John, William and Henry Hunt Watermen

[Cassie2008]

Hello I am a new member. I am trying to locate information regarding John Hunt, his son William Hunt and grandson Henry Hunt who all worked in Leeds on the waterways. I cant seem to locate them on census information. I have a marriage certificate for William Hunt who married Mary Pilkington whose father George was also a waterman. The address was listed as Water Hall. They dont seem to be on census information though. I would be grateful for any information.
Thanks very much

[Jan1954]

Hello Cassie and welcome to Brit-Gen.

May we have some dates for these people and any locations that you do know. I'm sure that the challenge-junkies on this site will try to help. :D

[Alan Welsford]

If they were the kind of watermen who lived aboard the boats they worked, it will be very hit and miss whether a census has captured them or not.

Not much effort seems to have been made to capture live aboard boatmen in earlier censuses, although they seem to have tried a bit harder from around 1871 onwards.

If they were tied up at a recognised wharf in a big conurbation, they will probably be recorded, but if they were somewhere remote at census time the likelihood is you'll not find them.

For canal boatmen "down south" you are lucky if you find them in 50% of censuses. I've not looked at those on the water "up north", so don't know how whether you have a better chance there.

Alan

[Cassie2008]

Thanks very much for your reply. I will keep looking Im hoping to find some sort of canal records in Leeds. I do have the Water Hall address to go on from the marriage certificate. thanks again for replying

[Cassie2008]

Hello Jan1954
Thanks for your reply. I have a marriage certificate for William Hunt and Mary Pilkington. February 6 1875. Williams father was listed as John Hunt and Mary's father George all listed as Watermen. William was 19 in 1875. The address on the certificate was Water Hall in Leeds.
Thanks for your interest

[janbooth]

Hello Cassie,

Could this be your family in the 1871 census of Leeds:

RG10/4543, folio 6, page 5
6 Canal Wharf

John HUNT Head Mar 51 Canal Agent & Limestone Merchant Lancashire Much Hoole
Betty do Wife Mar 49 Agents Wife Yorkshire Bradford
Richard do Son Unm 21 Medical Student Yorkshire Leeds
Joseph do Son Unm 18 Bookkeeper & Porter do do
Ellen do Daur Unm 20 Agents daughter do do
William do Son 15 Engine tenter do do
Thomas do Son Unm 17 Commercial Clerk do Skipton
Henry do Son 14 do do do Leeds
Jonathan Cudworth do Son 7 Scholar do do
Hannah do Daur 6 do do do

They are also in Canal Wharf, Leeds in the 1861 census (RG9/3371, folio 51, page 10) with a Charles WOOD, Father in law, aged 63, Stone Mason, born Bradford living with them.

Could this be William & Mary in the 1881 census of Leeds, though he is described as a Warehouse Man?

RG11/4511, folio 7, page 8
78 Water Lane

William HUNT Head Mar 26 Warehouse Man Goods Dept Canal Yorkshire Leeds
Mary do Wife Mar 27 Yorkshire Wakefield
Henry do Son 4 Yorkshire Leeds

Could the address on the marriage certificate be Water Lane??

Can't find them on the 1891 census but will keep looking.

HTH

Janet

[janbooth]

Hi again Cassie,

This looks as if it could be Mary and family in the 1871 census of Holbeck, Leeds:

RG10/4520, folio 50, page 12
51 Derwent St

George PILKINTON Head Mar 44 Boatman Yorks Wakefield
Mary do Wife Mar 42 do do
Mary do Daur Un 15 Worker at Flax Mill do do
Alice do Daur Un 18 Woollen Cloth Weaver do do
Ellen do Daur Un 14 Cloth Cap Maker do do
George do Son 11 Scholar do do
James do Son 6 do Yorks Leeds
Thomas do Son 4 do do do

In the 1861 census of Leeds (RG9/3371, folio 15, page 23), the family are living at 7 Coopers Court, again enumerated as PILKINTON and wife Mary is shown as Mary A. Also an 1851 census entry in Alverthorpe with Thornes, Wakefield (HO107/2328, folio 119, page 24) of a George PILKINGTON, aged 22, a Carter of Granite to the Railway, born Wakefield with wife Mary Ann, aged 21, born Wakefield and daughter Eliza, aged under 1 month, born Wakefield living at Wellington St which fits in quite well with the marriage registration below.

It looks as though you may have 3 generations of PILKINGTONs in the 1841 census of Alverthorpe (HO107/121/1, folios 23/4, pages 8/9):

George PILKINGTON 85 Ind Born in county yes
David do 60 Twine Spinner yes
Mary do 50
George do 14 yes

There is a marriage registration in the June qtr 1850 at Leeds reg district, vol 23, page 469, of a George PILKINGTON and a corresponding entry for a Mary Ann Giles WHITEHEAD. There is also a corresponding entry for a Mary WEBSTER on this page.

Another marriage registration is on FreeBMD in the September qtr 1848 at Bradford reg district, vol 23, page 111, of a John HUNT and one of the other names on the page is that of a Betty BINNS. Given that Betty HUNT shows her birthplace of Bradford, this could be a contender for their marriage.

HTH further,

Janet

[janbooth]

I can't find the family at all on the 1891 census but I think I may have found Mary on the 1901 census of Holbeck, Leeds:

RG13/4204, folio 13, page 17
3 Sweet St West

Mary HUNT Head Wid 46 Yorks Wakefield
Lilly do Daur S 19 Cabinet Presser Yorks Leeds
Nellie do Daur S 14 Trousers Machinist Lancs Burnley
Gerty do Gdaur 1 mo Yorks Holbeck
Sam HIRST Boarder 27 Iron Moulder do Sheffield

Do any of the names on the 1901 census ring any bells? It is difficult to match the 1881 and 1901 census records up except for Mary as they seem to be missing from the 1891 census. However there is a death registration in the September qtr 1899 at Leeds reg district, vol 9b, page 362, of a William HUNT aged 44 who could perhaps be your William.

Janet

[Cassie2008]

Dear Jan
Thank you for all the wonderful information. They all seem to fit in with the bits of information I had. I just couldnt seem to find anything on them. I thought they had not registered. I have tried on family search and free bmd but nothing ever came up. Thank you ever so much. It is really fantastic.
Lilly Hunt is my great grandmother. This is the most comprehensive list of information I have had so far. Many many thanks!

[Cassie2008]

All the information you have given is spot on! I cant thank you enough - I have been quite frustrated trying to find out about Williams family. William died at about age 44 of cancer of the tongue so everything fits that you have found with census of Mary and children etc. I have emailed my aunt and she is very pleased with the news.
Thank you very much !

[janbooth]

Glad to be of help. Never give up and always use a lot, and I mean a lot, of lateral thinking when searching census records. Unusual names for children, such as Lily, although that didn't work in your case, are often easier to search on than Mary or William. Surnames are often mis-spelled or mistranscribed but it is amazing if you persevere how often you find them in the end.

Good luck with the rest of your research and don't forget there are always plenty of people to help on this Forum.

Janet

[Cassie2008]

Thanks very much, it all seems to be coming together with the information you have given me I have found out that John's father Thomas was a surgeon so I presume Richard was following in his footsteps. I find it very exciting when I actually get somewhere, but I couldnt have got this far without people's help and buying a lot of marriage certificates! Thanks again Cassie

[janbooth]

And in case you haven't found Thomas, this looks like him in the 1851 census of Much Hoole:

HO107/2264, folio 18, page 3
21 Mount Pleasant

Thomas HUNT Head Widr 62 Surgeon General Practioner Much Hoole
Mary do Daur U 22 Housemaid do
Ralph S do Son U 20 Assistant to Father do
Elizabeth WADDINGTON Gr Daur 7 Scholar do

and in the 1841 census of Much Hoole:

HO107/526/7, folio 12, page 16
Turnpike Road

Thomas HUNT 50 Surgeon Born in county yes
John do 25 yes
Sarah do 20 yes
Elizabeth do 20 yes
Henry do 15 yes
Thomas do 15 yes
Mary do 13 yes
Ralph do 11 yes

This should give you a few more names to search for!!

Janet

[Cassie2008]

Hello Janet
Thank you very much for the information on Thomas. For some reason I couldnt find him on the census searches I did. You must have a very good website. How do you do it? I am very pleased to find John listed on the census of 1841. I cant thank you enough for the information you have given me.
best wishes Cassie

[Maryboo]

Hi,

I found this query whilst doing a Google search on the names William and Henry Hunt.

Myself and my brother have recently started researching our family history but had difficultly getting started on my Grandma's side. Her mother and father both died when she was just a baby and she went to live with her Grandparents on her mothers side. Unfortunately she knew next to nothing about her father and his family. I managed to track down her parents marriage certificate which arrived on Saturday.

I was very excited to find out the occupation stated for her father and grandfather was 'Boatman'. Every other ancestor seems to be an agricultural labourer so this was something a little different! However, I have drawn a bit of a blank as to finding them on a census and have yet to find the registry for Henry's death.

The marriage took place on 19th May 1904. Henrys age is stated as 29 and his residence as 'Parish of St Nicholas with St John Lincoln'. His father was William Hunt and they were both put down as boatmen.

I don't know if my Henry is connected in any way with your own!

[Cassie2008]

Hi
Thanks for your message. I think your Henry could be the same as mine. He is the brother of my great Grandmother. William his father worked on the canals as well and at one time Henry is listed as being on board a vessel and then he seems to move from the census for a while. William died of cancer aged 44 and Henry's sister Lilly and her sister Ellen were left living with their mother Mary Ann. I have traced back quite far with William's family and William's brother became a Doctor. Their grandfather was a Doctor also in the Village of Much Hoole, but John William's father moved away and worked on the canals. He became a foreman on them. If you require any more information. I also have some photographs, but not of Henry I'm afraid, just the two sisters. My Great Grandmother and Great aunt. I would be quite happy to let you have a copy of them.

[Maryboo]

Hi,

That certainly does sound promising. I'll send you a private message with my email address so that we can swap information.

Many thanks! :D