Goodenough
Born a Brummie
Hello
Looking at my late mother's birth certificate I see that my grandfather, who was Joseph Sowter and who lived at 6 Kingston Row, was a "General Carrier's Horsekeeper".
I had always assumed that each bargee had his own horse which obviously he looked after as his livelihood depended on it. The job description above seemed to suggest that grandfather was employed as a sort of stable hand working, not for himself, but for a carrying company. And presumably also there must have been stables close to Kingston Row and the nearby basin.
Does anyone have any background information either on who the carrier's might have been or what the situation and duties of a Horsekeeper were? For instance would he have been paid sufficient enough to rent the cottage in Kingston Row or did the cottage go with the job.
Peter in sunny Devon
Looking at my late mother's birth certificate I see that my grandfather, who was Joseph Sowter and who lived at 6 Kingston Row, was a "General Carrier's Horsekeeper".
I had always assumed that each bargee had his own horse which obviously he looked after as his livelihood depended on it. The job description above seemed to suggest that grandfather was employed as a sort of stable hand working, not for himself, but for a carrying company. And presumably also there must have been stables close to Kingston Row and the nearby basin.
Does anyone have any background information either on who the carrier's might have been or what the situation and duties of a Horsekeeper were? For instance would he have been paid sufficient enough to rent the cottage in Kingston Row or did the cottage go with the job.
Peter in sunny Devon