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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: jacdee on Friday 17 February 06 15:27 GMT (UK)

Title: merchant navy training ships
Post by: jacdee on Friday 17 February 06 15:27 GMT (UK)

Hi
Does any one know of a website where i can find information about merchant navy training ships?
My great uncle was sent onto a training ship when he and his siblings were taken to an orphanage (my great uncle was too old for the orphanage at the age of 14). It would of been around 1916, give or take a couple of years.
They were living in Northumberland at the time, but I don't know where the training ship would of been docked at?
Also, do you think that the training ship would of kept records of the boys they took in?

Thanks for any help,
Jacdee

Title: Re: merchant navy training ships
Post by: suttontrust on Friday 17 February 06 16:00 GMT (UK)

I know a good bit about one such training ship, the Exmouth.  Many of them were reformatories, but some, like the Exmouth and your man's, took boys from disadvantaged backgrounds and gave them a training for life at sea.  If you google on "training ship Exmouth" you'll find a lot of information.  They were shore-based, by the way; only occasionally did the boys go to sea.
The Northumberland archives would probably be able to tell you what ship he may have been on (assuming it was local), but whether records survive is another matter.
About 30 years ago (gulp!) I wrote up some research that a friend's husband had done on his father, who had been a trainee on the Exmouth.  We published the article in the magazine "Sea Breezes" and I got a number of responses from all over the world from men who had been trainees.  It was fascinating stuff.

Title: Re: merchant navy training ships
Post by: jacdee on Friday 17 February 06 16:32 GMT (UK)

Hi,
Thanks for that info. I had tried googling 'training ships', but didn't get very far, but now you've given me a specific name I might have more luck!

Thanks again for your help,
Jacdee

Title: Re: merchant navy training ships
Post by: trellisick on Friday 17 February 06 23:46 GMT (UK)

i think one of the main bases was a place called vindicatricks (not sure of spelling) personaly i attended cardiff sea training school, but they were dotted about the country and as already stated were mostly shore based, one of the popular one's not a million miles from exmouth would have been portishead, give it a try, all the best,  kali.

Title: Re: merchant navy training ships
Post by: Teea on Saturday 18 February 06 06:51 GMT (UK)

Jacdee,

Have a look at http://www.hms-worcester.co.uk/hstory1.html I found a great uncle who was a 'Cadet, HMS Worcester' in the 1871 census, and his career was as an officer in the Merchant Navy.

Teea

Title: Re: merchant navy training ships
Post by: rbangorreg on Saturday 18 February 06 09:15 GMT (UK)

Hi Jacdee.
           I am a member of an Merchant seamans forum,
                       www.thescousehouse.net
  have a browse around if you wont me to put a Post in on your behalf let me know.
                    Regards    Reg.

Title: Re: merchant navy training ships
Post by: jacdee on Sunday 19 February 06 11:47 GMT (UK)

Hi,
Thankyou all for those links - I shall go off and have a look at them now.

Reg - thanks for your offer. I'm really trying to find out where my great uncle would of trained. All i know is that he was born in Northumberland, went onto a training ship around 1916, then got married in 1929 in Northumberland. I'm guessing the training ship was in Northumberland too, but I have no idea what it was called or where i can get any more info. If you think you can help by putting a post on that site then i'd be really grateful.

Thank you,
Jacdee

Title: Re: merchant navy training ships
Post by: rbangorreg on Saturday 25 February 06 23:13 GMT (UK)

HI jacdee,
   Have three replys to our posting in                              www.thescousehouse.net
   If you go down to Scouse Sailors Grog and Card Room, then click"merchant Navy training Ship" you should  be able to read these replys.
   I have still to place a post in ( The sailors home ), shall do that tonight.
                   Regards    Reg.

Title: Re: merchant navy training ships
Post by: jacdee on Sunday 26 February 06 10:38 GMT (UK)

Hi Reg
Thank you for doing that for me. I have read the replies and am going to go and Google the names of the ships to see what i can find.
Thank you again for all your help, its much appreciated  ;D.

Jacdee

Title: Re: merchant navy training ships
Post by: GeoffP on Sunday 26 February 06 11:06 GMT (UK)

Hi Jacdee,
Have a look at this site you might find it interesting


http://users.ox.ac.uk/~peter/workhouse/trainingships/trainingships.shtml

                          Regards
                                       Geoff

Title: Re: merchant navy training ships
Post by: jacdee on Sunday 26 February 06 14:08 GMT (UK)

Thanks for that link. It had most of the ships that i was looking for on it!
I've saved it to my favourites for future ref.
Thankyou!

Jacdee

Title: Re: merchant navy training ships
Post by: GeoffP on Sunday 26 February 06 14:18 GMT (UK)

Glad it was of help. I found an ancestor sent from Islington to the Formidable in Bristol.
                                              Regards
                                                            Geoff

Title: Re: merchant navy training ships
Post by: Elliebob on Sunday 26 February 06 18:09 GMT (UK)

My husband was a trainee on the Vindicatrix (Sharpness in Glos) in the late 1960s - he has found photos etc on the web. 

www.vindicatrix-hq.fsnet.co.uk.

It was not used as a training ship until 1939 and scrapped in 1967 (he was one of the last trainees)

He says that another training ship was at Gravesend, that was founded in 1918.  there is info on

www.m-navydays.com


Hope you find what you are looking for

Ellen