Dear Lynden I can't see that anyone else has replied to you so will see if I can help. You are right that from the mid 19th century onwards, master mariners are well documented and that before then it is rather more of a struggle - though I haven't tried to research anyone from that time myself. The Mariners research guide http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/UKMerchantNavyIndex.html suggests that prior to 1845, Masters and Mates should appear in the registers of seamen. Therefore, that would seem to be a good place to start. From 1835 (by which time he may of course have been dead) there may be crew agreements available if you can find the names of any of his ships. Another possible source of information is the Times newspaper, which had shipping pages for many years. Many local libraries in the UK, including West Sussex libraries, subscribe to the Times archives 1785-1985 (which are different to the archive of today's paper) and you should find that you can access it from home using your library card number to log on: http://tinyurl.com/3uxnq6a . A number of libraries (NOT West Sussex, as far as I can see) also subscribe to Gale's 19th Century British newspapers collection. This can be excellent for shipping information if you can get access via an institution which has a subscription. Lloyd's List, which may be available in maritime museums and the like, is a shipping newspaper with detailed movements of vessels, and news on casualties. Unfortunately the index is by name of vessel, so you need to know that to avoid having to read reams (though I see there is an online index for news items at http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lloydslist/ ). You might try Lloyd's Register, a number of which have been scanned and are online via http://maritimearchives.co.uk/Registers.aspx . I'm not sure that I would rely absolutely on the name search - I found a number of Hills in 1825 but none in 1827, so I'd be inclined to suggest you should look through a few years to see if you can find him. As to your second question, I think he could have been more or less the same age as her, possibly only a year or two older. By the time that examinations came in, rather after the time you're dealing with, it was possible to find masters in their early twenties, having done three or four years at sea and two and a half years in charge of a watch before they could get their master's "ticket". If they'd gone to sea at 14, and been in more or less continuous employment since, it would have been feasible for a 21 year old to be a fully qualified master, though I would guesstimate that 23 or so might be more the average. You are dealing with an earlier period, without the bureaucratic requirements of set times at sea, so I would have thought that it could in theory be possible for someone even younger to become a master. You mentioned that you were not clear as to his date of death. Are you sure this is not mentioned in the Grant of Probate - it usually is? Cheers Piers -----Original Message----- From: mariners-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:mariners-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Hughes, Lynden M Sent: 01 April 2011 17:20 To: MARINERS@rootsweb.com Subject: [MAR] William HILL - Master Mariner Dear List, This is my first foray onto the list, and I am hoping that you will be able to offer some advice to a novice maritime researcher. My ancestor, William Edmund (sometimes Edmond) HILL, claims to have been a "Master Mariner" in the first half of the 19th Century. This appears on his children's baptism entries and on his will. He seems to have died sometime between January 1832 (when his will was written), and March 1840 (when his will was proved). I have two questions: Firstly, in general, where can I look to find more details? There appears to be masses of records after 1845 / 1851, but very little before 1840, and I am stuck as to where and how to start. Secondly, he married in 1821. His bride was aged 21 or 22. Given that he was a "Master Mariner" in 1825 (on the register of his first child's birth), is it likely that he was the same age, or is it more probable that he was considerably older? As a rough guide, at what age would you expect to find someone becoming a "Master"? Finally, if anyone has any specific knowledge of this Mariner, probably sailing out of the docks of London, (his wife and children were resident in the Commercial Road area of Ratcliff), I would be extremely pleased to hear from you. Any thoughts or advice very gratefully received. Lynden Hughes West Sussex, UK ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MARINERS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message