A week or so back I passed a great pub called the Samuel Barlow on the Coventry Canal.
It was particularly noticeable because of the many working boats moored nearby.
So who was the pub named after?
In the hey-day of canals, Samuel Barlow was the owner of well known coal carrier.
He was the son of a canal boatman who set himself up as an owner boatman carrying coal from the local Tamworth mines.
In about 1870 he moved to Glascote near Tamworth and set up his business in the centre of a developing coalfield.
Many of his relations began to work for him and soon there were 10 boats in the fleet carrying coal long distance from the Tamworth pits.
Although Samuel died suddenly in 1894, the coal carrying trade seemed to flourish. Barlows bought up other boats and built a number of day boats for the local trade. The fleet numbered almost fifty boats by 1914 and specialised in contracts requiring regular deliveries of coal. Expansion continued up to the time of the first World War.
Eventually the company head offices were moved to the centre of Birmingham. By continuing the policy of buying up used boats and small companies, the business developed steadily and there were almost 70 craft by 1930.
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