John added: > HUFFLER - labourer who offered services to help a canal boat through a flight > of locks. > > Hobbler > hob·ble (hbl) > > v. hob·bled, hob·bling, hob·bles > v.intr. > To walk or move along haltingly or with difficulty; limp. > v.tr. > 1. To put a device around the legs of (a horse, for example) so > as to hamper but not prevent movement. > 2. To cause to limp. > 3. To hamper the action or progress of; impede. > n. > 1. A hobbling walk or gait. > 2. A device, such as a rope or strap, used to hobble an animal. > 3. Archaic An awkward situation. > > Bru, it looks like your brain cell is working better than you > thought : -) > > John nb Charlotte Rose
This is getting more interesting, I've also googled and come up with: Hobbler: Casual canal workers who could be employed to help at a lock flight, or to leg through a tunnel but also, elsewhere, a reference to a casual labourer who towed boats on rivers or canals. I'll keep digging through my original source. Roger
