Dear listers: I just downloaded a Record of Seaman Service from National Archive. I have one page in front of me...for years 1906-1928 for a seaman born 1885. I tried to read through the abbreviations list but still cannot really determine what I have before me. Ship names..next column 'List and no"..? then "rating"...under "rating" I get some terms as "OFF STEW 2c" and "OFF STD I"..? under 'no' column I get "4, 19, 55, 56 etc" period of service I can understand..eg 1 Aug 11 to 21 sept 11, "character" VG Sup...I understand that VG might mean "very good" accompanied by a date of character entry? final column: If discharged, whither cause..."shore paying off"? "R.M G."?? Funniest thing: although the marriage cert for this seaman, listed his residence n 107 as HMS Flirt, Portsmouth, there is no listing of this ship in first column If anyone can help me interpret my record, i will be very appreciative. goodness, if these fellows served continuously, how did they have any family life? and no wonder I can only find one offspring of this marriage! thanks Liz of Canada

Ratings refer to the ordinary man compared to the Officers and Warrant Officers. Off Steware 2c and Off Std I probably means Officers Steward Class 2 and Class 1 Li "paying off" normally refers to Merchant Navy when a chap leaves a ship he is given his final pay. List No could mean the Number of the ship in some record or other. RMG means Recommended for Medal and Gratuity. There is a good website giving meanings of articles of service etc at http://www.barnettresearch.freeserve.co.uk/mainaval.htm Chris ----- Original Message ----- From: "Harvie and Liz Barker" <hebarker@shaw.ca> To: <ENG-HAMPSHIRE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2005 4:46 AM Subject: [ENG-HANTS] reading Seamans' services records? > Dear listers: > > I just downloaded a Record of Seaman Service from National Archive. I have > one page in front of me...for years 1906-1928 for a seaman born 1885. > > I tried to read through the abbreviations list but still cannot really > determine what I have before me. > > Ship names..next column 'List and no"..? then "rating"...under "rating" I > get some terms as "OFF STEW 2c" and "OFF STD I"..? > > under 'no' column I get "4, 19, 55, 56 etc" > > period of service I can understand..eg 1 Aug 11 to 21 sept 11, > "character" VG Sup...I understand that VG might mean "very good" > accompanied by a date of character entry? > > final column: If discharged, whither cause..."shore paying off"? "R.M > G."?? > > Funniest thing: although the marriage cert for this seaman, listed his > residence n 107 as HMS Flirt, Portsmouth, there is no listing of this ship > in first column > > If anyone can help me interpret my record, i will be very appreciative. > goodness, if these fellows served continuously, how did they have any > family life? and no wonder I can only find one offspring of this marriage! > > thanks Liz of Canada > > > ============================== > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. > New content added every business day. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx > >