British Navy

[aussie 49]

Can someone please tell me how I can get a copy of a service record from the British Navy for 1896.

aussie 49

[ShaunJ]

It should be downloadable from the National Archives http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/navy.asp. There is a small charge.

[aussie 49]

 I checked and couldn't find the person I am after.

Is there any other way I can find him?

Thanks for your help.

aussie 49

[crimea1854]

Since he was in the Navy after 1873 he will have a service record, because Continuous Service became compulsory from this date. Perhaps is you post his details name, date and place of birth someone can find him - or was he an Officer and you're looking in the wrong place?

Martin

[aussie 49]

His name is James Goodwin I don't know the date he was born or the exact place in England. If he gave his right age when he enlisted he would have been born in 1878 .

The only information I have which is confirmed is his father is William Goodwin.
I have his marriage certificate and his mother is not on it just the father.
James came to Australia sometime after 1896 and he fought in WW1 with the AIF enlisted in 1916 I have his service record for here and it states  he was invalided out of British Navy in 1896 with Rheumatism.
He married Esther Elizabeth Jane Lambert in 1916 in Port Adelaide South Australia  and they had 5 children.
When he enlisted he said he was 38years and 8 months born in London on his sons birth certificate in 1919 he says he is 44 years and born Devonshire so I don't know where he was born for sure.
His service number is 2215 5th Pioneer Battalion.

aussie 49

[ShaunJ]

Just looking at his AIF file ...where does it say he served in the Royal Navy ? On the attestation paper (the first page) he says he had no previous military service.

[jorose]

I can see the WWI military record from Australia - on the first page he says he has NO previous service, and also that he has two children (did he and Esther have children before the marriage or is the 1916 date for marriage wrong?)

May 4 1916: says no previous service (question 11)
page 34: he claimed on medical discharge (rheumatism) to have been invalided out of the British Navy in 1896.

These cannot both be true. It might be that he was lying about previous service when he signed up because he thought they wouldn't take him on if they knew he'd been invalided out before. Also, it's likely he snipped a couple of years off his age at some point - they wouldn't have taken him if he was too old, either.

[aussie 49]

No the marriage date is right 2 children were born before they married, I have their marriage certificate.
I have a copy of 2 of his son's birth certificates and he has lied about his age in 1916 he says 38 and 1919 he is 44 he may have been born in London as I was told he was a cockney but I can't confirm this because I don't have his birth date.
I got the information about his discharge on a page that lists where he went in the war at bottom of page it says
"The following is an extract from Medical Report on discharge:- Disability existed before enlisting - England
Was invalided out of the British Navy in 1896 with Rheumatism and has suffered from it ever since. Condition became worse in France, and was excused all marching. Evacuated Aug.1918 with Rheumatism and bronchitis to No. 3 Aust.A.H.Abbeville and then 1st Birmingham War Hosp.  Disability aggravated by military service."
I have been looking for years with no luck and was hoping if I could get his Navy record it might have his birth date also his mothers name.
It is my brick wall and so far haven't even made a tiny dent in it.

aussie 49

[ShaunJ]

Do you know when he arrived in Australia?

I've been looking for suitable candidates on the outgoing lists from UK and there aren't any obvious ones.

I saw that an English seaman named James Goodwin was involved in the Ladstock mutiny and was jailed for it in Adelaide in 1899. I just wondered if that might be him, bearing in mind the nautical connection.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/29435242?searchTerm="james goodwin"&searchLimits=l-title=The+Advertiser+%28Adelaide%2C...%7Ctitleid%3A34|||sortby=dateAsc

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/29435578?searchTerm="james goodwin"&searchLimits=l-title=The+Advertiser+%28Adelaide%2C...%7Ctitleid%3A34|||sortby=dateAsc