Correct name is a lighterman's hitch, derived from the lightermen who worked the lighters on the River Thames. These were large barges which loaded and unloaded the sailing ships moored in the middle of the river, and which had no means of propulsion other than a long oar called a sweep, and the tides and river currents, so the lightermen must possess an intimate knowledge of the river and its landings. To acquire this knowledge, tighterman were apprenticed for 7 years at age 14, typically to their fathers or uncles. The guild has been administered by the Company of Watermen and Lightermen since 1514, during the reign of Henry VIII. Watermen carry passengers, lightermen carry freight.
Correct name is a lighterman's hitch, derived from the lightermen who worked the lighters on the River Thames. These were large barges which loaded and unloaded the sailing ships moored in the middle of the river, and which had no means of propulsion other than a long oar called a sweep, and the tides and river currents, so the lightermen must possess an intimate knowledge of the river and its landings. To acquire this knowledge, tighterman were apprenticed for 7 years at age 14, typically to their fathers or uncles. The guild has been administered by the Company of Watermen and Lightermen since 1514, during the reign of Henry VIII. Watermen carry passengers, lightermen carry freight.