CANAL-BOAT FAMILIES
Canal-boat people were the lifeblood of our waterways. Many canal boatmen sported bright neckerchiefs and beautifully embroidered belts, with pearly buttons on their waistcoats. Boatwomen wore warm, practical clothing with sturdy boots, and bonnets with long, heavy frills that would protect them from the rays of the sun.
The canal age dawned on 17 July 1761 with the opening of the Bridgewater Canal. Britain’s rut-strewn, muddy roads were unfit for moving the bulk loads needed as the Industrial Revolution gathered speed. The Duke of Bridgewater’s new canal reduced the cost of carrying coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester – the fast-growing centre of the cotton industry.
‘The Duke’s Cut’ inspired a torrent of canal building, and a new way of life for many
