - where it was known as the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union - with 900,000 members...
in 1922. Many watermen patriotically turned their barges over to government use during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The transport of coal and goods was of particular importance during wartime, however, during the 1920s worsening conditions and industrial action
Industrial action
Industrial action or job action refers collectively to any measure taken by trade unions or other organised labour meant to reduce productivity in a workplace. Quite often it is used and interpreted as a euphemism for strike, but the scope is much wider...
again brought London's docks to a halt. The British Tugowners Association was founded in 1934. It allowed watermen to use their qualifications and skills, particularly in close quarter maneuvers, in ports overseas; skills that in recent years with the use of newer technology especially the introduction of bow thruster
Bow thruster
A bow thruster is a transversal propulsion device built into, or mounted to, the bow of a ship or boat to make it more maneuverable. Bow thrusters make docking easier, since they allow the captain to turn the vessel to port or starboard without using the main propulsion mechanism which requires...
s have seen a decline in use. In the late 1930s speed trials took place on the Thames for Armed high speed launches
British Power Boat Company Type Two 63 ft HSL
The 63 foot long Type 2 High Speed Launch, known as the Whaleback from the distinctive curve to its deck, was a high speed launch class ship used in air-sea rescue to save Allied aircrew from the sea after they were shot down during the Second World War....
some of which would latter form the fleet of boats used in Air Sea Rescue piloted by watermen during the 1940s. 400 barges or Thames lighters were turned over to military use as bumboat
Bumboat
A bumboat is a small boat used to ferry supplies to ships moored away from the shore. Originally referring to a scavenger's boat, the name comes from the combination of the Dutch word for a canoe - "boomschuit" , and "boat"....
s or simply beached during the Normandy landings of 1944.
Bombing during the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
severely damaged the docks and by the 1960s, newer container technology and relocation to Tilbury
Tilbury
Tilbury is a town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. As a settlement it is of relatively recent existence, although it has important historical connections, being the location of a 16th century fort and an ancient cross-river ferry...
had made the lightermen's trade, lighterage, obsolete. In terminal decline most up river docks had been abandoned by the 1980s.
Some waterman encouraged by Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
1951 set up river cruise
River cruise
A River cruise is a voyage along inland waterways, often stopping at multiple ports along the way. Since cities and towns often grew up around rivers, river cruise ships frequently dock in the center of cities and towns.- Descriptions :...
companies in the late 1940s others in the 1980s but by careful consolidation of ownership and concentrating on passenger comfort, some offering night cruises, have successfully dominated the sector on into the new millennium. In the lighterage sector Cory Environmental
Cory Environmental
Cory Environmental is a large waste disposal company based in the United Kingdom. Cory operates in more than 30 locations throughout England, providing services in the collection, recycling and disposal of waste as well as municipal cleansing.-Operations:...
, originally an amalgamation of eight companies, bucked the trend of this traditionally fragmented industry by capitalizing on an opportunity and used its empty coal barges, on return trips, to transport rubbish from London's streets generating enough extra revenue to buy up surplus barges from smaller lighterage companies as they sold up. Between 1967 and 1976 over 40 lighterage firms closed down.
Regular and fairly well paid work for Thames watermen in times of economic downturn was on the so-called Bovril Boats
Bovril Boats
Bovril Boat was a scatalogically descriptive slang term used to describe the specially designed sewerage dumping vessels, also known as "Sludge vessels", that operated on the River Thames from 1887 to 1998...
, which continued as they had done since 1887, to take London's sewage from Crossness and Beckton
Beckton
Beckton is part of the London Borough of Newham, England, located east of Charing Cross.Its boundaries are the A13 trunk road to the north, Barking Creek to the east, the Royal Docks to the south, and Prince Regent Lane to the west. The area around Prince Regent Lane is also known as Custom House...
to the Thames Estuary at Black Deep
Black Deep
The Black Deep is a channel which forms the most important of the three main permanent shipping routes through the shoals in the Thames Estuary, the others being the Barrow Deep and Princes Channel....
, where the sludge was discharged. This practice continued until the 1990s when new EU legislation prevented the dumping of sewage at sea and forced this process to stop. It also corresponded with a fundamental change in public opinion on environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
issues and the use of marine resources. In 1999 Thames Clipper
Thames Clipper
Thames Clipper is a water-bus service operating in London on the River Thames. The company offers commuter services between eastern and central London, as well as tourist services under licence from London River Services. At present they transport around 7,500 passengers daily.-Company:Sean Collins...
s began operating a water-bus commuter service between eastern and central London. In 2003 a subsidy was made available by local government looking for the greener solution that reusing waterways provide. Passengers traveling by boat or river buses and the removal of London's rubbish by Lighter mean less traffic on London's streets and almost zero vibration from the movement of cargo.
The Company of Watermen and Lightermen
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
and licenses Thames Watermen. Its ancient apprenticeship index is a unique resource to genealogical research however despite its mediæval guild roots it is an active lobbying force today. Working alongside The Passenger Boat Association, it consults and negotiates with national and local government and its agencies on behalf of its members. In 2003 funds were made available via CWL using government grants, to assist apprentices from the riverside east London boroughs of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
and Newham
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough formed from the towns of West Ham and East Ham, within East London.It is situated east of the City of London, and is north of the River Thames. According to 2006 estimates, Newham has one of the highest ethnic minority populations of all the...
.
The Doggett's Coat and Badge
Doggett's Coat and Badge
Doggett's Coat and Badge is the prize and name for the oldest rowing race in the world. Up to six apprentice Watermen of the River Thames in England compete for this prestigious honour, which has been held every year since 1715. The 4 miles 5 furlongs race is held on the Thames between London...
, which was first raced in 1715, is the oldest continuously run river race and is now claimed to be the oldest continually staged annual sporting event in the world.
In 1975 a charity called Transport On Water (TOW) was founded by watermen and lightermen and people in public life. It aims to maintain the Thames and other waterways
Waterway restoration
Waterway restoration is the activity of restoring a canal or river, including special features such as warehouse buildings, locks, boat lifts, and boats. In the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, the focus of waterway restoration is on improving navigability, while in Australia the term...
, including the river Medway, as working rivers. TOW has organised The Thames Barge Driving Race
The Thames Barge Driving Race
The Thames Barge Driving Race or TOW Barge Driving Race is a river race that was set up in 1975 by a charity called The Transport On Water Association with the backing of Members of Parliament and Members of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom....
which has taken place annually in June, since 1974.
Transport strategy for London
More than 2,000 commuters a day now travel by river which added up to three million people in 2002, a figure that is set to increase with preparations for the 2012 Olympics and tourist traffic during the games. Ken LivingstoneKen Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
's Transport Strategy for London 2005 states that: The safe use of the Thames for passenger and freight services should be developed. Passenger services will be encouraged, particularly services that relate to its cultural and architectural excellence and tourism. Use of London's other navigable waterways for freight, consistent with their roles for leisure use and as ecosystems, will be encouraged. Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
now has a river transport arm, London River Services
London River Services
London River Services is a division of Transport for London , which manages passenger transport on the River Thames in London, UK. They do not own or operate any boats but license the services of other operators...
, to regulate and promote travel on the Thames as a public transport service.
National Boatmasters’ Licence
New legislation that came into force in 2007 set up a new national licence system, covering all inland waterways. Rather than a five year apprenticeship, it enables anyone to become a captain after a less onerous qualification period of just two years plus six months of "local knowledge" training on the central stretch of the Thames. The licence brings UK regulations into line with EU licensing standards. Critics claimed it would make the Thames, a tidal river below Teddington lock, more hazardous to travel on. Under the old licence system approximately 23 per cent failed their first year apprenticeship exam. It is estimated that 600 Watermen and Lightermen currently work the Thames.| Date | Total Watermen working the Thames |
|---|---|
| 1628 | 2,453 |
| 1850 | 1,500 Mayhew Henry Mayhew Henry Mayhew was an English social researcher, journalist, playwright and advocate of reform. He was one of the two founders of the satirical and humorous magazine Punch, and the magazine's joint-editor, with Mark Lemon, in its early days... |
| 2006 | 600 |
A Muster
Muster
Muster may refer to:* Muster , a process or event for the of accounting for members in a military unit* Muster , the rounding-up of livestock* Muster , a competitive skills event held between fire departments...
dated approx.1628 shows a total of 2,453 Watermen "for the towns and stairs from Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
to Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
".
Watermen in Australia
As well as in Britain itself, the term "watermen" was used to describe boatmen performing essentially similar duties on coastal waterways in the British colonies. This was especially the case on Sydney Harbour and in Van Diemens Land, on the River Derwent around Hobart and the River Tamar around LauncestonLaunceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
.
Regular ferry services across the Derwent existed by 1810, and the first known licensed ferryman was Urias Allender in 1816. By the 1830s these ferrymen were known as "watermen" in official records and the term continued to be used until the last licenced watermen retired in the 1940s. The heyday of Hobart Town's watermen was from the 1840s to the mid 1850s, when over 200 licences were issued to different individuals, but with improved steam ferry services the numbers declined and in 1896 only 21 were licensed. By this stage they were mostly operating water taxi and excursion services around the port. They were held to be distinct from other categories of maritime workers such as the "boatmen", "craftsmen" or "bargemen" who operated sailing vessels in the river trade, and those men operating on the steam ferries and river steamers that also operated out of the port.
Tasmanian watermen's boats varied widely in size and style, from small dinghies for hire up to large sailing-rowing excursion boats around 28 feet in length. The largest of these, the 8-oared, 28-foot Admiral built in 1865, is currently undergoing restoration (as the last known 19th century Tasmanian waterman's boat). During the 20th century motor launches up to 48 ft in length were licenced as waterman's boats, although the term has now slipped from common usage in favour of "excursion boats" or, incorrectly, "ferries." There are currently about ten vessels offering excursions out of the Port of Hobart.
The main base for watermen in Hobart from the 1830s to the 1940s was at Waterman's Dock at the end of Murray Street in front of Parliament House. Watermen's licences were also issued for boatmen operating elsewhere in south-eastern Tasmania including Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Tasmania
Port Arthur is a small town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in Tasmania, Australia. Port Arthur is one of Australia's most significant heritage areas and the open air museum is officially Tasmania's top tourist attraction. It is located approximately 60 km south east of...
and the D'Entrecasteaux Channel
D'Entrecasteaux Channel
The D'Entrecasteaux Channel is a region of water between Bruny Island and the south-east of the mainland of Tasmania. It extends between the estuaries of the Derwent, and the Huon Rivers...
.
Watermen in the United States
Some evidence suggests that a number of English watermen involved in the American War of 1812 settled in the Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
area, in the United States in small waterside communities on Tangier Island and Smith Island that have retained a unique character and dialect to this day. It was also an area that was simultaneously settled by Afro American watermen. Though the evidence is largely undocumented, African American watermen were expert fishermen in the Chesapeake Bay area and border state
Border states (Civil War)
In the context of the American Civil War, the border states were slave states that did not declare their secession from the United States before April 1861...
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
's Eastern Shore. With the arrival of Steamboats in the 19th century many found work as river workers. Traditional watermen shyed away from the considerable risks such as boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
explosions or fires that were involved with early Steamboats and Afro American watermen went on to gain financial success and freedoms by specialising in the crewing of these boats within The Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
River Steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
economy of the 1840s.
Quotes
"If watermen were the equivalent of today's taxi-drivers, the lightermen drove the lorries" A Brief History of Watermen and Lightermen Bob Aspinall, Librarian, Museum in DocklandsMuseum in Docklands
The Museum of London Docklands is a museum on the Isle of Dogs, east London that tells the history of London's River Thames and Docklands...
, Docklands Library
See also
- Queen's BargemasterQueen's BargemasterThe King's/Queen's Bargemaster is a subordinate officer of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. Until the mid-19th century, the Royal family frequently used the River Thames for, but the role is now largely ceremonial...
- GondolaGondolaThe gondola is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian Lagoon. For centuries gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in...
- Thames sailing bargeThames sailing bargeA Thames sailing barge was a type of commercial sailing boat common on the River Thames in London in the 19th century. The flat-bottomed barges were perfectly adapted to the Thames Estuary, with its shallow waters and narrow rivers....
- London BridgeLondon BridgeLondon Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
- Thames BarrierThames BarrierThe Thames Barrier is the world's second-largest movable flood barrier and is located downstream of central London. Its purpose is to prevent London from being flooded by exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the sea...
- 1928 Thames flood1928 Thames floodThe 1928 Thames flood was a disastrous flood of the River Thames that affected much of riverside London on 7 January 1928, as well as places further downriver. Fourteen people were drowned in London and thousands were made homeless when flood waters poured over the top of the Thames Embankment and...
- BumboatBumboatA bumboat is a small boat used to ferry supplies to ships moored away from the shore. Originally referring to a scavenger's boat, the name comes from the combination of the Dutch word for a canoe - "boomschuit" , and "boat"....
- Henry MayhewHenry MayhewHenry Mayhew was an English social researcher, journalist, playwright and advocate of reform. He was one of the two founders of the satirical and humorous magazine Punch, and the magazine's joint-editor, with Mark Lemon, in its early days...
- William Lionel WyllieWilliam Lionel WyllieWilliam Lionel Wyllie was a prolific English painter of maritime themes in both oils and watercolours.-Birth:...
- George Robert SimsGeorge Robert SimsGeorge Robert Sims was an English journalist, poet, dramatist, novelist and bon vivant.Sims began writing lively humour and satiric pieces for Fun magazine and The Referee, but he was soon concentrating on social reform, particularly the plight of the poor in London's slums...
- Edward William CookeEdward William CookeEdward William Cooke, R.A., F.R.S., F.Z.S., F.S.A., F.G.S. was an English landscape and marine painter, and gardener.-Life and work:...
- Swan UppingSwan UppingSwan Upping is an annual ceremonial and practical activity in Britain in which mute swans on the River Thames are rounded up, caught, marked, and then released....
- SS Richard MontgomerySS Richard MontgomerySS Richard Montgomery was an American Liberty ship built during World War II, one of the 2,710 used to carry cargo during the war. The ship was wrecked off the Nore in the Thames Estuary in 1944 with around 1,400 tons of explosives on board, which continue to be a hazard to the area.-History:The...
- London River ServicesLondon River ServicesLondon River Services is a division of Transport for London , which manages passenger transport on the River Thames in London, UK. They do not own or operate any boats but license the services of other operators...
- Foster YeomanFoster YeomanFoster Yeoman Limited, based in the United Kingdom, is one of Europe's largest quarrying and asphalt companies, owned by Swiss construction materials conglomerate Holcim.-Company history:...
- Cory EnvironmentalCory EnvironmentalCory Environmental is a large waste disposal company based in the United Kingdom. Cory operates in more than 30 locations throughout England, providing services in the collection, recycling and disposal of waste as well as municipal cleansing.-Operations:...
Thames Reaches: Reach 1: Upper Pool, Lower Pool and Limehouse Reach Reach 2: Limehouse, Greenwich and Blackwall Reach Reach 3: Bugsby’s and Woolwich Reach Reach 4: Gallions and Barking Reach Reach 5: Halfway and Erith Reach Reach 6: Erith Reach, Erith Rands and Long Reach Reach 7: Long Reach and Fiddler’s Reach Reach 8: North Fleet Hope Reach 9: Gravesend Reach
External links
- Watermans Hall http://www.watermenshall.org/
- Apprenticeship Indexes for the Company of Watermen and Lightermen of the River Thames 1692-1959, also Doggett's Coat and Badge history and winners (including the name of the first winner on 1 August 1715) http://www.trueflaregenealogy.com
- The Passenger Boat Association http://www.passengerboats.co.uk/
- The Commercial Boat Operators' Association http://www.cboa.org.uk/home.php
- The River & Rowing Museum http://www.rrm.co.uk/
- Thames Regional Rowing Council http://www.thames-rrc.org/rowing-on-the-thames/
- Thames barge driving race http://www.thamesbargedrivingrace.info/
- The Annual Thames Barge Driving Race Summer 2001 http://www.thames.org.uk/pages/bargerace2001.html
- Port of London Act 1968 http://www.portoflondon.co.uk/pdfs/ls/Port_of_London_Act_1968__revised_.pdf
- African-American watermen http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/MarineNotes/Mar-Apr98/
- Laid up http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=london+uk&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=19&ll=51.498695,0.182025&spn=0.001241,0.002908&t=k&om=1&iwloc=addr
- The River Thames - its management past and present by Ian J Hart 2005 .http://www.the-river-thames.co.uk/manage.htm
- Making waves, The Guardian July 16, 2003, Graeme Ewens .http://society.guardian.co.uk/societyguardian/story/0,,998562,00.html
- The Thames Watermen in the Century of Revolution by Christopher O'Riordan 2000. http://web.archive.org/web/20091026215837/http://www.geocities.com/thameswatermen/chapter2.htm
- The Mariners' Museum 2002 Watermen. http://www.mariner.org/chesapeakebay/waterman/wat000.html
- A Chesapeake Bay Waterman, 1872 Scribner's Monthly, March 1872 The Library at The Mariners' Museum. http://www.mariner.org/chesapeakebay/captions/wat000-01.html.
- 'Civil war' on the Thames between the watermen and City authorities. Illustrated London News 1846. http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/conMediaFile.5976/Civil-war-on-the-Thames-between-the-watermen-and-City-authorities.html
- The Thames Watermen in the Century of Revolution by Christopher O'Riordan 2000. http://web.archive.org/web/20091026215836/http://www.geocities.com/thameswatermen/chapter4.htm
- The British Tugowners Association. http://www.britishtug.org/about.html
- River Cruises-Silverfleet. http://www.silverfleet.co.uk/History/default.aspx
- River Cruises-City cruises. http://www.citycruises.com/about.htm
- Seamless WiFi network. http://www.thamesclippers.com/article/117
- Cory Environmental Management Limited, History. http://www.coryenvironmental.co.uk/about/?page=hist
- Transport for London Press Release London River Services 11 September 2003. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/press-778.shtml
- Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section, Leaflet Guides to Records, September 2006. http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/water.htm
- Watermens hall, Doggett Coat and Badge Race. http://www.watermenshall.org/history/doggett.htm
- Thames clippers. http://www.thamesclippers.com/article/117
- Thames Festival Trust 2007. http://www.thamesfestival.org/
- The Mayor’s Transport Strategy , 4M River Thames and other waterways Greater London Authority 2003-02-28. http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/strategies/transport/pdf/final_ch04m.pdf
- The Guardian Patrick Barkham January 2, 2007 .http://www.guardian.co.uk/britain/article/0,,1981034,00.html
- Hansard 10 January 2007. http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2007-01-10b.75.0&s=speaker%3A10571
- Marchioness disasterMarchioness disasterThe Marchioness disaster occurred on the River Thames in London in the early hours of 20 August 1989. The pleasure boat Marchioness sank after being run down by the dredger Bowbelle, near Cannon Street Railway Bridge. There were 131 people on the Marchioness. Some were members of the crew, some...
- Uncorrected transcript of oral evidence to be published as HC 320 - i - 21 February 2007, United Kingdom Parliament. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/cgi-bin/newhtml_hl?DB=semsimple&STEMMER=en&WORDS=watermen%20and%20lightermen&ALL=&ANY=&PHRASE=&CATEGORIES=&SIMPLE=watermen%20and%20lightermen&SPEAKER=&COLOUR=Red&STYLE=s&ANCHOR=muscat_highlighter_first_match&URL=/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmtran/uc320-i/uc32002.htm#muscat_highlighter_first_match
- Transcript of the Admiralty muster or census of the Thames watermen, 2 February 1628/9 (Public Record Office, SP 16/135, piece 4). http://web.archive.org/web/20091026215835/http://www.geocities.com/thameswatermen/muster.htm
- London ancestor, The Illustrated London News, Vol. LIV, 27 March 1869, p. 321. http://www.londonancestor.com/victorian-london/hungerford-pier.htm
- Steps, stairs and landing places on the tidal Thames, The Port of London Authority 1995. http://cms.thames-rrc.org/rowing-on-the-thames/access-to-the-river-thames
- City of London, Unitary Development Plan 2002 Supplementary Planning Guidance - Riverside Appraisal p. 23. http://cms.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B793C4BC-BC84-4292-BD17-8B4039003E29/0/DP_PL_riversideappraisal.pdf
- Watermen http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/images/full/e7331ec3e0df0f1a4203df90e7365e26a489663d.html
- Watermen early history http://www.geocities.com/thameswatermen/chapter2.htm.
- The Watermen Revolt of 1621-23 http://web.archive.org/web/20091026215837/http://www.geocities.com/thameswatermen/chapter3.htm
- Royal Watermen http://www.museophile.sbu.ac.uk/rrm/images/watermen.jpg
- Watermen 1816 http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/conMediaFile.1386/The-miseries-of-London-being-assailed-by-a-group-of-watermen.html
- Waterman’s apprentice indenture http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/conMediaFile.8378/Watermans-apprentice-indenture-of-William-Crafter-Cochrane.html
- Thames wherry http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/conMediaFile.6550/Model-of-a-Thames-wherry.html
- Victorian London - Publications - Social Investigation/Journalism - Street Life in London - by J.Thomson and Adolphe Smith, 1877 http://www.victorianlondon.org/publications/thomson-23.htm
- THAMES BARGES at WAR IN TIME for D-DAY, 6th JUNE 1944 http://www.naval-history.net/WW2MiscRNLandingBarges.htm
- Amalgamated Society of Watermen, Lightermen and Bargemen 1893-1921 http://www.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/ead/126WL.htm
- Steps, stairs and landing places on the tidal Thames http://cms.thames-rrc.org/rowing-on-the-thames/access-to-the-river-thames
- DPPL riverside appraisal 2002 http://cms.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B793C4BC-BC84-4292-BD17-8B4039003E29/0/DP_PL_riversideappraisal.pdf
- Proposed National Boatmasters Licence http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-guidance-regulation/mcga-guidance_regulations-inland/dqs-codes-bmlexisiting_briefing.htm
