Maritime ancestors [Archive] - Caithness.Org Forums

marionq

12-Jan-06, 17:40

While searching for one of my ancestors (at last with some success I got his naval records in the National Archives) I came across the crew lists of ships in the Caithness area in 1881.

I recognised some of the surnames and place names that crop up on this board so thought I would put this link in for you to look for your own connections.

http://www.glamorganfamilyhistory.co.uk/maritime/Scotland81-3.html

Good luck

airdlass

15-Jan-06, 11:56

fred

15-Jan-06, 13:10

hi Marion
I checked out the site you listed and it is very interesting. I also went through all the other ports around the country and there are quite a few Caithness people on the site so it's well worth a visit.
Fiona

Ninety six if I'm not mistaken.

If anyone doesn't want to look through the entire site I've pulled the names of everyone listed as born in Caithness and put them at

http://www.graven-images.org.uk/temp/crew.txt

It won't be there for long so grab it quick.

marionq

15-Jan-06, 16:34

Thanks Fred and Fiona for adding to that. Having found the ship's ticket for my great uncle John George Fleming (born 1870) I then started to work back on the ships that he sailed in with the Royal Navy after having given up the fishing. That was fascinating in itself as he was one of the men on the HMS Powerful who were hailed as heroes after the Siege of Ladysmith in the Boer War. I still don't know what happened to him after 1901 when he left the Royal Navy.

The great thing about genealogy is that tracing family history opens you up to all kinds of history. Fred you have provided lots of leads in that area.

If there are any Flemings in the Wick area they are almost certainly descended from Alexander Fleming originally of Strathglass. If you are related to John George through his brother Alexander I will be happy to provide you with what info I have.

ED2005

25-Jan-06, 14:12

I hope you do not mind me picking your brains, as you have enjoyed some success finding your maritime ancestor. All I have is a name, dates, where he was born and worked (Aberdeen) and 'Merchant Seaman". Can you give me any advice for starting to find out more about a maritime ancestor. He was a seaman for most of his working life, so hopefully there will be a trace of him somewhere.

I have looked on the 1881 list and haven't come across him yet. It is a very useful and interesting list though.

marionq

25-Jan-06, 19:58

I have been looking for this great uncle for some time and could find no record of his death, marriage or what had happened to him. I reckoned that his skill as a fisherman meant that either he was in the Merchant Navy or perhaps had joined the Royal Navy. When I went into the National Archives I found that there was a possibility of tracing a ship's ticket for anyone who had joined the navy and that is where I found him. He had signed on for 12 years and the last trip was a very exciting historical event where the navy relieved the Siege of Ladysmith by taking guns overland to the besieged troops. The ship's ticket lists all of the ships that a sailor has served in and lists the jobs they have done as well as any punishment they have undergone. My great uncle John spent a few days in the cells several times but was still given good reports by his captains so he almost certainly got drunk from time to time rather than did anything all that bad.

He was one of 3 Fleming brothers from Wick and though my Granpa went down to Glasgow to work and his older brother Alexander stayed on in Wick and reared a large family I have found nothing after 1901 when John left the navy after his 12 years to say what happened to him. He may have emigrated as lots of Scots have done or stayed on in England.

Good luck, Marion

marionq

25-Jan-06, 20:06

Tried to edit my posting to include this link but it didn't work so here goes

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/?homelink=main_military

Choose either Merchant or Royal Navy and give the details you can.

Marion