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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: medhist on Friday 27 April 12 12:06 BST (UK)

Title: Can anyone read name of ship please?
Post by: medhist on Friday 27 April 12 12:06 BST (UK)

This inventory of Richard Mitchell, Mariner, of Bristol in February 1748 gives the money due to him for service on board the Dofianne, Dosianne. The second letter o is clear and there is definitely ianne at the end. I can find nothing about such a ship. I wondered if it could be the Defiance spelled  wrongly. Either he died aboard or the ship was wrecked in 1747-8. Somebody on Ancestry says he died in Indonesia but has no evidence, he copied it from somebody else's tree!
I would be really grateful if anyone  knows about Bristol ships  in the mid=18th century or where to find such information.

Title: Re: Can anyone read name of ship please?
Post by: apwright on Friday 27 April 12 12:14 BST (UK)

I'd say it's 'Defiance' spelled correctly, if a little unclearly! Compare the letters e and c with the word 'Service'.

Adrian

Title: Re: Can anyone read name of ship please?
Post by: Suttonrog on Friday 27 April 12 12:20 BST (UK)

I agree "Defiance" see also deceased in the line above.

Rog

Title: Re: Can anyone read name of ship please?
Post by: apwright on Friday 27 April 12 12:26 BST (UK)

If it's HMS Defiance http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Defiance_(1744) you might find answers at Kew in the Ships' Musters and Paybooks:
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0lm8/
There are no RN service records prior to 1853.

Adrian

Title: Re: Can anyone read name of ship please?
Post by: medhist on Friday 27 April 12 13:06 BST (UK)

Thank you Apwright and Suttonrog. Link to Paybooks particularly helpful. Really appreciated.
Valerie