Watermen

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Watermen were river workers who transferred passengers across and along the city centre rivers in Britain. Most notable were those on the River Thames in London but other rivers such as the River Tyne and River Dee, Wales also had their watermen who formed guilds in mediæval times.

1 History
2 Twentieth century
3 The Doggett's Coat and Badge
4 Stairs, Causeways, Piers and Alleyways
5 Notes
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] History

Watermen or Wherrymen were an essential part of early London which had few bridges until the eighteenth century, they were expected to complete a seven year apprenticeship in order to learn to navigate the complex water currents and tides on the Thames as a result of legislation that formalised the trade by setting up a company in 1555 to govern tariffs levied and prevent accidents which had hitherto been, common place. The Act of Parliament of 1555 empowered the mayor and aldermen thenceforth to yearly choose eight of the "best sort" of watermen to be company rulers, and to make and enforce regulations.

A Muster dated approx.1628 shows a total of 2,453 Watermen "for the towns and stairs from Windsor to Gravesend".

A twenty-year campaign by the rank-and-file of the watermen, to introduce a more representative government in their company, resulted in 1642 in the introduction of a form of indirect democracy. The watermen at the 55 "leading towns and stairs" were empowered to each year choose representatives, who would in turn propose candidates for company rulers. The representatives or "electors" also sat with the rulers in the company's hall and collectively made regulations "for the better government of the company". This form of government survived, with vicissitudes, until a new Act of Parliament in 1827 restored an oligarchical form of government.

The construction of a greater number of bridges across the river in the mid-18th century caused a decline in their numbers and with the growth of rail and better road transport during the Industrial Revolution many Watermen switched to the more profitable work of Lightermen which also latter fell into decline with the growing militancy of dockers and the closure of most London docks in the 1960s-1980s.

[edit] Twentieth century

In recent times with the redevelopment of London Docklands, Watermen have established fast modern passenger services, allowing many people to rediscover the pleasures of river travel as an alternative way of getting around London. The Company of Watermen and Lightermen still licences Thames Watermen to carry passengers today and their ancient archives are a unique resource to genealogy research.

[edit] The Doggett's Coat and Badge

One of the oldest continuously run river races is the Doggett's Coat and Badge which takes place on the river Thames each year and is undertaken by apprentice Watermen.

[edit] Stairs, Causeways, Piers and Alleyways

Access to the River Thames was via a network of Watermen’s stairs and causeways build down to the river from street level designated as plying places for watermen to pick up and put down passengers. Many of these routes trodden by watermen for centuries have not been in regular use since the 1930 's and their continued existence as rights of way appears untenable despite their undoubted importance historically and as future sites for archaeological investigation.

[edit] Notes

Ply [ intrans. ] (of a vessel or vehicle) travel regularly over a route, typically for commercial purposes : ferries ply across a strait to the island. • [ trans. ] travel over (a route) in this way : the motion of the big tug as it plied the Jersey coastline.