View Full Version : The Missing Ships Captain
Please, does anyone have records of ships crews sailing out of Thurso, Castletown, Scrabster, Wick or any other Caithness port about 1870 to 1883.
Daniel Smith (often known as Donald) born 1835 Dunnet, was described as a Master Mariner on many of his childrens births certificates. He and his wife Cecilia (Calder) Smith lived variously in Thurso, Castletown and Dunnet. I looked in the National Archives to find his registration with no luck as the microfilms were in such poor condition.
Cecilia was in receipt of out relief in 1873 when she was living in Castletown and is described as deserted by her husband. One of their childrens wedding certificates of 1882 does not say he is deceased, but one in 1883 does describe Daniel as deceased. Family oral history says that he was lost on his way, or on his way back from America. Whether this is true or not we do not know. Cecilia died in 1875.
The mystery is why did she need relief in 1873 and yet his children did not describe him as dead until 1883? Does anyone have records of Daniel as a Mariner that they would share please?
Thanks
Kathb
Daniel Smith (often known as Donald) born 1835 Dunnet, was described as a Master Mariner on many of his childrens births certificates. He and his wife Cecilia (Calder) Smith lived variously in Thurso, Castletown and Dunnet. I looked in the National Archives to find his registration with no luck as the microfilms were in such poor condition.
Smith Donald
Current Ship: SAUCY JACK of Wick Trade: Home
Age: 17
Born: CAI Ticket No: 148938
Mate
Date Joined: 20 Feb 1851 Place Joined: Thurso
Date Left: 15 Nov 1851 Place Left: Helmsdale Why Left: Discharged
Previous Ship: SAUCY JACK of Wick
Fred, thank you so much for this information. Do you know if Discharged means 'sacked' or 'let go', as no longer required? Do you have access to any later records? Daniel obviously joined another ship as he is described on census data as a Mariner and later Master Mariner? Sorry to trouble you, but I am trying to find out what happened to him. I really appreciate your help.
Regards
Kathb
Kathb, Seamen all had Discharge Papers, that were vital to all seamen, they showed your experience at the job. (Basically a version of a CV)
Eventually all Seamen had Discharge Books, which in modern times showed, the name and tonnage of the vessel joined, the date of joining and leaving and the type of voyage that you signed up for.
HT = Home Trade, going round the UK coast, you could pay off ( Leave the Vessel at the next port)
Foreign = any where in the world between the Latitudes of 70 degrees North and 70 degrees South for a maximum of 2 years, you could pay off on arrival back at the first British port.
The Discharge book also showed what your rating or rank was, and finally the Copy of Report of Character, which were rated on Ability and on Conduct.
They were rated
VG = Very Good
G = Good
F = Fair
and finally DR = Decline to Report, that was the baddie[disgust]
PS all mine were VG's apart from one DR :( for conduct
Thank you, I feel I am begining to understand the life and work of the sailors. Your information has been a great help. I am still hoping that someone will turn up more information on Daniel aka Donald. I would love to know if he was lost at sea or did desert his wife. I cannot find a record of his death at sea on Scotland People. I have found the death of a Daniel Smith in Edinburgh at the age of 56, I wonder if this was him???
Regards and many thanks
Kathb
Fred, thank you so much for this information. Do you know if Discharged means 'sacked' or 'let go', as no longer required? Do you have access to any later records? Daniel obviously joined another ship as he is described on census data as a Mariner and later Master Mariner? Sorry to trouble you, but I am trying to find out what happened to him. I really appreciate your help.
Regards
Kathb
1851 is the only year recorded digitally as far as I know, if you went along to Admiralty House or somewhere armed with his ticket number you should be able to get his entire history.
I don't think he would have been fired, looks to me like he was on good terms with the Captain and I suspect owner of the boat.
Smith George
Current Ship: SAUCY JACK of Wick Trade: Home
Age: 56
Born: CAI Ticket No: Nil
Master
Date Joined: 20 Feb 1851 Place Joined: Thurso
Date Left: 15 Nov 1851 Place Left: Helmsdale Why Left: Discharged
Previous Ship: SAUCY JACK of Wick
Fred, thank you very much indeed. In your latest post you show George Smith aged 56 with the same voyage details as Daniel aka Donald. You are absolutely correct in that Daniel got on well with the captain. George Smith (Master) in this post is Daniels father, who is also shown on census and certificates as a Master Mariner. You have filled another gap in our family history. Do you know if the ticket number was kept throughout the sailors life? If the ticket number is kept throughout the sailors life, then it should make my search for Daniel much easier, I can then try the Lloyds Register of Captains. Just as a footnote, George lived to the ripe age of 90years.
Thank you once again.
Fred, thank you very much indeed. In your latest post you show George Smith aged 56 with the same voyage details as Daniel aka Donald. You are absolutely correct in that Daniel got on well with the captain. George Smith (Master) in this post is Daniels father, who is also shown on census and certificates as a Master Mariner. You have filled another gap in our family history. Do you know if the ticket number was kept throughout the sailors life? If the ticket number is kept throughout the sailors life, then it should make my search for Daniel much easier, I can then try the Lloyds Register of Captains. Just as a footnote, George lived to the ripe age of 90years.
Thank you once again.
Usually a sailor would have the same ticket number for life, in the days before we had a standing navy it was how the government kept track of British sailors in case they needed them to go to war. However the system had more fiddles than the London Philharmonic, sailors jumped ship in foreign ports without their tickets, captains with spare tickets were desperate for crews.
Fred, thank you so much for this. I now have a much better chance of finding him (fiddles not withstanding). I plan to visit the Guildhall Library early next year (which is were the Lloyds Captains Registers are kept). Hopefully if Daniel aka Donald kept his number I may be able to find some more information on him.
Regards
Kathb
Fred, thank you so much for this. I now have a much better chance of finding him (fiddles not withstanding). I plan to visit the Guildhall Library early next year (which is were the Lloyds Captains Registers are kept). Hopefully if Daniel aka Donald kept his number I may be able to find some more information on him.
Regards
Kathb
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