Biography:
Emma Gibbons
Emma Gibbons

EMMA GIBBONS (1886-1904)
Emma was born in Fenny Compton, Warwickshire in 1886; the daughter of Joseph Gibbons and Charlotte Rogers. She was baptised on 21 September 1886 in Braunston, Northamptonshire. She was born into a family of boat people; her parents and both paternal and maternal grandparents lived their life on the canals. Initially, boatmen’s families would live on land but in the 1830’s, wives and children began to live on the water. With competition coming from the railways, it was cheaper and more beneficial to keep families together on the barge. They could all work together loading, unloading and delivering goods and working the boats. Horses used to pull the barges from the towpath, led by a crew member and it wasn’t uncommon for that crew member to be a child. Emma had one elder brother, William and at the time of the 1891 Census, the family, along with 14-year-old Boat Boy Frank Augur, were moored at Iron Bridge, Braunston. We can only speculate what they were transporting. Mostly, narrowboats were used to transport cargo but pre-1850’s, before the Post Office used contract carriers, they could be used as small packet boats to transport letters, parcels and even carry passengers. In 1901, the family were again in Northamptonshire, this time in Norton and were living on a barge named ‘Boyne’. No Boat Boy at this time as Emma and her brother were old enough to help their parents with the running of the barge. In 1904, the family were in Berkhamsted; either delivering or collecting their next load or just passing through. It is sadly here that Emma’s life was cut short at just 17 years of age. We do not yet know if her death was caused by illness or a tragic accident on the canal. Emma was laid to rest at Rectory Lane on 14 March; the committal officiated by Basil H Winterbotham, Assistant Curate.
in the cemetery
EMMA GIBBONS (1886-1904)
Emma was born in Fenny Compton, Warwickshire in 1886; the daughter of Joseph Gibbons and
Charlotte Rogers. She was baptised on 21 September 1886 in Braunston, Northamptonshire.
She was born into a family of boat people; her parents and both paternal and maternal grandparents lived their life on the canals. Initially, boatmen’s families would live on land but in the 1830’s, wives and children began to live on the water. With competition coming from the railways, it was cheaper and more beneficial to keep families together on the barge. They could all work together loading, unloading and delivering goods and working the boats. Horses used to pull the barges from the towpath, led by a crew member and it wasn’t uncommon for that crew member to be a child.
Emma had one elder brother, William and at the time of the 1891 Census, the family, along with 14-year-old Boat Boy Frank Augur, were moored at Iron Bridge, Braunston. We can only speculate what they were transporting. Mostly, narrowboats were used to transport cargo but pre-1850’s, before the Post Office used contract carriers, they could be used as small packet boats to transport letters, parcels and even carry passengers.
In 1901, the family were again in Northamptonshire, this time in Norton and were living on a barge named ‘Boyne’. No Boat Boy at this time as Emma and her brother were old enough to help their parents with the running of the barge.
In 1904, the family were in Berkhamsted; either delivering or collecting their next load or just passing through. It is sadly here that Emma’s life was cut short at just 17 years of age. We do not yet know if her death was caused by illness or a tragic accident on the canal.
Emma was laid to rest at Rectory Lane on 14 March; the committal officiated by Basil H Winterbotham, Assistant Curate.
Relatives
No relatives have been linked to Emma Gibbons