What about the workers?

After a quiet night the sun rose on another fine day and we were away at a normal time of around 09:30.

The moorings at Shobnall Fields Park are good, handy for town but with a nice open aspect and not next to the towpath. They were originally common land until the enclosures of 1773. They became Outwoods Pleasure Ground in 1883 and linked to Burton by the footbridge that was paid for by the feoffees of Burton. At the far end from the canal was a band stand and formal gardens with the area nearer to the canal much as it is today. It became the Shobnall Fields in 1960.

Outwoods Pleasure Grounds not long after it opened in 1883 it seems by the size of the trees.

The tow path bridge to the left now leads to Shobnall Marina but was the start of the bond end canal at one time that connected to the the River Trent. There was a 'bar' here at one time to protect the water of the Trent and Mersey Canal and to stop trade been syphoned away. The man handling of the cargo from the river barges to narrow boats must have been a pain.

Shobnall was also the haunt of Inspector Edward Campbell of the RSPCA there are many instances of him preventing cruelty to the animals on the cut and in the area. On 12th February he observed a donkey pulling a boat load of iron. Despite being exhausted the donkey was being beaten with a big stick to 'encourage' it,  by a young lad Alan Scattergood. His father on the boat was encouraging him in the task. The poor animal was marked all over its body from the blows.  Both defendants were from Stratton. The lad was charged 6d plus 9s 6d costs or 7 day in prison and the father was fined 20s with 19s 6d costs or a month's imprisonment. Another instance was of a horse also pulling a boat load of iron. The horse was obviously in a week and exhausted state an totally unfit for work. Joshua Street from Borrowash was fined 5s and 12s costs or one week in prison. He had since 'disposed' of the animal.

Inspector brown had been born in Scotland but spent several years doing the work of the RPSCA in Wigan before moving to Shobnall Road and carrying the his work all around the area. He was married to Agnes and they two children Maggie and William. Edewar'd health started to fail him and or asked for a move of area to better weather. In June 1886 he was transferred to Weymouth in Dorset. At the hearing of his final case in Derby and district the head of the court and the Mayor both wished him well and stated that all magistrates thought well of him. Others in his position had colpoured the cases involved to try to secure convictions but Campbell had never done this and been extremely fair in all his dealings. The Mayor added that he had conducted his cases with ability and feelings and hoped that the move to southern climes would improve his health.

A very picturesqe lock is found at Tatenhill with an old working boat moored top side too. There was a slight delay as we waited for this boat to travel up ahead of us. They stopped at the Barton Turn but as we waited for another one to travel up the lock we just had time to to top up with water.

As we waited I once again wondered what the large house at the fott of the lock was. I now find that it was a pub and malting called the three Horseshoes. It was obviously close to the main route Rykneld Way A38. I then found a great story about a theft that had been detected right there. In October 1846. The Master of the canal boat 'Messenger' Kay and three crew Greaves, Wilson and Pheasant were arrested. There were two boats mentioned so with that number of men I assume a butty was involved. The boats beloned to Brown and Potter of Nottingham. The 'inside' man was named Preston who worked for Charles Limer, maltster and publican. They were accused of stealing 6 bushels of malt worth 50s, part of a cargo that was from Nottingham to Manchester. It was stated that Joseph Oldham the police officer employed by the Trent and Mersey Canal Co. had his suspicions excited and followed the boats ans watched as part of the cargo was left at the maltings at Barton Turn. In another case Oldham's suspicions had again been excited when he followed a couple of boats carrying hogsheads, barrels and firkins of beer from Bass' Brewery in Burton to Manchester. He witnessed them seemingly supping beer when moored at Wood End Lock near Fradley. He and others followed them to another place further up the cut and when he thought they were drawing more beer from barrels charged aboard. The pail holding the beer was thrown into the canal but quickly rescued and evidence given in court. And in yet another case a wide beam boat trading between Gainsborough and Horninglow and owned by Smith and Sons of Horninglow had discharged a cargo of barley at Horninglow Wharf and loaded a back cargo when Oldham once again swooped. He found 8 bushels (400lbs) of barley hidden by the mast. There was oibviously a lot of this theft going on as at the court cases Joseph Oldham was described as indefatigable and testimonies given. 'The activity and tact displayed by Oldham in this case, and his increasing exertions on all occasions, deserve the highest praise and are doubtless suitable esteemed by his employers. He is indeed a terror to evil doers among boatmen'. And another states; ' Too much praise can not be given to Oldham for his numerous detections of these robberies which are not only of frequewnt, but almost daily occurrences..'.

I didn't know that the Trent and Mersey had their own police officers. Jospeh Oldham was born in 1808 at Wellesbourne near Lemington Spa and his wife, Sarah, nearby. It seems that by the start of the 1840's he was employed as a policeman for the canal Co. and moved to Findern in Derbyshire. He then moves to Kings Bromley Wharf by 1847 and remains there. By 1861 he is down as the wharfinger there and 1871 as a retired policeman living in the village at Riley Hill and in 1881 at age 71 he is a timber dealer. He had eight children so perhaps need to keep working!

After you travel alongside the very busy A38 you come to the nice little lock at Wychnor Bridges and the little warehouse next to the lock.. Looking on the old maps I can see that it has been here in some form since 1880. Just across the other side of the A38 is the Wychor Bridges Listed farm house that was built in the early 18th century. This could well have been linked with that large farm as there is very little else about, other than a mill a little bit further down on the river section.

Once down Wychnor Lock you are in the river section of the Trent again. Frequently closed due to high water levels and strong currents you soon pass under the cow bridge that is a little awkward on a bend with St. Agnes Church above you. Once through the bridge on the left the canal cut through the moat of the Old Wychnor Hall

This is the landing of the Alrewas lock ready to pen back up onto the canal section once again. Alrewas is  a popular place to moor and is often busy. It wasn't when we passed bet we were on a schedule so carried on.

We were heading to Fradley to meet up with friend Chris who was volunteering on the locks on the day we arrived. It was good to catch up all be it at a distance, but with a cake and coffee. The moorings filled up soon afterwards so we got there just in time too.

At Fradley Junction lived Henry Giles who was the surveyor for the area of the Trent and Mersey canal. He was born in 1808 at Bury in Lancashire and married Hannah Haile or Harle from Saddleworth in 1831. They lived at Bucklow Hill in Cheshire until around late 1830's. This isn't too far from the Bridgewater Canal, but I don't know if he was a canal surveyor then. By the time of the 1841 they were living at Horninglow Wharf in Burton as the surveyor. By 1851 they were established at the canal community by the junction at Fradley. Hannah and Henry went on to have eight children  6 boys and 2 girls. One of the girls Annie died aged 22 and the Forth son died aged 18 but already working for Severn Valley Railway at similar work to his father. The eldest son Nicholas aslo went down the surveyor civil engineer route and was short listed in 1862 for the position of General Surveyor and Collector for the Thames Navigation  Co at a salary of £200. A local man got the job. Nicholas was back home at Fradley Junction in 1871 when father and son describe themselves as civil engineers.

Three blokes that worked for the boating community and are little heard of. It is always the same but I have enjoyed finding out a little about them.