This post is dedicated to George Phelps, the first collector of tolls at Marlow pound lock when it opened in 1773. George kept the role up until his death more than 30 years later.
Born around 1735, George was most likely the son of the Marlow miller also known as George and his wife Elizabeth. Millers had a big role in managing the earlier flash locks both in terms of manipulating the water to suit their milling needs, and when convenient, providing the flash of water that allowed barges to progress up the river. So George probably learnt many useful things about the River Thames from his father. When Marlow got a brand new pound lock for the first time, George junior was therefore a good candidate to be appointed toll collector there. Boats passing through had to pay a fee to use it. He would also need to manage the lock with a view to preventing excess flooding of the farmers fields about Marlow during bad weather.
It's hard to be sure how often George was required to open the gates for passing barges. The flash lock at Marlow wasn't opened every day as it took too long for the water levels to recover afterwards enough to allow the millers to get on with their work. The pound lock did not suffer in the same way so could be opened much more often. No more extended waits to pass on for the bargeman arriving at Marlow to find they had missed the flash. Having studied the lives of other early lock keepers on the Thanes of the time, it's obvious that most had another job too. In fact some complained that the increased water traffic represented too much work for them as it prevented them getting on with their occupation. Clearly at least some didn't consider it a full time job but obviously some locks were busier than others. This is probably why later regulations for lock keepers specified that they had to be physically present at the lock must of the time. For some the occupation was easy to slot around lock keeping anyway such as baking bread at Hambledon Lock to sell to bargeman and others passing by. Advertising the fact you offered refreshments at the lock house was prohibited in the 1860s but that didn't mean the provision of food actually stopped.
So it's perhaps not surprising that lock keeper George is also identified as the keeper of the small riverside "Bowl and Pin" inn or beer house. I have found several lock keepers who brewed beer to sell on before it was frowned upon. The Bowl and Pin was in what was known as The Old Bridge House which was demolished in 1790. The year before a new bridge had been completed at the bottom of St Peters Street, and the Pin was removed to improve access to it. It was one of a number of properties than belonged then to the Bridgewardens of Marlow and so the income from its rent was supposed to be invested in the upkeep of the bridge. You can read more about this "new" bridge, the fore runner to our current suspension bridge in a post here. It was therefore only a short distance from the lock. It's likely that George's family looked after the Pin day to day, despite his name on the licence. This was common in Marlow and elsewhere with the innkeepers taking on other roles that took up so much of their time they could never physically be serving beer or ale at the same time. (Such as the many carriers come beer shop keepers who were away from home for several days a week.) George still identified himself as a victualler in his will. I had assumed the two George's were relatives initially until I ascertained they died on the same day.
George received a weekly wage for collecting the lock tolls. This was 5s 6d a week in 1773. Later the wage was withdrawn and the keepers were compensated by the provision of free accommodation and the ability to keep the tolls from pleasure boats. In George's day there was no lock keepers cottage at Marlow. None of the neighbouring locks such as Temple and Hurley constructed the same year were provided initially with accomodation either. They did get some before Marlow however. Presumably George was happy to live nearby.
When George died in 1811 he was in his 70s. He was succeeded as lock keeper by John Dell who had married his daughter Sarah. A summary of his will can be read here
You can see the grave of George and wife Elizabeth at All Saints: here
Written and researched by Kathryn Day.
Further information
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A tribute to our bargeman here
Other posts related to the River Thames at Marlow here
List of 100+ old Marlow pubs/beer houses/inns etc here
Victorian female lock keeper Martha Lomax of Hambledon here
© Marlow Ancestors.