Casgliadau Arlein

William Walker with his barge and barge horse on the Swansea Canal, probably near Pantyffynon, about 1914. The barge is 65 feet long, nearly eight feet wide, and is fully loaded with over 20 tons of pitprops. Upright timbers have been positioned along the sides of the barge to increase the carrying capacity of the barge when carrying lightweight goods. The barge has just left a lock and is heading down the canal toward Pontardawe. William owned his own barge, as did his sons, and he took his horse home to his stable on Richardson Street Trebanos after each day's work. This is the only known photograph of a bargeman, and a working barge and horse on the Swansea Canal ever recorded and published.

William Walker was a bargeman on the Swansea Canal. He was born in 1843 and probably commenced working on the canal in 1855 when he was twelve years old. He was still working as a bargeman when he was over 70 years old in 1914; he died in 1929 aged 86. He lived at 25 Glynmeirch Road Trebanos (the cottage was originally number 7, but the street was re-numbered in the 1960s). William had a stable attached to his cottage for his barge horse. His three sons who were all boatman on the canal all lived in the same road, Lewis at number 8, William at what previously was a public house, and John at number 9. William was employed carrying coal from Abercraf to Swansea and worked the whole length of the Swansea Canal. In 1889, William and his son John were both employed as bargemen by the Primrose Coal Company carrying coal from Pontardawe to Swansea, and bringing pitprops back to the mine on the return journey.