Shropshire Routes to Roots

1. Introduction

Introduction

Today, you probably think of canals as being nice places to walk along and enjoy. But when they were first built, canals were designed as working waterways. Canals were important for industry, and employed many people.

The creation of a network of canals across the country was one factor in the Industrial Revolution. Using canals, goods produced in one part of the country could be efficiently transported to where they were needed in another part of the country. Factories could be built where convenient, rather than close to raw materials. When a canal arrived in a town, it brought with it new jobs and industries.

In 1835, the Birmingham and Liverpool Junction Canal was opened. Its aim was to link Britain's main industrial centre with its main west coast port. But it also affected the places through which it passed, including Market Drayton, a small market town in the north-east of Shropshire.

The canal just outside Market Drayton [Shropshire Archive reference: PH/M/6/3/B1029]

Story through sources

This theme tells the story of the canal through the eyes of a fictional Shropshire man. The words of the man are inspired by actual evidence and documents found in Shropshire Archives.

For example, the document on the right is an extract from a register of births, deaths and marriages in Market Drayton. The entry details the "baptism of John son of John and Catharine Foden on 21 December 1807." John Foden is the name that will be used in the story on the next few pages. Whilst the story of John's life is made up, the things he says about the development and effect of the canals are historically correct.

An extract from the Market Drayton register Larger image and transcript, in a new window [28kb] [Shropshire Archive reference: 327/2/2/72/12]

Quiz

As you go through the theme, there will be questions beside many of the sources. You can read through the theme as it is, but to add interest you could do an online quiz on the sources (Opens in a new window) as you read. Before you start, you may like to read some instructions on using a Hot Potatoes quiz (Opens in a new window).

The story begins

My name is John Foden. I was born near Market Drayton in December, 1807. During my lifetime, I lived on a farm, then in Market Drayton itself. I remember how first the canals, then the railways, affected my way of life in Shropshire.

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