Thomas W Millner, Canal Manager 1895 - 1930

Click here for a review of the History of Blisworth Arm

A compiled extract from the booklet entitled
"Foxton Locks and the Grand Junction Canal Company", 68pp A4

by Dave Goodwin and members of the Foxton Inclined Plane Trust
with minor additions and hyperlinks added by T. Marsh

Background History

The waterways now known as the Grand Union Canal connects London and Birmingham; its Leicester Section branches off at Norton Junction near Daventry, thus forming a vital link with the country's northern waters via the River Soar and River Trent systems. The name 'Grand Union' however is a legacy from a takeover of these canals in 1929; before then their history is a complicated one under a succession of different companies. Put simply, the 'main-line' was originally constructed as the Grand Junction Canal from London to join the Oxford Canal at Braunston, Northants. This initial canal building dates from the late 1790's, and the GJCCo extended their empire by acquiring the section into Leicester in 1894.  These later dates are important, as they coincide with the working career of Thomas William Millner, who operated from Blisworth, and controlled the Northern District of the Grand Junction Canal throughout this time.

Thomas Millner was born in 1859 in West Bromwich, Staffordshire and died in 1943, buried at Gayton Church.  Thanks to the foresight of local historian George Freeston, many of the old Company documents were rescued at a time when their destruction was imminent as old offices at the Blisworth Arm Yard were being demolished. George saw to it that reams of letters and other documents were lodged at the Northamptonshire Record Office and after he died there were further batches which joined the collection there; now known as the Thomas Millner Collection.  Access to these documents has made the telling of the Millner story possible, and it is interesting to note how the official record which has been passed down via company minutes and legal paperwork, is often different when viewed through Millner's eyes. It is a much more personal, intimate and absorbing account than the bare facts of Company history.
The turn of the century was a fascinating period - we are back in the days of paraffin lighting, no mains electricity, water or sewerage. Before the dawn of modern road transport, it was the age of steam; an era of fierce railway competition for the canals as a whole. With hindsight it is easy to condemn, but the GJCCo Board of Directors considered that this competition could be faced successfully by modernising and speeding up their operations. There had been a profitable role for carriage of goods by water for over a hundred years, and the coming of the canals had been such an improvement over the appalling road system which existed before.

The Letters

The papers consist of hundreds of individual letters on all subjects, many carrying those marvellous fancy illustrated letter-headings. The bulk of the material however had to be extracted from several thousand items contained within letter copy-books. At the start of Millner's career, handwritten letters were the norm, and even when business correspondence moved to using the typewriter (in Millner's case about Easter 1911), the last chore of the working day was to take copies. Letter copybooks were provided - foolscap tomes (about 14" x 9") and some 2"-2½ " thick. These hard-backed volumes consisted of five hundred numbered pages of tissue-like paper. Copies were taken by placing the originals beneath a page, putting a carefully pre-dampened sheet on top, and with more 'water blotting paper' inserted to protect previous copies the book was closed and pressed shut. Several layers could be dealt with simultaneously. This may all sound crude and cumbersome, and certainly the copy-books themselves are fragile and delicate, but in the days before the modern duplicator 'Wodderspoon's Patent' Copy Books were universally used from the inner sanctum of the most prestigious City Bank, to the lowliest business office.
As you may imagine, the system had its drawbacks, and the quality of the copies depended upon the care with which the original had been produced, and the skill of the person taking the copy. Heavily inked letters could too easily produce smudged and fuzzy copies, and misaligned pages result in lost information. Reading the old handwriting often meant using a white card beneath each page to isolate the sheets of tissue, using a good light on faded copies, and if all else failed reading the reverse side using a mirror. Since the copies had been drawn through the tissue from below, the back face could have inked lettering, where the front face was just a confused blur. The books themselves, as well as for all these other reasons, were delicate, difficult to handle and therefore virtually impossible to duplicate -  they will eventually go into Trust archives for public study.
Millner was fortunately the kind of man who could embody his exact thoughts within a short, carefully worded letter. Over the years, as letter-writing generally became less flowery and more business-like, he made the most of his ability, and only rarely made mistakes where his intentions were misconstrued. His technical reports to GJHQ at 21 Surrey Street in London are a model of presenting the facts and making recommendations. Millner's engineering background (he was a member of the East Midlands Association of Surveyors), meant he was an innovator (see below), and often his suggestions for improvements to speed work were only held back by the lack of funds to implement them. In this way, the best letters do not simply deal with isolated incidents, interesting though these may be, but they serve to demonstrate a principle or a method of working adopted by the Company. Above all they give an insight into the people, their working lives and the way the Grand Junction empire functioned around the turn of the century.

Millner's Early Career

Naturally, the one aspect which is poorly served in the old letters, is Millner's own early career. It seems after gaining his initial qualifications, he had lived at Marsworth, and worked for the Company in the offices at their Bulbourne Workshops near Tring. A thorough grounding in Company practices followed, interspersed with surveys taken of the canal and its buildings, etc. Although this was the bread-and-butter aspect of his work at the time, he learned about man-management too, was a conscientious worker and destined to become indispensible to the Company. His promotion to manager of the Northern District came in 1895 aged 36. After a brief settling-in period (being accommodated in local hotels), he installed himself in premises where the Northampton Arm joins the main canal.
From his office, he dealt with a steady stream of job-applications; from the setting on of temporary labour to cope with the extra work on the regular seasonal stoppages, to more permanent appointments. On one occasion, a lady wrote to him in the hope that her son would get a job as Millner's assistant. Within his reply are indications of the seeds from which his own career must surely have blossomed . . .
Dear Mrs. Berkley, 'In reply to your letter respecting a boy from school making a start in my office. I propose engaging a well educated lad of 16 or 17 years of age, and train him in my private office as a Canal Overseer and Engineer. He will be expected to start at the bottom of the ladder and work up, while his future rests entirely with himself as to whether he makes a 50/- or a £20 a week man. He will be required to do ordinary office book keeping working up to tracing, drawing, outdoor surveying, overlooking men etc. If your son is healthy and can bring a first rate reference from his school master I shall be pleased to see him at this office by appointment.'
Although office paperwork occupied much of Millner's time he spent the greater part of it travelling on the District, meeting with the various foremen, inspectors and contractors; to progress maintenance, deal with emergencies, and plan ahead. If the previous letter served to chart his early career, the following testimonial to friend and fellow District Engineer H.J. (Bert) Walker is virtually a Millner job-description...
'To whom it may concern: Mr. H.J. Walker has been associated with me on the Northern Section of the Grand Junction Canal more or less since 1902, and has assisted in carrying out the various works connected with the upkeep of the waterway comprising the renewal and repairs to lock chambers, gates, sluices, taking down and rebuilding a flight of seven locks, taking down and rebuilding public road bridges and other bridges in brickwork and concrete, extensive repairs to tunnels, reservoirs and the fixing and driving of dams, taking records, statistics and diagrams of water supplies. He has had practical experience in the management of men when carrying out such works and is reliable and energetic in anything he undertakes and should be useful in any engineering capacity.'

Working Career

On a more personal level, it is clear that the kind of plum job which Millner carried out with particular relish was the engineering drawing work. He took several days to produce an accurately detailed drawing of the Braunston Pump works (to be seen in Stoke Bruerne Museum Archives). It is at one and the same time a professional creation and a labour of love. The more mundane work, the surveys of the canal consisting of longitudinal and cross sections which Millner had cut his teeth on were the basis from which all else came. This enabled accurate assessments to be made regarding dredging and improvement works generally; and calculations were necessary regarding the individual pounds, and the summit in particular with its reservoirs and feeders. Millner's work was a very scientific business, as his meticulous logging of boat traffic and water use shows. The state of the reservoirs at particular times of year had a direct bearing on when to start back-pumping the lockage water at Braunston. This was a costly exercise, and so Millner's interest in weather data was far from simply academic. He had rainfall gauges at the reservoirs, and his Blisworth weather station recorded temperature too, and was probably complimented by a barometer in the basic set of instruments. His weather data, duly logged on the appropriate cards, was exchanged for British annual rainfall statistics compiled by a Dr. H.R. Mill, in Camden Square, London.  He also carefully logged events that perhaps would have no further bearing on his job.  His men discovered in 1922 a region of collapsed ground near Blisworth tunnel, he logged its position carefully - "its 'co-ordinates' as 1564 feet along the tunnel (from the south portal) and off-line to the east, perpendicularly, by 200 feet".  When this letter was discovered with its accurate coordinates, in the NRO in 2005, it prompted T. Marsh to find the linear array of features that virtually proved an early unsuccessful attempt by the tunnelers to establish the line for the excavation.
As with almost every aspect of his endeavours, Millner took things just that little bit further than was necessary simply to do his job. Perhaps this is best illustrated in his interest in photography. What must have started as little more than a hobby swiftly became a vital part of his working life. As it grew, he had a brick-built lean-to darkroom constructed next to his office, and the Company began to rely on his expertise. He supplied photos of works in hand, the machinery installations at Braunston Pump and Foxton Boat Lift, and he even provided back-up evidence in court cases involving the Company. From every practical standpoint, Millner was universally acknowledged as THE expert in all GJCCo matters.

Although the administrative districts of GJCCo changed over the years, Millner's responsibility for 35 years was the Northern District beginning with the 14 mile Fenny pound which straddled the Ouse Valley. The Aylesbury & Wendover Arms, the Tring Summit and the long descent south to Brentford and the Thames were not his immediate concern. North of the Ouse, the Buckingham and Old Stratford Branches added ten miles of water, fed in the county town by the infant river; while the main line of the canal followed a side valley from Cosgrove for some five miles to the Stoke Bruerne lock-flight where it crossed a tributary - the River Tove. Above Stoke and through Blisworth Tunnel to the foot of Buckby Locks, another 15 miles from which ran the five mile Northampton Arm at Gayton Junction, Millner's H.Q. The short Braunston Summit was fed by two major reservoirs and a related complex of feeders, with the Braunston Pump beating at the heart of Millner's empire. The Leicester Section, with its additional water supplies was looked upon as something of a lifeline. With less traffic over this highest level of the Grand Junction, supplies were often sacrificed in times of drought in order to keep the main line operational. Millner remained master of this complex balancing-act.  Tucked away in the N.W corner of Blisworth Parish is the small community of seven houses clustered around the junction with the Northampton Arm. George Freeston - and all the local residents - refer to it as 'Blisworth Arm' and quite rightly resist all attempts to associate it with the name of Gayton, the neighbouring parish. Nearby Gayton Churchyard however contains memorials to a succession of important canal men. A mossy slab records the passing of Jesse Cherry and his wife, and a small scroll tablet, see below, details 'Thomas William Millner late of Canal House Blisworth'.

Canal House  Millner converted two Company cottages close by the No. 2 bridge on the Arm into one large house, installing his office at the far end. The cottages shown here dated from 1817 and Millner's 'modernisation' was carried out in 1900. The property had a long canal frontage and the south-facing walled garden enclosed about one third of an acre. George can remember that as a boy, he regularly leaned his bike against the wall and climbed on to the saddle, to peep into the great man's private preserve.
Most of the area inside was taken up by an extensive lawn, but in one secluded corner furthest from the house was a large fishpond and tank with running water, stocked with carp. I had already scanned a modern estate-agents brochure on the property, so although I was a little sad to see the present owner had recently cut access to serve a large new garage at this point, it was still possible to view Millner's stone-built summerhouse and aviary, with its accompanying items of garden statuary. Judging by the rubble around, the old rockery by the pool was constructed at least in part by the roughened stalactite-like formations of limestone taken from Blisworth Tunnel lining. Some pieces of this 'stone' clearly showed ripple-marks stained with ironstone - and layers of soot from the steam tugs! I have the feeling that, in its former setting, it must have looked far more attractive than I have managed to make it sound! George's collection of correspondence reveals much more about Millner's personal interests as we will see, but with some of the faded photos of the Millner household in my mind, it was time for a guided tour by the present lady of the house ...

Through the entrance porch, to the left and towards the canal, a large Victorian drawing-room, looking substantially as it did in Millner's day. Redecorated of course, and minus most of the 'knick-knacks', one can still picture Mrs. Bena Millner and a companion sitting at a table in front of the fireplace with its large mantle-shelf. Back past the entrance hall there's an oak bar (constructed with 18th century carved panels) - an addition by a post-Millner tenant. Through a large lounge, modern access has been created into Millner's old office, which had formerly been separate from the rest of the house. The half-panelled study is still very much used by the new auctioneer-owner. The vast built-in pigeonhole cupboard with its large lockable doors was crammed with paperwork, just as it would have been eighty years ago. One can even begin to see why George's documents are 'grouped' as they are - Millner must have folded some of the telegrams and letters and kept them together. Engineer's Reports are bundled by their year, although this may have been done when the time came to store them away. Nothing seems to have been discarded, Millner (and George, thank goodness) keeping everything.
Out through the kitchen area, into the yard behind, gone are the pigeons. Millner's large dog, an Airedale, has been displaced by a Jack Russell, and his two-seater Singer car has been replaced by - a Rolls-Royce! A nice transposition of sizes and shapes, the modern transport more appropriate somehow for the owners of Canal House?  Through a hand-gate giving access to the canal terrace, close by the hump-backed roadbridge with its distinctive 1912 tieplates, one can imagine Millner's steam-launch bobbing gently at its moorings. I agreed with the brochure - 'extensively but sensibly modified. .. comfortable family accommodation... in the midst of the countryside'. The 1985 price? A cool £95,000.

Innovation

Steam tugs used for pulling a string of boats through Braunston and Blisworth Tunnels were introduced well before Millner's time in 1871.  In 1895 letters from Millner that have been reviewed by Richard Thomas, it was soon revealed that improvements were called for to the tugs; Pilot, Spider and Hasty.  But, for example in early 1896 - 'the only serious fault to find against the present tugs is the amount of smoke they make and any improvement in this direction would be duly appreciated'.  Under ideal conditions, a tug would be attached to a string of narrow boats, and the stoker tend the boiler. Following the initial coaling, black smoke would belch from the stack, then ease as the firebed glowed clear and bright. The crew were then ready for one of the regular 'pulls' - a strict timetable of eight runs in each direction on the hour was adhered to every working day. With luck, at Braunston certainly, the run through could be made without too much additional stoking. With a 'heavy pull' i.e. more boats or all loaded boats behind her, the crew would curse and carry on. Their counterparts at Blisworth had no choice but to make up at intervals while inside.   A great deal depended upon the quality of the coal used, and Millner constantly chased the agents, who did not immediately understand the implications. - 'The Tug Captain reports that the men on the tug have not been able to maintain steam in the boiler and consequently were forced to be constantly coaling up while passing through the tunnel, and therefore making a great quantity of smoke . . . our men and some boat children have been ill through it. Your BEST quality Steam Coal is very suitable for our work when mixed with best Welsh and works the Tug with little or no coaling up during the passage through.'

The resulting lack of visibility was blamed for a collision between a steamer and the tug, which caused Fellows Morton to complain of the 'state of Braunston Tunnel'. Millner assured the famous carriers 'We pay top prices for the best hard steam Shipley and best Welsh coal', and assured them the Company had not been deliberately trying an inferior quality of fuel. On this occasion however two railway trucks had been loaded into a narrow boat and delivered to the Tug Store where Millner said he could see two distinct grades. It was too late to send the 'bad' coal back so this was used on the dredger in the open air where its effects were less harmful.  Usual lighting on the boats at this time was provided by paraffin lamps. The beam thrown ahead of these devices, with their traditional large reflectors was amazingly powerful, but their effect could be totally nullified if the bore was filled with choking fumes. Then, the steerer, peering through the murk with watering eyes would be lucky if he could see the arc of light illuminating the brick arch and walls. It was essential to keep to the appropriate tunnel side if the presence of another boat was suspected, and to know just how far to move over without dragging or bumping the tunnel side.  Millner's keenness for new technology and an ability to experiment led to improved conditions in the tunnels, apart from insisting the tugs were supplied with only the very best coal.  He introduced acetylene lighting at least for his workmen and devised means for sweeping the tunnel of accumulated soot.  Other innovative subjects follow below.

Acetylene Lighting
Traditionally, tunnel repairs were carried out in the winter, when bad weather meant that the bricklayers could not continue normal canal maintenance. Lighting for this work originally meant tar flares, or candles. The advent of the paraffin lamp, brighter and much cleaner, must have been a godsend. The Grand Junction Company, ever anxious to get value for money, was willing to try anything which could speed up the work. For the 1898 stoppage at Blisworth, Millner decided to try the new technology of the acetylene lamp. As was his usual business practice, he sent off asking for two quotes, in this case to the Manchester Acetylene Gas & Carbide Co. Ltd., and the Fowler Acetylene Gas Co. of Liverpool. His specification called for 'a portable generator and lamps of sufficient candlepower to light up a tunnel 17ft. wide, 12ft. high above the water, and for a distance of 60-80ft. The light to be equally spread over the above distance and strong enough to clearly light up bricklayers and carpenters work without any other source of light.' As the unit was also to be used for night-time lock repairs, the flame had to be protected by a lamp-glass, this in turn shielded against flying brick chippings.

Older readers who can remember their schooldays, may recall classroom 'experiments' involving carbide crystals and inkwells! The noxious bubbles given off were acetylene gas. Acetylene is odourless but impurities impart the foul smell.  Early cycle and motorcycle lights worked on the principle of water dripping into a well containing calcium carbide. Millner's generator was a small industrial installation which worked on a slightly different principle. If I understand it correctly, carbide was sprinkled from a hopper into a water tank at the base of the generator, and the gas given off collected in an inverted 'bell' floating on the water. Pressure was regulated by weights put on top of the bell, which in turn controlled the flow of chemicals.

After a brief exchange of correspondence, Millner took delivery of a 300 candlepower generator and two lamps from the Manchester firm, on the understanding that he could have it on a month's trial. He ordered sufficient carbide for 250 hours running. He set the equipment up at Gayton Yard, pronounced himself 'very pleased with the generator and light given off and invited Gordon Thomas, his manager, along to see it.  Millner noted with some consternation that several Walsall Cycle firms had been heavily fined for keeping more than 51bs. of carbide on their premises without the statutory licence. Calcium carbide was classed as an explosive, and in fact strictly controlled. He hastily arranged for special storage drums 'passed by the London County Council' and took out a licence by contacting the Clerk of the local Rural District Council, five shillings 'for any quantity'. Further quotes were called for (in l cwt. and 5 cwt. lots!) from the Acetylene Illuminating Co., Falls of Foyers in Scotland, and the Midland Acetylene Syndicate Ltd., of Cradley Heath, Birmingham.

There were teething troubles which were cured by replacement parts, but a more persistent fault showed itself in the form of the burners becoming choked with frothy matter, and this reduced the light. It was an inherent weakness, and although Millner made suggestions to scrub or clean this away, a satisfactory remedy was not forthcoming. (Later devices would consist of double burners, the flames playing on each other, and the equipment run only on very pure chemicals).

It would seem that mounting the equipment on a boat made for extra difficulties too. The lamp glasses were cracked by the shock of the boats bumping in the tunnel, and extra weights of up to 161bs. had to be used on the bell. An enquiry was made as to the safe maximum loading. Evidently Thomas had not taken the opportunity of seeing the lamps in action for himself, perhaps this is because it would have meant a late visit or a night stop-over at Blisworth, however, Millner extended a second invitation to view, indicating that the machine was now installed on his launch. Millner was very much in favour of the equipment. 'I think you will say the lamp is a success.' Thomas remained sceptical, and evidently thought more of the potential hazard of gas-generating equipment in the tunnels. It would seem that one was considering the men and the work at a practical level, and the other only looking at the fuss that would ensue if anything went wrong.

Millner tried to set his mind at rest. 'I do not feel nervous about the acetylene gas lamp for I think with ordinary care nothing will go wrong. It is so very simple to work as you will say when you see it.' Thomas was ill with a cold.  At the conclusion of that winter's stoppage -February 1899 - Millner wrote to the Manchester Acetylene Co. 'Will you please put yourselves in communication with Mr. G.C. Thomas, my Co's engineer, as he wishes to hear from you in reference to putting down a permanent acetylene installation at our Foxton Lift.' Just how much of this suggestion really came from Millner and how enthusiastic Thomas was by that time is unclear. If only Thomas had actually witnessed the trials things might have been different, but from old photographs it would seem that in common with other GJCCo buildings, paraffin lamps were used at Foxton.

The accounts of that winter's work in Blisworth give a nice comparison between the different kinds of illumination tested altogether. Some 500 yards of brickwork were replaced, involving the cutting out and laying of more than 22,000 bricks. Five tons of lime, a similar quantity of cement and 15 tons of sand went into mixing the mortar. Thirty gallons of paraffin were consumed, along with one hundredweight of candles, and 1½ cwts. of carbide. The cost of these items was 15/-, £2/l6/0d, and £1/14 /6d respectively.

Soot Brushing
In October 1908, following an inquiry from Gordon Thomas, Millner considered the problem of soot in the Company's tunnels. Over the years, the brickwork had acquired a coat of limestone deposits, amounting in places to thick, ridged sheets built up by water percolating through the lining. This in turn had been coated with soot from passing steamers and of course the Company's own tunnel tugs. The situation must have led to a constant rain of slimy droplets and larger sooty lumps falling onto passing craft, adding to the miserable conditions within. (The Leicester Section, with less traffic and no tug service would not suffer so badly; but I remember reading somewhere of the owner of a large modern cruiser who 'legged' it through Islington or Maida Tunnels from his cabin top, then had to spend the rest of the afternoon sweeping and washing down the decks!)

Concerning Blisworth and Braunston Tunnels, Millner's reply to Thomas indicated that the usual way of dealing with the problem was to load a boat with hawthorns and haul the same through the tunnels by the tug. - 'But this only swept the low and narrow sections, and not those perfectly' He went on, - 'I am now making a machine for sweeping with balanced and adjustable wire brushes and I shall be glad if you will wire me your sanction to obtain some standard size wire brushes to fix to the machine for the first experiment.' He had in fact already sent to three firms, Wilcox & Co. of Southwark; and Brierley's and Crutchley & Sons of Birmingham for suitable items.

Judging by a photograph in one of Millner's albums at the Waterways Museum Stoke Bruerne, the starting point for the brushing boat had been a scale model. Many of Millner's ideas - on several different schemes for building easily erected stanks for tunnel repairs - also seem to have started this way; and GJ engineer Gordon Thomas built a 1 /48th scale model of the Foxton Incline Plane at the time the Patent Plans for the Boat Lift were produced. So, model-making beforehand was an established principle when dealing with anything new, and the GJCCo was a go-ahead and innovative Company at this time. To date, Millner has not been sufficiently recognised for the part he played in this tradition.

As the well-known photograph of the actual Brushing Boat itself shows,  it consisted of a massive wooden trestle mounted on a partly-decked mud hopper. Millner's description indicates more detail - the balance arms were some 22ft. long, and carried three 6ft. brush assemblies which were made to follow the section of the tunnels as they were towed along.  There was some difficulty getting just the right heavy steel brush heads for the job, Crutchley's supplied 18 heads to a standard pattern, but the bristles were too short. Millner clarified the situation - 'I am afraid the brush only 3" long will not answer my purpose as the work they are required to sweep is very rough and irregular. The rows of wire should also be at least ½" apart as the soot on the brickwork is damp and sticky and liable to clog the brush.' In the end, it appears a compromise was reached, the suppliers providing double-length wires (at almost double the cost). From the remarks, although Millner's idea originally had been to use standard heads to keep costs down, it would appear that the length and spacing of the business end led to specially produced items. I get the impression the manufacturers had offered a yard type brush, whereupon Millner had commented -'They will answer my purpose best if they are quite flat on the top and there need be no holes for any handle.'

Millner attempted to speed up the supply of the brushes as the correspondence dragged on through November. It is obvious from his rising sense of urgency - 'address letters to myself (when normally the Company engineer Thomas would deal with things), 'deliver in a day or two', 'forward by express goods', that he was anxious to try things out. If successful, it would certainly make for easier inspections of the tunnel lining, and make for swifter maintenance too, perhaps this was part of the rush.

Reports over the following years show that the brushing runs were carried out from time to time and were most successful. On one occasion a total of four tons of soot and dust being removed in this way. This quantity may in fact only have been a conservative estimate, as it is difficult to see how all the falling soot would have been caught by the hopper. Assuming most of the deposit was on the crown of the arch, and would have been guided into the boat by extra boards perhaps, a lot must surely have dropped into the water.  There was at least one inquiry regarding the soot itself - from a Mrs. Woodward who ran local carrying boats. The situation was somewhat unusual in that Millner was not normally in a position to sell such Company 'goods'. Be it brick rubble, old planking etc., the GJCCo usually recycled all materials of this kind by using such items themselves. The tunnel soot was the obvious exception. With the advent of motor driven boats just before the First World War, the job of the brushing boat must have got progressively easier over the years. Certainly after the Company's tunnel tug service was stopped in 1936 Millner's machine as I have come to know it would have been declared redundant.

Ice Breaking  A not particularly thick layer of ice over the canals was sufficient to impede the passing of narrow boats.  Breaking ice was a costly business, and cooperation seemed the key to getting things done.  Specially designed ice boats were rocked violently so that the prow nibbled off the ice with its side motion. The rocking moment was provided by teams of men pulling on handrails as shown.  The boats were at first drawn by horses - much later propelled by motor. 

One or two letters deal directly with ice boats, one of them virtually amounting to a dissertation on their design and use. It is very interesting to read this, keeping in mind the work done to restore the Thomas Holt ice boat now on display at Foxton; and in particular the modifications to the 'Gordon Thomas' boat. The decision to fit a convenient modern floor, replace the cross members and rubbing strakes, equip it with a mast and storage locker in the bow had all been thought of before! Millner wrote to Beasley, the Engineer in charge at Bulbourne Workshops, and the man who would carry out his ideas. With rumours of 'new small iron ice boats' being bought for the Company in 1905, Millner hoped to get at least one, and adapt it for more general use during the rest of the year - to convert it into what was known as a District Boat to carry materials etc. for stoppage and maintenance work.

'I am obliged for your letter re: Ice Boat, I am aware that the alteration will lessen the leverage, but I particularly want the whole of the bottom of the boat planked in to use as a District Boat when not ice breaking; and without this bottom the boat is of no use for shifting clay or gravel and I wish to try the rockers on this bottom but you must not fix the floor so low as shown in the sketch. This should come where the hull bellies out. You are aware that the small iceboats were designed for the rocking rail to be a few inches above the gunwhale and parallel to it. In the new light ice boats that I hope to possess before long I am going to have the handrail on the sides or in the centre at the bottom as now suggested, and I want to find out the best method of the two. The Oxford Canal use the side method and break ice much cheaper than we do. You need not alter the top fixture so that if my suggestion proves a failure we can go back to the top platform which in my opinion is only suitable for our heavy boats with a larger number of men as rockers and I already possess two of these costly boats.'

The following notes indicate the level of effort and frustration which went into ice breaking:   'I have to report that the main line of the Northern District was open for traffic by 4p.m. on the 21st. inst. (Feb 17), after being closed for some 20 days. The frost commenced on Jan. 10 but the canal was kept open for traffic until Jan. 30 on which date the Ice Boat reached Fenny Stratford and did not leave for Braunston until Feb. 19 inst. The minimum temperature registered 5 degrees or 27 degrees of frost on Feb. 7 and the maximum temperature 44 degrees on Feb 20. inst. The prevailing wind was N.E. and S.E. and there were 4" of snow. This fall of snow checked the ice formation. The solid ice being 4 "-9".'   The daily work of the ice boats was carefully logged, and gives an excellent picture of their struggles.. . Jan. 27 1920  The Cosgrove large ice boat worked from Cosgrove to Fenny Stratford with 5 horses.    The small Gayton ice boat worked from Gayton to Brockhall with 4 horses and then returned to Gayton.   The Braunston large ice boat worked from Braunston to Brockhall with 5 horses, and then returned to Braunston. Jan. 28 Cosgrove boat - Fenny to Cosgrove with 5 horses. Jan. 29  Braunston boat - At Braunston with 8 horses, but did not reach the first lock.   Nearly a year later saw Fellows Morton, Birmingham, expressing much anxiety about the ice situation - 'Re: boats (stuck) fast on the Leicester Section loaded for the south. Our Mr. Smith from Nottingham went to Foxton yesterday and was prepared to make arrangements for some of our horses there to tow the ice boat, but when he got there he found that Mr. Sharratt (Sharod) was away at Blisworth and consequently nothing was done. In addition to the ten boats we have at Foxton there are also some at Leicester. In all we have about 20 boats loaded for London between Leicester and Norton, and we are disappointed that no arrangements could be made yesterday for the boats to proceed.'  It must be noted that the country was severely depleted of horses after the first World War.

Containing Leaks
One of the last projects to concern Gordon Thomas before he left the Company was dealing with a notorious leak on the Leicester Section above Lock 11, about 1 mile above Kilby Bridge, Wigston. On 5th. June 1916 (before Yates's appointment) Millner summed up the problem and made his recommendations to Bliss in GJCCo HQ in London.  Gaugings showed that the leak was getting worse, despite work already done. - 'This water as you are aware is escaping through the canal slopes into the limestone formation below the bed of the canal and passing through Mr. Langham's land and into the adjoining watercourse. Some time ago a section of deep concrete wall 47ft. long was put in on the towpath side above the lock but I fear this was not entirely successful and I do not consider it advisable to continue the work.  I herewith beg to enclose sketch showing a section of shallow walling and invert in concrete forming a basin over the leaky section of the pound which I would respectfully recommend is adopted. It will take considerably less material than the deep wall and I feel quite satisfied of its success in stopping the leakage. As far as I can estimate the cost should not exceed £4 per yard forward or less than the cost of the deep wall.'   Millner's 'Langham Method' was successful, and was used later on the Southern District of the main line to London, and for a 200 yard section built along the Buckingham Arm at Mountmill in 1919-By this time however, Yates was Company Engineer, and Millner's part in establishing this important construction principle beginning to be overlooked.

Quarries Etc
One direction in which the Company showed enterprise was in the setting up of quarries, although again there was a strong element of using the materials for their own purposes. Clay was taken for bank repairs and brick-making (at Welford for instance), sand was taken from Braunston and Gayton, gravel from Cosgrove (and Welford again). On occasions, contractors were allowed to operate, or the Company would set on a number of extra men for specific maintenance work of their own. Typically, they did not develop the best sites in any way, rather content themselves with the exploitation of the small parcels of land next to the canal, which had probably come into their hands following the original building of the route a century before. Often their interest amounted only to a one-man, one-horse operation, the sites often lying dormant for long periods.

Millner was often directly responsible for opening up a new site, overseeing the cutting away of over-burden or the installation of tramway lengths for a horse drawn railway.  At Blisworth there were two off-loading points for ironstone into narrow boats that were in use at c. 1900 and it seems likely Millner would have been involved in their design.  Millner also notified head office regarding a narrow plot of land that would be sold by the Duke of Grafton in 1919 (part of the general estate sale).  This plot was on the north side of the Northampton Arm, only yards from his house, and was bought for puddling clay.  The pit which expanded there later became the marina at Blisworth Arm (ie. the first marina! - see here for the second).  The unexcavated part of the area was let by the canal company for an oil and petrol depot prior to WW II by the Russian Oil Products Company.

No doubt there were a number of other areas in the canal system which benefited directly from Millner's ability as an innovative engineer who could get his message across persuasively.

Personal Transport

Personal transportation through the Millner period reads a little like that 'ages of man' poem. The dates are the key, but without them it is difficult to distinguish immediately from the word 'ride' whether Millner means horseback, bicycle or motorbike. Likewise ' drive' could mean pony and trap, or car. He ran the full gamut of all these modes of transport, one by one! That arch competitor, the railways, were put to good use too. In an age when walking long distances was accepted, and the local rail services much more frequent and convenient, it was possible to keep appointments in a way we would find arduous to match today. The rail and bicycle combination enabled remarkable distances to be covered in the daily round, ideal for reaching isolated sites.
The hire of transport - a taxi to take an injured employee to hospital, or Sunday-hire of a car to get to a burst - were charged at exorbitant rates. So, while it was easy to demonstrate from his careful logging of mileage and expenses that each successive 'generation' of transport meant he got through an ever-greater work load, the Company was nevertheless reluctant to sanction the purchase of new vehicles, preferring secondhand where possible. Expenses were closely examined before payment was authorised.

Horses
Millner kept a succession of horses for his own use. Those who know of such things will smile I am sure, but I thought they were cheap transport - not so. Although the initial cost seems reasonable enough - 'Paid J. Woodward, Mare £34', there were many hidden expenses. For the Vet. - 'C.W. Crofts, Examine Bay Mare for soundness and certificate £1/1/0. The 'running costs' mounted up (no puns intended) with mixed corn and oats by the bushel, hundredweights of bran, and hay and straw by the truss. These commodities were bought from the mill, from farmers, or in the case of hay, mown from grass on the Company land - a small saving. Shoeing was done by the local Smith, a Mr. Goodridge, who doubled as Farrier. Accessories' seem endless, in addition to saddle and ordinary harness, Dandy-Brush, Comb, Head Collar and rope etc., as winter set in a 'Horse Cover' is noted in a Bill Ledger. A horse was emminently suitable for certain jobs, and while without an animal of his own (in the War) there is still the following - 'G. Gulliver for horse hire at the reservoirs and feeders, 10/6d per day. The difficulty found with riding too far from Blisworth in the day, was that the horse had to be found shelter and grazing elsewhere, but this is noted too.  The pony and trap - expertly propelled by Mrs. Bena Millner on occasions, was used on more official business to carry Gordon Thomas on canal inspections, or transport additional workers from the railway station to a stoppage site.

Bicycles
Census figures taken at bridge stoppages reveal the popularity of the cycle in Millner's day. For every 1,000 cycles, there were about 500 traps, and only 100+ cars and 100 motorcycles, the pattern just before the First World War. Millner made an attempt to fit his bicycle with a special attachment to carry his bulky photographic gear, and when asked to recommend a particular model (for the local Nurse) he indicated a 'Royal Enfield Allweather Lady no. 187', for 11 guineas, fitted with Sturmey Archer gears. Since he was so insistent on this make and the details, it is possible that his own was a similar (gents) specification at the time, although he later changed allegiance to the Sunbeam Company as we shall see. Company bicycles traditionally had 'G.J.C.Co' painted in gold on the chain-guard, and the wide use of bicycles by GJCCo staff at all levels can be followed. Regular repairs, very regular, were carried out to the foreman's machine, which indicated rough usage along the towpaths, and this is also shown by the following telegrams from Gordon Thomas - Arriving Wolverton 8.22 tomorrow Thurs. morn. Cycling to Buckingham Arm. Meet me. Engineer.' Another gives more details - 'I shall be at Leicester tonight and cycle through the Foxton Summit tomorrow.' (Leicester to Foxton 18 miles, the Leicester Summit a further 23.)
If the spectacle of the Engineer in charge of the Grand Junction Canal cycling the Leicester Section seems curious, water levels at the time (Oct. 1905) were very low, and boats having to 'lighten' to get across. Cycling would be an excellent way of gaining an impression of the conditions and state of the works. Push-bikes and boat horses did not mix too easily, and the rule was to dismount when passing same. Not everyone did, but then not everyone paid the licence fee (2/6d)! The most common excuse when stopped, was that one didn't NEED a licence just to push the cycle along the towpath. Putting a stop to all these practices brought out the policemen in Millner and the GJCCo staff.
The daughters of the local gentry were dealt with a little more diplomatically than just A.N. Other, but the Co. Bye-Laws promised the same result - prosecution if found without a licence. Certain individuals were issued with free passes from London - the Council Official dealing with the storage of explosives, the 'Sanitary and Boat Inspector' and even the local Income Tax Inspector! Millner himself had a railway walking pass, most convenient at Blisworth to get to the station, but it also allowed him to inspect the canal-related works.
It would be wrong to give the impression that Millner's personal transport developed along a set, logical progression. At any one time in the 30 years he was at Blisworth, his 'stable' consisted of an ever-changing combination of means of getting about.

Motorcycles
1912 however saw a watershed in such matters with the purchase of his first motorcycle.  Millner's first flirtation with mechanised transport was something of a baptism of fire. The 3½ h.p. Bradbury 2-speed motorcycle combination proved a brute to ride, the heavyweight machine - 'affecting my arms, so much so that I have been under the Doctor's treatment for two months'. Within the year he wanted to exchange it for a lightweight 2½ h.p. Sunbeam (solo) costing £63, shown here. When the Company baulked at this early change, he pointed out that the running costs (of the Bradbury) had only been 2d. per mile. 'If the Co. consider motorcycling too expensive, I shall be willing to go back to the railway and walking. Push bicycling is now beyond me'. He was 54.  He got his way, and persevered through teething troubles - 'Something sounds loose in the gear box making a grinding noise', and eventually became an ardent supporter of the Sunbeam Company and all its products. 'It says a lot for the little machine when you take into consideration my age, which unfortunately is on the wrong side of fifty, that I can manage the mount in any kind of traffic, or roads, or weather.'

During WWI Millner secured a supplementary supply of petrol for the machine and in 5 years covered 22,000 miles on canal business. Towards the end of hostilities, in the winter of 1917-18 - 'In the first wind and snow storm the engine chain broke while passing through Blisworth and threw me off. A few days later, following repairs, 'When 3 miles out of Northampton the driving chain broke and again threw me'. He commented to London that, until the machine was 'thoroughly overhauled and numerous parts replaced he did not 'feel justified in taking any further risks'. He pressed for a two-seater car.

Motorcars
As with motorbikes, Millner's first foray with motorcars proved less than fortunate. He had his eye on a 1914 'Belsize' which had belonged to a Mr. Allsop, a Northampton Boot Manufacturer. In four years it had done 6,000 miles, being used 'for pleasure only'. It came 'fully found with two spare wheels, six heavy tyres (five as good as new), for £175'.
There then followed a little unseemly haggling, brought on by the Motor Agent. When Millner first moved to Blisworth he received two quotes, and was honest enough to tell (guess who) - this very businessman - that he had decided to give the removal job to the other firm. It was not said in so many words but implied, that he was MUCH too costly. Ever after there is the impression that this individual saw to it that the Canal Company paid through the nose for hire-cars etc.) The haggling, triggered by the Agent, concerned the condition of the rear axle. This resulted in the price being first raised, then the owner almost refusing to sell due to the ensuing row!
Agreement was finally reached, however the spectre of that suspect axle returned to make Millner regret the subject. As a proud owner, he invested in accessories again - a spoke brush, honeycomb sponge, chamois leathers. But, in 1920 and again in '22, repair work included that dreaded rear axle!
1923 saw the start of Millner's 'Singer' era, with the purchase of a 10 h.p. two-seater model for £251/18/0d. It seems to have held a similar place in his affections as did the Sunbeam in the motorcycle world. Perhaps the reason for this is to be seen in the fact that they were both 'handy' machines in their class, and Millner had developed an interest in attending motorcycle and car sporting trials as photos in the Stoke Bruerne Archives show. He took part in the celebrated Blisworth "Wild & Woolly" boxing day event at least once in its early years (c. 1930).  An out-of-context quote (about horses for ice breaking in fact) would seem to sum up his philosophy regarding road transport too - 'We do not pay for size, but ask that they be lively and active!'
Perhaps it is appropriate to end with a contrast. All this talk of mechanical derangements in the early years of motoring is nicely summed up by a quote regarding transport arrangements to be made for a visit by the Royal Commissioners to the Foxton Lift in 1907. This august body of gentlemen were investigating the way the country's canal businesses were run. Their ultimate deliberations could affect the future of canals through official attitudes for the years ahead. - Memo to Mr. T.W. Millner... 'Please make full enquiries as to motors required for that day and obtain estimates for a sufficient number to accommodate 16 passengers, and I wish you to make sure that the cars are thoroughly reliable and efficient, well appointed and comfortable.' Gordon Thomas, Engineer.

Millner's career with the Grand Junction centred on Blisworth. He stayed at Canal House, and stayed second in command on the Engineering side of the Company through a succession of bosses at 21 Surrey Street, The Strand, London, their head offices. Most famous of these of course was Gordon Thomas of Foxton Lift fame. The heady days of the lift era, with Thomas in charge at Leighton then London, Millner presiding at Blisworth and Thomas Holt running things on the Leicester Section, of course has to be my favourite period. George Freeston's collection of old correspondence enables some of this tale to be pieced together, but I have to say we narrowly missed a much better first-hand account of Millner's operations - George at one time applied for the job as his assistant - a thousand pities that this did not come about.

Sports and Hobbies

Gardening
On gardening, Bliss wrote to Millner in 1916... 'Referring to your letter of the 7th. inst the Company are prepared to allow you to make use of one of their servants for attending to your garden &c, on you paying the man his wages... this of course must be understood to be quite a temporary arrangement until you are able to find another man.' It would seem Millner's regular gardener had answered Kitchener's call to fight in the Great War - 'The Chairman says he has two or three women gardeners working for him, and he was wondering whether you could not make use of this class of labour for some of your light garden work!' The house and garden are shown in this canal-side picture.
So, just what was Millner's garden really like? There are references to Ducks, Hens, 'Black Squeakers' - (pigeons?). He certainly had an interest in rare pigeon books. There are letters from a Daffodil specialist, Fish Breeders, an Aquarium specialist - and gardening friends. Three of the best letters are transcribed below. I feel they are not merely indicators that Millner was a prosperous and therefore a valued customer, they come from a bygone age when service, and a genuine desire to be helpful was paramount. . .
March 30th. 1914 from L. Haig, 'Naturalist and Pisciculturalist', Beam Brook, Newdigate, Surrey. -'Herewith I enclose account for the Golden Tench & Catfish. The former are very scarce and expensive this year, in fact they seem scarcer and more difficult to obtain every year. I hope that the tank you were stocking will prove a success. There are many difficulties in keeping fish successfully, but I notice that few people who have once kept fish at all successfully seem ever to give up doing so. Let me advise your keeping a very sharp look out for signs of fungus. March, April and May are the most likely months of the year for an outbreak.'
November 30th. 1905 from Arthur L. Cooper, 5 Addington Road, Reading. - As promised I made an expedition to the Loddon and after a good search found a real good clump of Lodden Lilies. (The Loddon rises near Basingstoke and flows generally N.W. to the Thames at Wargrave.) I had to do some engineering and excavate underneath it while one of my girls held my coat tail with one hand to a tree with the other. Any how we got it on to solid land, washed some of the mud away and carried it home - Today I sent it off by rail and trust that you will get it all right - You must on no account divide it, as it is the nature of the animal to grow in clumps.
'If I were you I would get a seedpan about 12 " diameter and 4 " deep and fill it half full of good black squash mud out of the canal, sit the clump in it, put a double handful of mud on the top between the green shoots to replace that washed away and then place it at the side of your pond so that the bulbs are just below the waterline and the green shoots above - If you want to know the proper name it is Leucojum (Snowflake) and in Greek signifies a White Violet - you may expect to see the flowers in early Spring. As there was some room in the box I have added a little something for Mrs. Millner.'
Jan. 4th. 1913 from W. Powick, Breeder & Judge of Cage Birds, Dewsbury. 'Don't give your birds any green food in winter, give a little egg hard boiled and give each bird a teaspoonful when chopped up fine or pressed through a sieve, your Green Bird must have got cold in transit, the egg food will pick him up in a few days. Don't cover your Birds at night, the Birds should sing after the lamp is light and it is too long for the Birds to be without seed & water from days dawn until light next morning. Day light just now is about six hours and the Bird is without food and water 18 hours & Dont cover any Birds at anytime. (N.B. there were NO full stops in the original.)

Sporting Activity
"Millner the man" comes through in more particular and private aspects of the correspondence. There are letters from Tailors and Bootmakers, correspondence to Scotland for 'Highland Dew' Whisky, even as far afield as Madras (India) concerning a supply of Cheroots! It would also seem that he was something of a sporting man . . .

A nice example comes on elaborate headed notepaper from 'Burberry's' of London, Paris, New York and Buenos Aires - 'Specialists in weatherproof kit in specially prepared fabrics'. Their letter refers to the return of clothing - 'We regret that the Field Hat sent is not liked, but are sending in the course of post, a Panama, (the style of your pattern Hat) and trust it will be approved: price 13/6d(67½p).

A letter from John T. Dickens, Ironmonger & Tool Dealer, Gunsmith, Locksmith, Whitesmith, Bellhanger, Machinist & Electrician (I nearly said Uncle Tob Cobley & all!) came from Bridge Street, Northampton, dated Aug. 26th. 1911 - 'I have converted your rifle from Rim to Central Fire and sent ammunition suitable. The action will not take the Long or Rifle Cartridges, it is not strong enough to resist the charge. When requiring more ammunition which I always keep in stock, please enquire for Revolver size 380 C Fire.'

In the letters, there are also sporting invitations -'Rothschild is shooting the Ducks on Thursday (September 1905), send the girls up to see the sport and bring some back' . . . another records the 'bag' of three hundred plus! (The Rothschild Estate straddled the Wendover Arm, I believe. Although Millner had no children, a niece lived in; 'girls' would mean maid; the 'Budgerigar' letter was addressed to Miss Millner.)  If the odd requests to head office concerning his holiday arrangements and the gardening speak volumes, then so does the way in which he pursued certain aspects of his job 'above and beyond' the call of duty...

It is evident from one letter that he had ordered a gaff sail to be made which could be rigged onto a large dinghy which he owned.  It is therefore evident that he had joined the brief craze of canal-sailing and perhaps attached the sailing-dinghy to his steam launch for an occasional few days holiday.

Geology
Beeby Thompson, F.C.S., F.G.S., Consulting Geologist & Chemist of Victoria Road, Northampton, was asked to analyse samples of water for the GJCCo. This may NOT have been canal water as such, but more to do with the water supply to Company cottages, or connected with pollution in respect to one of the Reservoirs. Beeby Thompson was an eminent man in his field, writing the 'Geology' section for the Victoria County History in 1902, and the 'Industrial & Technical' sections on 'Mines and Quarries' in Northamptonshire four years later. I find it fascinating to read his 1906 assessment that 'Lime can generally be procured within a few miles of any place in the County', when in 1926 he writes to Millner with the following. - 'It was very kind of you to take so much trouble in hunting up records of Limekilns on and about the canals of the County. I know of some, but the number is a surprise to me. I thank you very much.' (Take a bow Mr. Millner!)  Evidently Beeby Thompson was then working on a specialist book 'Lime Resources in Northamptonshire', and some two years later when it was published, sent a complimentary copy to Millner at Canal House. Millner thanked him, saying - 'It is very interesting and will be useful in this office'. A case of the man on the spot helping the expert.
Perhaps the best testimonial for Millner came from James Bliss, the son of GJC General Manager John W. Bliss. Writing about the way in which he had been helped with his Civil Engineering studies, the young man said - 'I should not think there is anyone who knows quite as much about the GJC as Mr. Millner'. The fact that other people thought the same way is borne out in respect of Millner's photographic interests, and it seems he established quite a considerable reputation in this direction.

Photography
Company colleagues wrote thanking Millner for photos he had supplied of maintenance works on the canal. He even seems to have established a service in this direction, producing enlargements when provided with negatives, which he was afterwards allowed to keep. This would imply it was known he kept a growing library of such material. For instance, in this regard Gordon Thomas wrote - 'Kindly let me have a further copy of the photo which you took of the wind engine erected in connection with Gayton Water Supply' (1905). Years later this aspect of Millner's expertise was drawn on regularly and in a matter-of-fact way via telegram. A quote from a letter dated 29th. May 1913. says - 'I want you to come up by the first train (8.27 Leighton) on Monday and bring your camera, book to Willesden, I want some views taken of Pressland Yard, Kensal Green to be used in a case pending against the Company. You will be able to get away early if you desire.'
Millner eventually aspired to having his photographs used in 'Canal & Waterways' magazine enclosing shots of 'typical boat people' to the Editor. Previously he had won £10 in an 'Ice-bound Canal' competition.

Millner's Reputation
Perhaps it is the silly, little things which were nothing to do directly with the job, which show best just how highly Millner was thought of in GJC circles. On one occasion in 1921 he wrote to John W. Bliss asking for the use of the Company car while on holiday, and received the following reply. - I mentioned to the Chairman that you desired to have the loan of the car for the purpose of taking your wife away to Devonshire for a fortnight's holiday after recent illness, and he is agreeable to your doing so provided you make a payment of £5 for wear and tear of the tyres.'

Holidays
Royal Connections ...
Millner to Gordon Thomas, 15 Sep. 1913 - 'During the Army Manoeuvres on the 23rd. inst. the King will be at Northampton and in this neighbourhood, and I should like your instructions should any of the Company's servants want to have a few hours off, whether the Company will allow the time.'
In these days of waterway's holidays, it is easy to forget that to the canal company men of yesteryear their work was just that, a job, as any other. The canal in those days was primarily a commercial artery and not a place for taking one's ease. Millner and Thomas had their launches, on which they would conduct Officials on the various inspections. Very occasionally they could be accommodated on board overnight, and they also went on longer trips, but a week's holiday afloat would have meant constantly jockeying for position amongst all the working boats, not perhaps something which could be looked on as total relaxation! Having seen how the men might have spent part of a day off, what about the managers? Where did the good and the great go, and what did they get up to in their free time? Thomas Holt to Millner, July 19th 1905, mixes business with pleasure -
'Dear Mr. Millner, I am in receipt of your letter re: Launch on Thursday next. I will arrange for the man to wait your arrival and pass you on to Harborough. I shall not be able to see you on that day as I propose going to Manchester to see the King open the New Dock on the Manchester Ship Canal. Hoping you will have a prosperous and enjoyable voyage, I remain, faithfully yours, Thomas Holt.'

Retirement

Millner retired in 1929 with the take-over of the Grand Junction by the 'new order' Grand Union Canal Co. This must have been a sad time for him. Bena his wife, died in December 1930. He stayed on in Canal House until the next year. On retirement he received a gold watch and a badge with a swastika (being merely an emblem of good luck in that era) presented on May 3rd. 1930 - 'which I shall always wear in memory of my fellow workmen of the Northern District of the Grand Union Canal.'  Millner died in 1943.  He is buried in nearby Gayton churchyard, where he chose to worship each Sunday. A scroll gravestone dedicated to his wife carries his own memorial. 'Late of Canal House Blisworth'. 

Photo: J Payler, Blisworth

* "Foxton Locks & the Inclined Plane", a detailed history, 48pp A4, can be purchased, with others, from the Foxton Boat Services shop and the Trust's Museum shop.