Offer:Look-up Liverpool (Mersey) Pilots 1734/1990

[glenburn]

Hi pete.e

I may be able to give you some information concerning George EVANS (b1854 Liscard) when we meet up in Wallasey next week.  :-)
G

[BY]

Hi, Pete and Glenburn,

With apologies for shoving my oar in, the only William Evanses in the LPS list at the time you mention are

(i)   Born1833 Licensed 1859 Retired 1898
(ii)  Born1842 Licensed 1866 Retired 1873
(iii) Born 1843 Licensed 1866 Retired 1903 Died 1906.

- But no William Evans born 1841.

Putting all of that together with the relevant family records, there is clearly scope for error somewhere, not least in the LPS list. Any correction/clarification would be most welcome.

No doubt nicknames came into it, too. (Must have done, to distinguish one from another in everyday chatter!)

Very best,

BY

[glenburn]

Hi BY

Thanks for your input - much appreciated.
Pete's great-grandfather is undoubtedly the third William EVANS of those you've identified.
Despite what it says in the LPS he was born in Liscard on 30 December 1841 and baptised on 13 February 1842 in Wallasey St Hilary. 
When he died in October 1906 his age was given as 64.
PS. Pete and I are in fact fourth cousins.

Best regards
G

[BY]

Very many thanks, GB.

I will amend.

Best,

BY

[Anne09]

Hello glenburn,
I was wondering if you could look up my great uncle, mum always said he was the youngest person to take a ship out of the Mersey.
He was Gerald Newman Dodwell born 15/10/1898 in Rock Ferry, Birkenhead. He died in 1972.
He was in the Merchant Navy during WW1 so I don't know if he had time to become a pilot.

Am I right in thinking that fishermen on the Mersey sometimes qualified as pilots?
My Great grandfather Michael Stephen O'Brien Born 15/2/1840 Bootle, Lancashire, England  was a fisherman. 
Thank you so much for sharing this information and giving your time to us all it is very much appreciated.
Anne

[BY]

Dear Anne,

My apologies for any intrusion, but neither Dodwell nor O'Brien are names which appear in the List of Pilots.

As to how anybody (including a fisherman) might ever have qualified as a pilot, between 1766 and 1988 there was only one route of qualification; and that was by serving an apprenticeship of at least five years in a pilot-cutter. The only exception was during WWII, when a number of coastal shipmasters were appointed as temporary pilots to assist in the war effort, but otherwise the formal apprenticeship was the only route during the dates which you mention.

Hope this helps. GB might perhaps have further personal/family information on the basis of names. The extended family of the Pilot Service is very large!

v best,

BY

[Anne09]

Dear BY,
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. That has put to rest one family query and one misconception. Always pleased to receive new information.
Thank you again. I may have addressed my request to the wrong person, sorry.
Regards'
Anne

[BY]

Dear Anne

No apology necessary!

GB has much more information re the extended family than I have.

Good hunting!

BY

[martin young]

Hi is it possible to get a lookup for Thomas Young, Pilot around 1766?

many thanks