Help with Edinburgh marriage certificate please

[K44ENF]

I am hoping for help with this marriage of an ancestor which took place in the St Andrews district of Edinburgh in 1864. In the column which lists the parents, I am trying to read the part in brackets after  "John Houston Seaman", and before "Deceased".

Any help would be appreciated.

Karen

[Treetotal]

"The Bedford Bell"?
Carol

[avm228]

Seaman (The Bedford R.N.)

 

[K44ENF]

Thanks very much, both of you. R.N. was something I did not consider. John Houston is referred to elsewhere as a Seaman in the Royal Navy. Perhaps The Bedford could have been the name of his ship?

[avm228]

Perhaps The Bedford could have been the name of his ship?

Could well be

[sbny357]

Another possibility, which seems to fit better with the pen strokes, is that it says "(The Bedford Ret)", i.e., a retired seaman whose last ship was the Bedford.  I think the last stroke is the closing parenthesis, not part of an N.

[Treetotal]

Nice one...I would go with that.
Carol

[Seoras]

Hmm, according to Royal Navy lists the second Bedford was broken up in 1817, which would be too early for this and the third not launced till 1901.

[Treetotal]

Hi George..."Cat & Pigeons" springs to mind 
Carol