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 Foulk Humphreys, aged 65, of Barmouth, MER, 1817]. Precis:
Foulk Humphreys went to sea at 18 out of Barmouth. Latterly master of the William and
Betty; Sea Flower; Assistance and Endeavor for 18 years. For 5 years he was quarter master
of HM ship captain, Capt Nelson. Morris Ellis now master of Elizabeth of? London, formerly
of Barmouth, says that no owners of vessels Foulk commanded is now alive. Foulk declares
that he was born at Solf y Mynyth, Festiniog parish, MER on 1 Nov 1752. Edward Jones,
slate merchant, 32 St Swithin Lane, Lombard St., declares that he has known Foulk for
about 50 years. He has lived at Barmouth for 3 years, and lives in house of Lewis William.
Petition dated 24 Oct 1817.
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
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