Our Welsh Mariners Website has just been updated.
New inclusions are details of over 800 Trinity House Petitions made by poor mariners
and/or their families. The surviving documents are from the period 1789-1852. These
petitions can be of great value to the family historian as the mariners and/or their
families would try to prove their ages and relationships. They often did this with
certified records from parish registers, Family Bibles etc.
For some of the petitions a précis is included on the website; this is an on going task.
If the reader wishes to brows the petitions just carry out a search by using the word
Trinity on the "Details contains" section coupled with a birthplace or county of
interest.
Numbers of Petitions on a county basis are: PEM, 301; CAE, 147; CGN, 124; GLA, 64; MER,
53; AGY 47; CMN, 43.
The original documents are held at the Society of Genealogists, London, who published a
calendar to the whole UK collection.
Example:
[Trinity House Petition of Jane Hughes, aged 50, widow of Hugh Hughes, of Carnarvon, CAE,
1811]. Precis: Hugh Hughes a mariner of Carnarvon was an apprentice under C. Masey of
Chester on board a cheeseman trading from Chester to London for 3 years. In 1774 he went
on board a Man of War serving there for 8 years and afterwards for 6 years from Liverpool
to West Indies as an able seaman. In 1790 he became Master of the brig Syren of Carnarvon,
circa 160 tons, trading from thence to London, Liverpool and Ireland. At Christmas 1799(?)
he was taken by a French privateer and carried to France. In 1801 he was Master of a new
brig called New Syren of Carnarvon, circa 100 tons, trading from Carnarvon to London and
Ireland. In 1805 he had the misfortune of losing her on Portland Beach. In Feb 1807 he
became Master of the brig Small Bridge of London, circa 180 tons in the transport service.
That in Feb 1809 he was wrecked on the coast of France on his passage with troops from
Sapin to England; he, all the crew and troops perished. Jane Hughes, the petitioner, was
left with 4 small children. Petition dated 8 Nov 1811.
The outcome of this or any petition is not known as such records are said to have been
destroyed by enemy action in World War 2. However there may be locally held records which
may give clues. Naturally we welcome any input about any petition or mariner on the
website.
Reg Davies and Nigel Callaghan
Website of Welsh mariners at
www.welshmariners.org.uk
<
http://www.welshmariners.org.uk/>