Boatmen's families originally lived ashore, but in the 1830s as canals started to suffer competition from the burgeoning railway system, families (especially those of independent single boat owner/skippers) began to live on board, partly because they could no longer afford rents, partly to provide extra hands to work the boats harder, faster and further, partly to keep families together. As late as 1858, a "Household Words" article states that "the Grand Junction Canal company did not allow the boatmen's families on board." The crew of the non-stopping ("fly") boat in the article (skipper, two crew and a "youth") is said to be typical.