Sandy,
I don't know if it was "usual" or not, but frequently the wife and even
young children did go to sea with a captain of a merchant vessel. Also,
when the children were of school age, they would be left ashore with a
relative.
I have found an interesting book that details life
under sail in the merchant navy in the
1800s. Surprisingly it is about the women who
accompanied their captain husbands/fathers on voyages
to near and far places. Diaries, journals,
and letters from these women have survived in some
cases and provide much interesting information about
life aboard ship--conditions, storms,
diets, routines, passenger accommodations, etc. The
women called themselves "sister sailors," and
apparently their presence on trips was not at all
uncommon, often including their children.
"Hen Frigates: Wives of Merchant Captains Under Sail"
by Joan Druett (a writer about maritime affairs in the
1800s and 1900s). Pub. by Simon &
Schuster, NYC, 1998, Illus. Ron Pruett (a maritime
artist)
ISBN: 0-684-83968-7
I think these diaries are more full and honest than the logs we generally
get from ships' masters. I found the book very interesting.
I have sea captains in both my Williams and Hughes families.
Betty Pace
From: "Sandy Johnson" <bino(a)hutchtel.net>
To: WLS-GWYNEDD-L(a)rootsweb.com
Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2004 00:38:58 -0500
Subject: Re: [GWYNEDD] Owens and Roberts
Yes, I had thought of him possibly being a mariner and I have some in my
Jones in Flintshire but could the wife/mother be with him - was that
usual??
I have no mother for these boys - one or the other is always in the
grandmother's household. I thought at first from the 18881 census that I
had orphans but when I got to see the 1871 census - young Joseph yet to
be
born this year and there is brother William alone in the same household
and
no mother then either. But thanks for the websites there is one I
haven't
checked yet - so off to do that now!!!
thanks,
Sandy
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