Brat Haler

[tine27]

What is a Brat Haler?
I have a few ancestors in my tree who spent most of there lives as agricutural labs, but for a few years worked as a Brat Haler on the canal. They would have been employed on the Aire and Calder Navigation in Yorkshire. When I first saw a new occupation I got quite excited and did an internet search and found nothing. Does anyone have any ideas what a Brat Haler is?

[MarkJ]

Is this term from a census? Sounds to me like a transcription error. Brat could be Boat for example...

Do you have the reference for the census if that is where the info comes from?

Mark

[tine27]

I first came across it on a census I will have to check back and find the correct one. I then found it on a baptism record spelt exactly the same. I have looked at the link and none of my relative listed, but would it be normal for agri lab to change jobs for a few years and become a boat haulier?

[tine27]

I have found one of the census records with it on but I am not sure what number you would need it is on A* and it has this ref Class 10107 piece 2350 folio 420 page 4.
It relates to an Anthony Earl born 1810 and is the 1851 census, Anthony was born in Pollington Yorkshire and is still resident in the same place.

[pennydog]

I have looked at the A* original and I am sure the first word is Boat, but the second sure looks like Haler - comparing the writing with the rest of the page - perhaps with the local accent, hauler sounded like haler (or he couldn't spell hauler!!)

[pottoka]

I agree with Pennydog; it definitely says Boat Haler. The 'o' of Boat is closed rather than round with a hole, and it has a line joining it to the 'a' but which doesn't quite make it, so which adds to the confusion that it could have been an 'r'.

The second word is Haler. I found this with an Internet search, which isn't really relevant, but might point to a local usage: the history and meaning of the surname Haler - English: possibly an occupational name for a porter or carrier, from an agent derivative of Middle English hailen ‘to haul’, ‘to drag’, from Old French haler ‘to pull’. A towpath in French today is a "chemin de halage".

Someone has added "Canal" after Boat Haler which seems to clinch things!

If you're still not convinced, maybe it says 'Brat Hater'; there are days when I'd happily give mine away! |laugh1|

[tine27]

Thanks for that I am not the best at reading old docs. It may explain why they didn't do it for very long. I don't think i would fancy been a human horse.
But Brat hater would be much more fun.