Life of a Navvy

The Journeys of the Rowden Family

James Rowden (Carpenter or Joiner) was born in 1834 in Devon and died 24 August 1891. Through census returns, burial transcripts, and births of his children we can plot his life as a Navvy.

1860’s Railways in Devon, recorded as a Railway Plate Layer

1870’s Working on the Settle to Carlisle Railway

1880’s Oxted, Godstone, Surrey – SE Railways

1890’s Working at Frodsham on the Manchester Ship Canal (1889)

1890’s Elan Valley Dams (After James Death the family moved to Elan Village) (1893/4)

On the Settle to Carlisle railway the family lived in Knock for a period where in 1877 Laura Louisa was born 5 September 1877. The birth was registered though from Hellifield, Skipton so obviously just after the birth they moved south.  The track has several viaducts and tunnels, and the work starts on the most famous (Ribblehead Viaduct) in 1869 but the track work started then and did not complete until 1876. At one point about 6,000 men worked on the line, many died through Smallpox, other illnesses, and accidents.

1860’s Staffordshire and likely working on the Audley Branch Line later Warrington

1870’s Working on the Settle to Carlisle to 1880

Around Skipton and Bolton Abbey, Richard Tibbot (Horseman) is recorded based on a burial record of 1880.  The Tibbot family appear to have stayed in the area after Richard’s death but then moved to Saddleworth and Delph. His son Joseph Tibbot marries Laura Louisa in 1892 in Runcorn/Frodsham and shortly after they have a son, Joseph Richard. There is a record for a “hardship” fund just after he is born.

It may be a reasonable assumption that at Skipton the families knew each other but Joseph 10-years older than Laura unlikely as by 1881 the Rowden’s were down in Surrey.