Deal porter
Encyclopedia
The deal porters were a specialist group of workers in London
's docks. They handled baulks of softwood or "deal", stacking them up to 60 feet (18 m) high in quayside warehouses. This was a demanding and dangerous job. It required physical strength, dexterity and a head for heights, to such an extent that they were nicknamed "Blondins" after the famous acrobat
, Charles Blondin
. Deal porters wore special leather headgear (backing hats) with long "aprons" over their shoulders in order to protect their heads and necks from wooden splinters.
Their trade was a notably hazardous one. The New Survey of London Life and Labour, published in 1928, noted:
Most of the deal porters worked at the Surrey Commercial Docks
in Rotherhithe
, which specialised in timber. The workers were represented by the Port of London Deal Porters' Union
. They were eventually rendered obsolete by the 1940s as mechanisation provided a better and cheaper way of moving timber cargo, and less arduous jobs became available elsewhere.
There are a number of commemorations of the deal porters in Rotherhithe. At Canada Water
there is a sculpture in their honour, designed by Philip Bews and Diane Gorvin. There is a street named Deal Porters Way, and a new public square is under construction alongside the new Canada Water Library, to be named Deal Porters Square. The Compass pub in Rotherhithe Street was formerly named The Deal Porter.
Port of London
The Port of London lies along the banks of the River Thames from London, England to the North Sea. Once the largest port in the world, it is currently the United Kingdom's second largest port, after Grimsby & Immingham...
's docks. They handled baulks of softwood or "deal", stacking them up to 60 feet (18 m) high in quayside warehouses. This was a demanding and dangerous job. It required physical strength, dexterity and a head for heights, to such an extent that they were nicknamed "Blondins" after the famous acrobat
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
, Charles Blondin
Charles Blondin
Jean François Gravelet-Blondin was a French tightrope walker and acrobat.-Life:Blondin was born on 24 February 1824 at St Omer, Pas-de-Calais, France. His real name was Jean-François Gravelet, and he was known also by the names Charles Blondin or Jean-François Blondin, or more simply "The Great...
. Deal porters wore special leather headgear (backing hats) with long "aprons" over their shoulders in order to protect their heads and necks from wooden splinters.
Their trade was a notably hazardous one. The New Survey of London Life and Labour, published in 1928, noted:
- "Deal portering is heavy and dangerous work which cannot safely be undertaken by any save experienced men. The shoulder of an experienced deal porter is said to develop a callosity which enables it to bear the weight and friction of a load of planks. But even with a hardened shoulder the deal porter has an unenviable task. To carry over a shaking slippery plankway a bundle of shaking slippery planks, when a fall would almost certainly mean serious injury, is work for specialists."
Most of the deal porters worked at the Surrey Commercial Docks
Surrey Commercial Docks
The Surrey Commercial Docks were a large group of docks in Rotherhithe on the south bank of the Thames in South East London. The docks operated in one form or another from 1696 to 1969...
in Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...
, which specialised in timber. The workers were represented by the Port of London Deal Porters' Union
Port of London Deal Porters' Union
The Port of London Deal Porters' Union was a trade union in the United Kingdom. It merged with the Transport and General Workers' Union in 1938...
. They were eventually rendered obsolete by the 1940s as mechanisation provided a better and cheaper way of moving timber cargo, and less arduous jobs became available elsewhere.
There are a number of commemorations of the deal porters in Rotherhithe. At Canada Water
Canada Water
Canada Water is a freshwater lake and wildlife refuge in Rotherhithe in the Docklands in south-east London. Canada Water tube and bus station is named after the lake, and lies immediately to the north, while Surrey Quays Shopping Centre is also adjacent, sitting immediately to the south...
there is a sculpture in their honour, designed by Philip Bews and Diane Gorvin. There is a street named Deal Porters Way, and a new public square is under construction alongside the new Canada Water Library, to be named Deal Porters Square. The Compass pub in Rotherhithe Street was formerly named The Deal Porter.