Genealogy Chat

a bit late now to start looking at sites but dont want to loose this thread so am also adding myself

nudge great site - looking forward to more parishes being added, but have found one missing ancestor already! netti

Dont forget peeps, On the Dockland Ancestors site (google for it!) you can buy cds of Watermen/Lightermen apprenticeships etc. James has a list of 17th century watermen in the Tower impressed for naval service. Y ou can also do a search on the transcribed registers of dockland churches - a tip, just enter the surname as you can bring up all with a surname rather than just one person if you put a first name - sneaky, eh.

Sorry - nothing much to say - just adding my name so I don't forget to look at all those interesting sites tomorrow. Have looked at the Charles Booth site in the past and it really is fascinating! Thanks Lyla

Maggie, you can actually buy a book for Charles Booth's notes on the south east region of the docks - Bermondsey and Rotherhithe area from amazon for about £10.

Another one for Poplar http://www*royall*co*uk/royall/poplar1.htm Sandra

Hi Heather Thank you for that fabulous site. It is fascinating, Looks as if I won't get away from the computer for hours now!!! Looking at the maps I find it odd that they show red(wealthy, well-to-do) right opposite what looks like black, (criminal, violent). Strange neighbors. Off to learn more. Rgds Maggie

Hi Ann I have just googled 92, Canton Street, and it's a pub called The Norfolk Hero http://londonpublichouse*com/LondonPubs/Poplar/poplar.htm We lived at number 9, they were pulled down in the mid/late 60's, when they were doing the slum clearance. They were three storey terraced houses, usually housing a few familys. Apparently with us ( I was a baby so don't remember) Nan & Granddad had the ground floor. dad, Mum, my brother & me lived in the middle, and Dad's sister and family lived on the top. They all shared the kitchen, which had a black range. There was no bathroom, and an outside toilet. I expect the ones that were left, are now really expensive apartments, all done up for the people who work in Cananry Wharf!! G-granddad (surname Ivey) had a Blacksmith, come greengrocer shop, with a flat above it. It was called Randalls Buildings,it was (according to Dad) a tatty dingy little place, in an alleyway between Pekin Street & Canton Street. It was actually blitzed in the war. You can see mine on the 1901/1891 census in the same place. I'm afraid your names don't ring a bell Ann, sorry. Have you looked on the dockland ancestor site www*parishregister*com for any baptisms? As my Nan, her 4 sister's and various other members of my lot are on there. Sandra Thanks Heather, I have Booths site in my favorites, but had forgotton all about it, I haven't been on it for about 2 years, I'm off to have a look now, thanks for reminding me.

Thanx sandra, i used to have port cities on my old computer until it died of old age, i was hoping to find a site with some sort of record to the dockers, there is one on a Glasgow website that is letters to and from a clerk on the docks noting all payments of compensation for injuries/deaths/pension of dockers on the job, shipments of materials ect, this one was lost on my old computer as well!!...MOE!.

Ann, I just mailed Sandra with the following addy: http://booth.lse.ac.uk/cgi-bin/do.pl?sub=search_catalogue_pages&args=Pekin,or Charles Booths Notebooks are online and you can read what he saw as he walked (well not always personally!) every street in London accompanied by a local copper in the 1890s. Its fascinating stuff, describes the street, the type of occupant, even tells you what the kids were dressed like, whether they looked well, the rents paid, etc. Do check it out.

I love the PortCities website, it has some beautiful photos and it is so readable isnt it.

Hi Yes, it is just the London docks, but another great website for dockside ancestors is www*portcities*org*uk This has Liverpool docks on it. Sandra

Hi, is this site just for london dockers? all mine worked on Glasgow & Liverpool docks. (all the men, i mean)...MOE!

Hi, yes, I think its just categorising their work. He is living in Poplar but born Limehouse.

Oh yes Heather, I hadn't thought of that being a capital I. I have just had a look at the next page, and the first bloke also has 'ship 9 or I' then further down, there's a bloke who's a Stevedore, and the enumerator has written 'dock L' after it. I think I'll have a 'wander' around Limehouse or Simhouse, as the transcriber put it, as I come from the next street (Canton Street) where my Dad and my Nan were born. Although, Canton St is in Poplar and I always thought Pekin Street was too. I thought Limehouse was mainly the other side of the East India Dock/Commercial Rd. Sandra sorry just seen your PM

Oh dear, I just had a look and I think you will find that is actually a capital I not a number 9. It looks like the transcriber is making notes on the type of work and I would say that says 'Ship I'ndustry. By the way, ancestry has transcribed Limehouse as Simhouse as his place of birth. Sorry its not good news. If I were you Id buy a copy of the London Docks book that James has on the site - Ive just ordered mine. It will give you a much better idea of the area he was working in.

Sandra, I should do it as a completely new thread as people wont notice it amongst this one. I had several shipwrights - all called Silby. If I were you, Id email James Legon and ask for his advice. If anyone knows docks, he does and he is a lovely chap, more than willing to help. I will have a look at the census and see what I can make out. He is in Poplar, yes? I think it would be unlikely you would ever find out the ship though. They used to have docks where ships were built or repaired and the 9 may just be his shorthand for which one he was working at. Must say it would be unusually detailed info to give!

Hi Heather I hope you don't mind, I am going to put my posting that I have on DocklandsAncestor on here, (I did see your reply, I have amended the original slightly, as I got the relationship wrong) hopefully more people will see it and may be able to help. Hi This is a bit of a longshot. My g-grandmothers brother was called William Thomas Lammas. In the 1891 census, he was living at 61, Pekin Street, and his occupation was 'Shipwright - Ship 9' Is there anyway I would be able to find out what 'Ship 9' was called, so I can look it up and see the actual boat he was working on? or what docks he worked in? In the 1901, his occupation was 'Shipwright (wood)' So I gather he was a ships carpenter. Heather has already suggested that it may have meant to be 'dock 9'. It would be great to find out which docks he worked in eg, East India, West India or the Royal Docks, and indeed which ship he helped build. The ref, if anyone wants to have a look is RG12/330 folio 73 page 25 Thanks Sandra

Just to add that James Legon sent a newsletter today and they seem to have an awful lot more on the site now - worth having a look if you havent been lately. I just ordered a book from there.