London Canal Museum visit and Regent’s Canal walk 27th July 2011

Many a time I have walked along the Regent’s Canal towpath with my young grandson
and had to restrain him from that inviting narrow slope down into the water!  No,
it is not a way into the water but a way out for horses that had inadvertently fallen
off the tow path.  That was just one of the snippets of history that our Guide, Roger
Squires, imparted during our two hour walk. Roger is a volunteer with the Canal Museum and
obviously has canals in his blood: there wasn’t a single question he could not answer.

Islington canal tunnel and tranquility just behind King's Cross station

There are about 12 locks between the start of the canal in Limehouse, on the Thames, and Camden,
rising 96 feet.  Then the canal continues on the level for over 20 miles to where it joins the
Grand Union canal in Middlesex.  Construction started in 1815 and the intervening years have seen
many changes of use and fortune.  The early railways deprived it of much income but at the same
time brought in other freight such as coal.  Just behind St Pancras station lie the remains of the
steel structures that supported the railway lines bringing coal from the Midland coalfields, below
which lay the canal barges waiting to receive their load from the bottom discharge hoppers of the coal trucks.  The noise must have been horrendous.  Then the barges distributed  the coal right across London, east to west.  Adjacent is the St Pancras gas works site and if you fancy an apartment with a difference, the plan is to build them within the frame of the giant gas holders!   But there in the middle of this industrial dereliction was a Heron, happily perched on a canal barge.

During the war, the canal traffic increased considerably again because of the shortage of road haulage
and the Canal Company started to make profits again.  The war also brought problems!   Kings Cross Station  lies below the canal level and it was realised that a well placed bomb breaching the canal would allow huge quantities of water to escape flooding the station.  So, at intervals along the canal, ‘stop’ gates were fitted which were closed every night and the remains of those gates are still visible; if you know where to look as Roger clearly did.

Camden lock and lock keeper's cottage now a Starbucks

Ice was a major commodity on the canal and there are several ice pits, one of which is located in the Canal Museum.  The largest ice well in London is right next to the Holiday Inn hotel in the middle of Camden.  It was constructed in 1839 and was still in use up to 1913.  It is no less than 100 feet deep, 40 feet in diameter and held 2000 tons of ice.  ‘Is’ because it is still there, capped below the surface and preserved thanks to English Heritage.  Warehouses lined the canal and, just like the dockland warehouses, many have been converted to residential accommodation but perhaps the most spectacular ‘conversion’ is Camden market.  Until as late as the 1950′s, this area was covered with timber but is now covered with this thriving sprawling market, a cosmopolitan riot of colour, smells, languages and nationalities.  It has become a tourist attraction in its own right and my younger overseas visitors always make a bee line for it.

Battlebridge Basin, home of the Canal Museum and …. a heron

For most of the canal’s life, horses were used to tow the barges and it was not until after WW2 that a few tractors were employed.   Anyone who walks the Regent Canal may well have noticed the gouges in the stonework supporting the bridges.  I always blamed drunken cyclists but in fact they represent nearly 200 years of wear, created by the horse’s tow ropes as they laboured many yards ahead of the barge.

Water has always been a problem for the Regent’s Canal and until the two Companies merged in the 1920′s, the Grand Union canal jealously guarded the water that escaped when the connecting locks were opened.  Water conservation is also one of the reasons for the twin lock system on the Regents canal so that as water in one lock was lowered half of it could be discharged into the adjacent lock to raise boats travelling in the opposite direction.  There was also an extensive pumping system to return water back to the top of the canal from the lower reaches in Limehouse.  At least one of those pumping stations has survived, albeit one now serving as a lock keepers cottage.  Most people will be familiar with the traditional canal lock gates and their wedge shape to hold back the water whilst allowing the gates to be easily (?) opened when needed.  Contrary to popular perceptions, they were not invented by early canal engineers but by Leonardo da Vinci; but then what didn’t he invent?

Whilst the canal has not changed in 200 years, the roads above it have and our guided pointed out the many changes of bridge construction such as widening or strengthening to carry trams.  Perhaps the most bizarre was the new bridges that had been built near St Pancras that had been disguised by ‘planting’ on each side the girders from the old bridge as a facade.  They served no useful purpose other than to maintain the historic appearance of the area. It was also good to see at various locations along the canal that some original foundation stones for the bridges had been preserved nearby, recording the various dignitaries at the time (genealogy at last!)

A cormorant in the middle of Camden

Perhaps the biggest surprise was to see a cormorant sitting on top of an egg in the middle of Camden. Egg?  Well that’s another piece of history, albeit modern.  One of the ‘converted’ canal side buildings was the original TV-AM television studios and they erected these huge egg cups all around their roof. TV-AM went long ago but the egg cups remain and now provide a handy perch for any passing cormorant.  At least it proves there are fish in the canal and those rows fishermen along the tow path are not wasting their time.

Genealogy at last!

After St Pancras the canal disappears into a 960 yard tunnel -  but that is a different story and a
different tour that the Canal Museum offer – but by boat!

Barry Hepburn (group leader)

Technorati Tags: ancestor, Camden, canal, history, museum, the society of genealogists, walk

A delightful visit for 21 Members and their guests who were most royally entertained by Tom, one of the in pensioners, resplendent in his red ceremonial uniform which he admitted he avoided wearing outside the Hospital because of the unwelcome attention it attracted.  His 25 years service in the army (Royal Engineers) showed in his cynical and philosophical wit, which shone through.  Knowing when to salute and when to hide came second nature and he left us with the problem of deciding, at times, where truth ended and fiction began!  

The history of the Royal Hospital Chelsea is well documented and need not be repeated here.  Their web site (www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk) also contains much interesting information including a little about births (?) marriages and burials.  As we went around with Tom many additional interesting facts emerged.  Yes it is true that each pensioner’s ‘berth’ was a six feet by six feet timber windowless hut until relatively recent times but have now been upgraded to …. nine feet by nine feet!  And for every 36 men there are just 4 toilets and 2 showers.  There were other benefits in the past such as their own in house brewery and 5 gallons of beer between four men at dinner every day, served from a leather jug. 

A wooden marquetry alter piece in the chapel which was, allegedly, rescued from the Great Fire of London but its origins have been lost in time.  However, it is believed there is writing on the back which may indicate its history but removing the piece for confirmation would present too big a risk (also allegedly!).  The chapel is also used for private weddings, as a source of income.

There is a large ongoing refurbishment and redevelopment project which will eventually give each pensioner two rooms and an ensuite bathroom.  Some have already been completed and the recent admission of three lady pensioners raised a few grumbles when it was discovered that they were moving straight into the new
accommodation, ahead of men who had been there perhaps 30 years.  Until one gentleman was offered a place in the new wing but decided he was happier staying where he was!  Old soldiers never change.

Part of the redevelopment was a brand new infirmary, opened last year and named after Margaret Thatcher who remains a keen supporter of the Hospital.  The Hospital is still very dependent upon fund raising and Margaret Thatcher is credited with raising millions of pounds through her forceful determination with visiting dignitaries to the UK. The Hospital Chapel remains her regular place of Sunday worship.  The Chelsea Flower Show is held on the Hospital’s land which makes an important contribution to funds, together with other events through the year on the same site.  

An entertaining visit, ably enhanced by Tom’s good humour and I felt it was a privilege to meet him.

Barry Hepburn

Technorati Tags: ancestor, chelsea, family history, history, military, pensioner, Royal Hospital, soldier, visit

Most of our collections contain various financial documents including rent books. This week we focus on an Irish rent book from the 18th century. Click here to find out more about this and other Treasures of the Society.  

Technorati Tags: 18th century, family history, genealogy, historical documents, history, irish, rent books

This week we’re focusing on rare old ephemera within the Society’s collection. Ephemera is transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. It includes trade cards, bookmarks, catalogues, greeting cards, pamphlets, headed letters, posters, prospectuses, stock certificates, tickets and magazines. Click here to find out more about this and other treasures of the Society.

Technorati Tags: ephemera, family history, genealogy, history

A series of four talks aimed at beginners to genealogy who have no prior knowledge of the basic sources. It is also suitable for those who wish to refresh their skills and learn how to access the records and their indexes online. Each session will provide a background to the records and demonstrate how they can be used to their best advantage through the internet.

PROGRAMME
10.30-11.45 Getting Started
Civil Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths
11.45-12.00 Tea/coffee
12.00-1.00 Census returns 1841-1911
1.00-2.00 Lunch (not provided)
2.00-3.30 Church registers and their indexes
3.30-3.45 Tea/coffee
3.45-5.00 Probate records

with Dr. Geoff Swinfield, £30.00 /£24.00 SoG members, must be pre-booked:

www.sog.org.uk   or tel: 020 7553 3290

Technorati Tags: beginners, class, course, family, genealogy, history, talk