The Hampshire Family Historian | Vol.48 No.3 | December 2021

Local Group Programmes

Contact: Marilyn Lovett

Gosport Meetings are normally held on the second Wednesday of each month in the Scout Hut, Clayhall Road, Alverstoke, Gosport, Hants, PO12 2BY from 7.30-9.30. Reports by Elayne Kenway (October) Victorian Merchant Navy – Simon Wills.

Tel: 02392 585194 Email: gosport@hgs-online.org.uk

This was an enthralling talk as so many of us have Merchant Navy Ancestors in our family history. Simon gave us lots of interesting facts about the Merchant Navy and guided us to research and resources. Photos were rarely taken as cameras were so bulky and ships unsafe. Uniforms were extremely rare. The Merchant Navy was made up of 99.5% men. Few women went to sea as it was seen as a source of “moral danger” because there was no church, lots of drink, body tattoos and prostitution. A diversity of nationalities and ethnicity could be on board and ages ranged from 5 to 60. The Merchant Navy managed and sailed all commercial shipping, the Mercantile Marine/Merchant Service, ferries, fishing, tugs and non-military ships. It became known as the Merchant Navy after the first world war. It had kept supplies and materials sailing and trading during WW1. Whereas in the Royal Navy sailors were all trained and followed rules, in the Merchant Navy all companies had different standards of training and rules. Some companies were very big like Cunard. Fifty per cent of all ships afloat were British by 1900. Today the Gosport Ferry is an example of a merchant shipping company. Sailors were - carpenters, waiters, cooks, doctors, engineers, nurses, stewards, firemen and cleaners. A sailor started his career as Seaman, Mariner, Ships boy or apprentice (Apps) then progressed to Ordinary Seaman, (Ord) and then Able Seaman (AB) then progressed on to Mariner. Officers started as Apprentice Officer cadet, Midshipman, Mate, 3rd Mate, 2nd Mate, 1st, mate, and then Master Mariner and Captain. They had defined conditions of service. E.g. employed for one voyage at a time but paid at end of the trip. Uniforms came later as did caps and cap badges. Useful resources and research places are: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich - some records of the bigger companies. Simon’s book - Tracing your Merchant Navy Ancestors. TNA – research guides. (Mostly under m for Merchant). Officers were recorded. Apprentices. Obligatory after 1823 all ships over 80 tonns and Gov created registers 1824 – 1910 The Genealogist or Ancestry online Apprenticeship documents give details of families, payments Merchant Navy registration systems. After 1830 no pressgangs by RN, At NA – BT 112, 113, 116.

137