Canal Pilots

Gloucester Docks &
the Sharpness Canal

Canal Pilots

This page provides information about individual pilots who guided ships along the canal, and another page outlines the role of the canal pilots.

Smith/Woodward Family
Henry Smith (right) was a canal pilot for forty years. His father died when he was a baby, and his mother married her cousin Thomas Woodward, a canal pilot who also established the Pilot Inn at Purton. In his early twenties, Henry became the mate of the passenger steamer Wave, but he soon joined his step-father in piloting ships along the canal. He later moved to Gloucester and continued as a pilot whilst also running various public houses in Gloucester. Meanwhile, his step-father’s son James Woodward also became a canal pilot and later inherited the Pilot Inn at Purton.

Davis Family
Walter Davis of Purton was a canal pilot for over twenty years, but his licence was withdrawn after a couple of incidents. First he was fined ten shillings for a breach of regulations, and then after a ship in his charge was badly damaged, his licence was permanently withdrawn. In spite of this experience, five of his sons followed him as canal pilots, giving a cumulative service of over 160 years. Walter’s eldest son Henry was in trouble when he allowed a tug to tow a vessel too fast and without ropes ashore, but there was no actual damage, and he was just suspended for a fortnight.

Name	Born circa	Resided	First noted	Last noted	Notes
Abell, William	1833	Gloucester	1881	1891
Ballinger, Thomas	1831	Gloucester	1881	1881
Clark, Joseph	1809	Gloucester	1849	1881
Cook, George	1811	Wanswell	1849	1876	Also landlord of Bird in Hand Inn, Berkeley, by 1871
Cook, George	1842	Halmore	1867	1881	Became a stevedore at Sharpness by 1891
Cook, Henry	1842	Wanswell	1867	1881	Son of George Cook (b c1811)
Daniel, Henry	1834	Purton	1861	1861
Davis, Albert John	1857	Purton	1891	1910	Sixth son of Walter Davis
Davis, Alfred	1855	Purton & Gloucester	1881	1910	Fifth son of Walter Davis Moved to Gloucester by 1901
Davis, George S	1841	Purton	1891	1910	Second son of Walter Davis
Davis, (William) Henry	1837	Purton & Gloucester	1861	1910	Eldest son of Walter Davis
Davis, James	1814	Purton	1849	1855	Brother of Walter Davis
Davis, Sidney	1846	Purton	1871	1910	Fourth son of Walter Davis
Davis, Walter	1811	Purton	1849	1871	Five of his sons became canal pilots
Dimery, Thomas	1857		1910	1910	Formerly a channel pilot and then landlord of the Pier View Hotel, Newtown
Dowdeswell, Frank	1860	Purton	1891	1891	Son of Frederick A Dowdeswell
Dowdeswell, Frederick A	1825	Purton	1855	1881
Everett, John	1826	Gloucester	1881	1881
Gaston, Edward	1827	Purton	1861	1881
Grendall, Richard	1810	Gloucester	1849	1855	Established the Pilot Inn at Gloucester and organised a sheep roast on the ice in 1855
Hadley, Edward	1816	Gloucester	1851	1851
Hill, Richard	1841	Gloucester	1881	1881
Halford, George	1838	Gloucester	1869	1891	Son of James Halford
Halford, James	1810	Gloucester	1849	1873
Langford, John	1834	Purton & Brookend	1861	1891
Lewis, Henry Augustus	1824	Gloucester	1855 1882	1879 1889	1879-82 Assistant Dock Master at Gloucester
Lusty, Daniel	1819	Purton	1849	1869
Lusty, Frederick	1852	Purton	1881	1910	Son of Daniel Lusty
Lusty, George	1849	Purton	1881	1881	Son of Daniel Lusty
Organ, Abraham	1833	Standish & Whitminster	1881	1901
Phillips, Henry			1910	1910
Powell, John	1829?	Gloucester	1849	1855
Price, William		Purton	1894	1923
Reece, Edwin	1828	Gloucester	1864	1902	Brother of Frederick Reece
Reece, Frederick	1822	Gloucester	1849	1873	Brother of Edwin Reece
Rutter, Thomas	1822	Purton	1851	1861
Schollar, William	1815	Gloucester	1855	1861
Smith, Daniel	1838	Wanswell	1873	1910	Son of channel pilot Daniel Smith
Smith, Henry	1830	Purton & Gloucester	1854	1894	Step-son of Thomas Woodward. Also became publican in Gloucester by 1876
Smith, Henry Samuel	1823	Purton	1849	1849	Became a channel pilot in 1850
Smith, William	1834	Halmore	1870s	1881
Speck, Jeremiah	1807	Gloucester	1849	1873
Speck, John	1834	Gloucester	1881	1901	Son of Jeremiah
Tandy, James Samuel	1835	Gloucester	1881	1881
Turl, George	1839	Gloucester	1881	1881	Also a ship rigger
Wathen, Frederick	1819	Gloucester	1870	1871	Licence withdrawn for incompetence
Woodward, James	1841	Purton	1861	1881	Son of Thomas Woodward and also landlord of Pilot Inn at Purton
Woodward, Thomas	1814	Purton	1849	1876	Also landlord of Pilot Inn at Purton
Woodward, Thomas	1824	Gloucester	1867	1873