Mary, you could try History of the Great Lakes site: http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/documents/hgl/default.asp?ID=s072 or TheShipsList by googling. You can search for his name also, might bring up something. (;-)) Edna - Ottawa ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Ellen Chambers" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 10:04 AM Subject: [B&D] Fw: Royal Navy Wills at N/A Edna~ Do you know if there is an online list of Royal Navy deserters and/or seamen for time-line 1850 - 1868?? A few years ago I contacted Kew for records. Was told that if my ancestor was a deserter from the Royal Navy, he would have been a Rating. Unless I knew the name of the vessel he was assigned, they could not check. Ratings deserted, it was extremely rare for an officer to do so. They had pensions to protect. Therefore, they would not check for officer desertions. All we have is oral history but he could have been merchant seaman also. When he came to the USA, he was able to afford partnership in Great Lakes schooners. He would not seek a berth on an ocean going ship for fear the English would find him. However, at the time he sailed The Great Lakes, 1868 to 1875 he would have met up with many English vessels. He died returning to Cleveland, OH on his schooner Saginaw when a late November gale cause the ship to run aground. Would love to prove or disprove this story. Mary Ellen Chambers Lakewood, OH