Genealogy Chat

No idea!

Wow thats a needle in a haystack job - do you know where he sailed out of, the local maritime museum might have some info

Thats the problem Colin, no ship name or year. He was merchant Navy. All I have to go on is what his son said at the inquest into his death 1938. He just mentioned the story about him being left afloat at sea for several days. So frustrating as I would like to know more about it.

Warship or merchant vessel - may well be in the news archives if you have a ship's name

Well through being a Trimmer my great uncle ended up overboard, lost at sea. Or maybe a more sinister reason put him there. We will never know.
My grandad was a ships greaser and he was on a ship that caught fire and was afloat at sea in a open boat for days suffering frost bite. I have searched for the ship but can't find it as I have no year for he event. Must have been between 1880 and 1938. I think my chances of finding out are almost zero!

Hi Daisy,

My grandfather was a coal trimmer on the Tyne - he retired before I remember, probably about the outbreak of WW2.. His work was very erratic, my Mum said that some weeks he only got 6d, and sometimes nothing at all.

Anne

That would seem to confirm that the trimmer assisted the firemen(stokers) then Dave

I have some crew lists from this era; on my grandfather's ships they were listed as "Firemen and Trimmers". They were paid £12 a month! An ordinary seaman was getting £11 10s, and first engineers £32.

Thanks Shirley, found the site, good stuff.

My OHs great uncle was an Irish coal trimmer on the Titanic - I understood it meant he shovelled coal into a cart and wheeled it to the stoker. (He was lost when the ship went down)

the Old Occupations website is a good source of info .google for web address.
this is from that site:-

Trimmer 1) Ship's crewman who trimmed coal in ship's bunkers 2) Dockworker who trimmed grain or bulk cargo in ship's hold to spread it out evenly .

Shirley

Thanks Daisy, interesting.

My grandfather was a ship´s trimmer on the Tyne. I don´t think he ever did coal as he never came home very coal dirty. He used to take me on the ferry over to the North side to get his "starts". This was a list of when and where he would be needed, so I suppose he moved around the different docks. He was a regular worker though with a weekly wage, and I don´t remember him being out of work at all as experienced trimmers were always needed.

It could be that ships´ had their own trimmers like your uncle who would probably have directed shore trimmers like my granddad.

Thanks Colin. He is described as just Trimmer and he was lost at sea.

I think the ships greaser would have worked with the boilers in the engine room

Is he described as a trimmer or ships trimmer as a 'coal trimmer' worked in the cargo holds of colliers "trimming
the coal out to the wings (edges) of the holds to maximise the capacity and
to reduce the danger of the cargo shifting in bad weather. It might be worth
noting that all solid cargo loaded in bulk had to be trimmed and this was
especially important with grain as it settled during the course of a voyage
and being more "fluid" than coal and ore presented a serious danger to the
mariner.
If he was described as a ships timmer then he was probably employed maintaining the stability of the cargo whatever it was.

Could someone please tell me what exactly the job entailed. My great uncle was one in the early 1920's. Also a ship's greaser.

Thanks