Daniel Stratfull

Daniel Stratfull born 31 October 1855 in Tring, Hertfordshire.

Daniel Stratfull was first noted as a boatman on 21/2/1876 with the surname Stratford. He had followed his father (William Stratford) and brothers (George Brooks, Charles Prince Stratfield, William Murray Stratfield & Frederick Peter Stratfield) on to the canals.

Daniel married Eliza Owen on 26./12/1875 at St. Mary's Church, Paddington. eliza came from a family of canal folk, her father Thomas Owen had been noted as a boatman also in the Paddington area.

Daniel was noted as a boatman to 1886, by 1890 he was recorded as a carman. Later on 2 November 1920 he was a council labourer. Daniel and Eliza were living in Paddington at various addresses in North Wharf Road and at one point on the "Pollie" barge in Paddington Basin. Around 1878 they were recorded to the west of Paddington at Heston, by 1883 they were make in Paddington.

This suggests that Daniel had moved with the canal south from his home around Marsworth and the Aylesbury Arm to work in London. Paddington Basin was a terminus for the carriage of goods into and out of the city. The occupation of carman was given to someone who performed the carriage of goods, usually by horse and cart. Perhaps this meant that he acted as a docker taking goods to and from the canal barges but also that he transported those good locally. The fact that they lived in the canal wharf area suggests that the carmen activities where closely associated with the barges.

Daniel and Eliza were to have 14 children. The first child was recorded as Stratford; the remaining 13 were recorded as Stratfull. The first few of these children were born in Paddington, some on the barge "Pollie", many of them died in infancy. Later the births where in North Wharf Road. Their last child was named Prince Charles Stratfull, unfortunately he was killed during the Great War.

Daniel died of a duodenal ulcer and haematemsis on 2 November 1920 after 44 years of married life. Five years later his widow Eliza Stratfull married a George Matthews.