A conflict of interpretation
A conflict of interpretation
Currently, there are more ‘live-aboard’ boaters living on the inland waterways of Great Britain in barges, narrowboats, and cruisers than there ever have been. The Bargee has, since 2004, been located in civil law by the umbrella term ‘Traveller’ as applied in “Romanii, Gypsy and Traveller” populations. Like Showman (Carnival and Fair-ground Families) the bargee is classed as a moving and migrating people even when over-wintering on a mooring or when in possession of a permanent mooring as is common of the Irish Gypsy on a permanent pitch. As a trustee of the London Gypsy’s and Travellers, we very much support, campaign and aid all travelling people within the M25 and this includes the Bargee. I, as an ethnic Romanii living aboard a narrowboat, am one of them.
It is undisputed that the Bargee and their life-style have experienced seismic shifts throughout the twentieth century. Recently, the discrimination felt toward bargee travellers has ignited a social and (to some degree) political debate as to what kind of citizen is allowed to be a bargee. I will not be taking up this debate but it is only fair to note my involvement in it and in my relentless work towards dismantling the negativity and discrimination that is being used to actively ‘socially cleanse’ the canals of Great Britain of bargee travellers. Instead, what I will speak of today, is born from different yet parallel prejudicial dichotomy that I have noticed in the historiography of the British Bargee traveller. Specifically, I would like to speak on how we interpret waterways history and heritage and who is included as a ‘Bargee’ in the academic and heritage sectors. It has occurred to me over the last five years of research that a sharp conflict exists across two differing fields of history – namely, between and across cohorts of commerce historians and social historians
Bargee Traveller, Canal Network, Waterway History, Heritage History, Interpretation, Intersectioality
Millette, Holly-Gale
909906ff-426b-47ab-a71a-5788ea36c213
Millette, Holly-Gale
909906ff-426b-47ab-a71a-5788ea36c213
Millette, Holly-Gale
(2017)
A conflict of interpretation.
Canal and River Network Conference, Canal and River Trust Archives, Ellesmere Port, United Kingdom.
11 Oct 2017.
(Submitted)
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Paper)
Abstract
Currently, there are more ‘live-aboard’ boaters living on the inland waterways of Great Britain in barges, narrowboats, and cruisers than there ever have been. The Bargee has, since 2004, been located in civil law by the umbrella term ‘Traveller’ as applied in “Romanii, Gypsy and Traveller” populations. Like Showman (Carnival and Fair-ground Families) the bargee is classed as a moving and migrating people even when over-wintering on a mooring or when in possession of a permanent mooring as is common of the Irish Gypsy on a permanent pitch. As a trustee of the London Gypsy’s and Travellers, we very much support, campaign and aid all travelling people within the M25 and this includes the Bargee. I, as an ethnic Romanii living aboard a narrowboat, am one of them.
It is undisputed that the Bargee and their life-style have experienced seismic shifts throughout the twentieth century. Recently, the discrimination felt toward bargee travellers has ignited a social and (to some degree) political debate as to what kind of citizen is allowed to be a bargee. I will not be taking up this debate but it is only fair to note my involvement in it and in my relentless work towards dismantling the negativity and discrimination that is being used to actively ‘socially cleanse’ the canals of Great Britain of bargee travellers. Instead, what I will speak of today, is born from different yet parallel prejudicial dichotomy that I have noticed in the historiography of the British Bargee traveller. Specifically, I would like to speak on how we interpret waterways history and heritage and who is included as a ‘Bargee’ in the academic and heritage sectors. It has occurred to me over the last five years of research that a sharp conflict exists across two differing fields of history – namely, between and across cohorts of commerce historians and social historians
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Submitted date: 2017
Venue - Dates:
Canal and River Network Conference, Canal and River Trust Archives, Ellesmere Port, United Kingdom, 2017-10-11 - 2017-10-11
Keywords:
Bargee Traveller, Canal Network, Waterway History, Heritage History, Interpretation, Intersectioality
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 467539
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/467539
PURE UUID: 2bc468ba-53e8-4edd-a6a6-1bb7fe261982
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Date deposited: 12 Jul 2022 16:44
Last modified: 13 Jul 2022 01:45
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