Master Mariners

[Crisrbow]

Alphonso then was definitely qualified after 1854 -he was a 17 yeard old appprentice mariner in 1851!  Would his certificate number appear on a census? That would give me a starting point surely?

Cris

[LizzieW]

Lizdb

I was interested in what you had written and it was very helpful.  I know the one who drowned was just a Bosun, and my aunt told me that he had drowned at sea either in the North Sea off UK coast or somewhere in the arctic.  I actually found a record of this death on a website where a member of the public from Hull (who I guess must have been involved in trawling) has compiled a list of most of the trawlermen from Hull who were lost at sea, from mid 1800s onwards.  My ancestor (or half-ancestor) as he was the son of my g.gran from her first marriage was on the list, giving the name of his ship etc.  However, I cannot find his father (my g.gran's first husband) who was also supposed to have died at sea, he wasn't on the list I have.

My lot all went to sea during the 1870s onwards, so should have been registered somewhere.

Liz

[Rewcastle]

There were quite a few private and merchant ships that sailed from Sunderland, Shields and Tynemouth during times of war, that captured the enemy ships and made money from the cargo that they got from these ships. These were privateers authorized by the government, better known as Pirates
Keep a lookout in the newspapers of the time and see if you can spot any of your ancestors ships, then you can read about the cargo which they captured.

So, how many of you thought your ancestor was just a (master) mariner /seaman and he was also a Pirate?


You can read about them here:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privateer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy


Rewcastle

[lizdb]

Liz - the first place to look for your g grans first husband is the Marine Deaths index (assuming he died after 1837) - it can be searched in person at the FRC in Islignton London, or it is on line at findmypast (pay to view) though ancestry dont have it.

The death cert may be quite helpful as will hopefully give the ship he was on etc (I have the death cert for my other rellie that drowned - his ship, the Niphon,  went missing round Cape Horn in June 1881) It also gave the ships official number, which I understand is useful in finding out more about the actual ship from LLoyds register (not sure of proceedure on that, my brother did it, but they do have a website which i am sure would advise)

Of course, if it just family rumour that he died at sea, it might be worth looking for a 'normal' death for him first, to rule that out!

Lizdb

[LizzieW]

Lizdb

Thanks, I'll look on findmypast as I have a sub to that and don't use it nearly enough.

I heard recently from a descendant of my g.gran's youngest daughter by her first marriage, that her father and cousin (who are by definition one generation nearer to the shared g.gran) that this man died at sea like his son.  I've searched all the normal death listings and cannot find him on those - well at least not in the time span he was supposed to have died.  I have found a man at what would be the appropriate age, who died a few years later, back in Norfolk from where he originated.  If I don't get any joy from findmypast marine deaths index, I will get that death certificate.  It might show why no-one (so far) has found a marriage between my g.gran and what is supposedly her 2nd husband!

Liz

[Jules 2]

I hope you don't mind me butting in on a thread.
My husband's family all seem to have been sailers of some kind, either watermen, firemen, and Master Mariners.
I haven't been able to find much info about any of them though.
I have found out that William S. Hurdman was a Master of a couple of paddle steamers.  He seems to have moved from Sunderland (1871) Rye (1890s) Eastbourne/Hastings (1900ish) and Leith in Scotland (1901) and Middlesbourgh in 1907.
Would anyone have any other info on any Hurdman sailers that they might find, I would be very greatful.

Regards

Julie

[Michael Dixon]

Researchers of mariners in the Tyneside area are lucky in having an excellent resource.... a (very large) book called
"A Dictionary of Tyne Sailing Ships" by Keys, which contains the detailed c.v. of about 6000 ships. It also has cross-referenced alpha indexes of ship owners and Master Mariners.

But the common theme was that these ships and personnel were registered (at Custom House) for trade on the River Tyne.

I also wanted a similar resource for the River Wear, but staff at Sunderland Library (Local History Section) said there existed no equivalent to the "Tyne dictionary"

From the dictionary I learned that Master Mariner and Master of a ship were not necessarily the same thing.

Yes a captain or a master of a registered ship had to be a qualified "Master Mariner".  But a ship could have had more than one MM at the same time, one as captain/master of the ship, with the other biding his time waiting for his "own" ship.

After spending much time in this book, seeing the vast number of ships that were lost or sunk, I got the impression that many MM ( many who also owned the ship or some 64ths of it) were brave "cowboys."


Michael Dixon
Newcastle

[mjn]

I'm looking for William Brown Smurthwaite from Hartlepool, whose ship/boat Defiance was lost at Staiths on 20 October 1860. I got this information from Hartlepool Library.  I'd like to know more about this but have drawn a blank. Can anyone help, please? I've no idea where Staiths is, unless it's Staithes (with an e), near Whitby. I'm wondering if he went down with the ship because I can't find him on the 1861 census.
mjn

[Christopher]

Hey guys,

Would any of the links include Norwegian Master Mariners

Christopher