Hello Nivard: May I ask you a question? Being in Canada I'm not familiar with some of the boroughs, districts, parish and on and on. But I did receive some information from Barnardo's that my ancestor attended the Exmouth Naval School in Devon in 1908 (I wonder if they have some records, do you know?) and then in November 1911, transferred to the S.S. Ballarat (a P. & O. vessel) as a Bugler and then totally disappeared. I can't find Ballarat information either, if they even have records. I looked also at the Master's & Mates for him (George Swain born 1895 - no luck) and then also for Thomas Swain born in 1854 (Pipemaker) he was not there either and I was hoping this was an opportunity. Maybe someone reading this will make a suggestion. Thanks, Bonnie -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Nivard Ovington Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2012 5:18 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [MDX] New database on Ancestry Masters & Mates certificates 1850 -1927 Hi all Surprised its not been mentioned but the lists are rather quiet at present A quick keyword search for Middlesex gets 6,632 hits About Great Britain, Masters and Mates Certificates, 1850-1927 This database contains master and mate certificates issued to merchant seamen by the British Board of Trade. What You May Find in the Records Great Britain has long been known for its maritime prowess in both military and commercial spheres. The certificates and other documents included in this database were issued to merchant seamen who qualified as masters or mates aboard merchant ships. Records include certificates of competency, certificates of service, examination applications, and other documents. Forms vary, but they may include the following details: name certificate number birth date birthplace issue port issue date address examination date history of service (dates, vessels, occupations, years in service) Some of the information is included on the back of the certificates, and some documents in a seaman's folder have not been indexed, so when you find a record, use the arrows to browse surrounding documents to make sure you see all the records available. You may want to browse through an entire roll since the original folders were sometimes filed in random order. -- Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) ************************************** Send your List messages using **PLAIN TEXT** and always **TRIM AWAY** superfluous old messages in replies. **MEANINGFUL Subject Lines - who, what, where, when, with SURNAMES in CAPITAL letters** List Admin can be contacted at: [email protected] ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi Bonnie I would contact Devon records office to see if they have anything on the school I would also suggest subscribing to the Mariners list and asking there on both the ship and his career <http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/other/Occupations/MARINERS.html> The SS Ballarat was launched in Sept 1911 and was sunk in 1917 http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=15348 I can't see him in 1911 have you found him? Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 14/09/2012 19:50, Bonnie Cole wrote: > Hello Nivard: > > May I ask you a question? Being in Canada I'm not familiar with some of the > boroughs, districts, parish and on and on. But I did receive some > information from Barnardo's that my ancestor attended the Exmouth Naval > School in Devon in 1908 (I wonder if they have some records, do you know?) > and then in November 1911, transferred to the S.S. Ballarat (a P. & O. > vessel) as a Bugler and then totally disappeared. I can't find Ballarat > information either, if they even have records. > > I looked also at the Master's & Mates for him (George Swain born 1895 - no > luck) and then also for Thomas Swain born in 1854 (Pipemaker) he was not > there either and I was hoping this was an opportunity. > > Maybe someone reading this will make a suggestion. > > Thanks, > Bonnie