OUR ANCESTORS Crouch: “The river people could be lik- ened to a village community ingrained into but still separate from the population of London itself, a closed society not always fully understood by those outside the trade. “By means of intermarrying and father- son apprenticeships, Thames watermen gen- erally kept close family and trade ties. “Like many of the other trades of Lon- don, watermen tried to keep the secrets of their profession within their fraternity. The skills and mysteries of the river were jeal- ously guarded, passed down from father to son or uncle to nephew. Only occasionally did an outsider find his way into the Guild. It had been thus since anyone could re- call.”57 American rowing historian Robert Kel- ley: “Even before the Army and Navy had adopted any uniformity of garb, the water- men were distinguished by their pleated coat, knee britches, stockings and badge, big as a serving dish,58 on their left arm, denot- ing the fact they were licensed to take pas- sengers. “They were, then, the first uniformed service in England.”59 “In Stow’s A Survey of London in 1598, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, UK A Waterman’s Unifomn (The famous Doggett’s Coat and Badge See Chapter 2) came an officially recognized and regulated profession with a guild alongside the mer- cers,54 grocers,55 drapers,56 fishmongers and goldsmiths, among others. No one could work on the river unless he had served a seven-year apprenticeship and was regis- tered with the guild. 54 dealers in textile fabrics. 55 traders in bulk items. 56 retail merchants who sell clothing and dry goods. he reported that forty thousand men made their living on or associated with the Thames.”60 “The figure seems astronomical today, especially if one remembers that the total population of England was only a little over six million, but the River Thames was the country’s main highway, and “watermen took the place not only of the bridges, but also the taxis, trams, underground and buses of later days.”61 57 Crouch, p. 31 58 The modern term “license plate” can be traced directly back to the plate-sized license worn by watermen starting in the 16th Century. 59 Kelley, p. 6 60 Thompson, p. 7 61 Burnell, Swing, p. 3 29
