Sankey Canal Restoration Society



Volume 3, Number 8 - Summer 1997

Talking Points: Lock Cottages and Keepers

Since the formation of SCARS in 1985, lots of information has come to light through visits to museums, libraries and archives all over the country. However, a lot of information comes to us from people who lived or worked alongside or near the canal. It is the latter information which I would like to bring to your notice.

First of all, let me try and put names and dates to the lock-keepers who, so I am told, were mostly the wives of the men who lived there. The man's job was usually as a maintenance man or lengths-man. It appears that the cottage went with the job; in other words if the man lost his job, he and his wife had nowhere to live.

Below is a list, which I have, of the names and dates of the occupiers of the respective lock cottages. The dates are only approximate.

Lock	Name	Date
New Double Locks	Mr and Mrs H Thorpe	up to 1970
Old Double Locks	Mr and Mrs Barrow
Old Double Locks	Mr and Mrs Culshaw	1930s
Engine Locks	Mr and Mrs Jim Roberts	up to 1936
Engine Lock	James Lowton	1800s
Newton Common Lock	Mr and Mrs Wood	up to 1963
Newton Common Lock	Mr and Mrs Hazeldene
Bradley Lock	Mr and Mrs Tickle
Hey Lock	Mr and Mrs Motram
Winwick Lock	Mr and Mrs Hedgecock	up to 1947
Hulme Lock	Mr and Mrs J Moorfield	from 1948
Hulme Lock	Miss E Bates	1943 to 1948
Bewsey Lock	Mr and Mrs Sawyer
Fiddler's Ferry Lock	Mr and Mrs Bob Bartham	1920s and 30s
Widnes Lock	Mr and Mrs MacLeod

Anyone who can add to this list or provide any other information about the canal and its workings, please contact Colin Greenall on telephone number 01744 731746.

Colin Greenall

Index for this issue Index of all Canal Cuttings issues Home Page