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Born at sea?

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Martin

Martin Report 9 May 2008 23:20

As a new member - can anyone tell me how I may, easily and cheaply - find out where an ancestor was born when it simply states that he was 'Ocean born- British subject' in the 1861 census? David Fullbrook's father (also David) is listed as being a Captain Merchant Ship on his sons marriage certificate so I'm guessing that it was onboard a ship that his father was Captaining? Any help from experienced members of Genes Reunited would be gratefully received. Many thanks in advance.

mgnv

mgnv Report 10 May 2008 00:03

There's an example page online via:
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/content/help/index.aspx?r=554&402
of the Scottish Marine Register from around this time. Scottish entries normally contain more info than English ones (e.g., date and place of marr), but I think these were all funnelled thru the Board of Trade anyway. Of the 3 entries on the page, two give lat + long and the other says between Calcutta and London. I've never gotten one, but I presume the corresponding English certificate can be gotten thru the GRO, at a cost of 7 + 3 quid. I don't know about supplying the GRO reference and avoiding the extra 3 for the search. At least for this time, you don't need to check the Hovercraft Register.

Richard in Perth

Richard in Perth Report 10 May 2008 16:42

I see from the 1861 census that he was in the Royal Navy. His RN service records can be downloaded from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline (cost: £3.50). There is only one David Fullbrook listed - date of birth is right for your David (9-Aug-1836 so he would have been 24 in the 1861 census, which is what he put).

Unfortunately, if that is his birth in 1836 then you won't get a birth cert as the marine register started in 1837, same time as England & Wales registers. Therefore, you'll just have to hope that the service records give you some useful info.

Cheers,
Richard