Hi Martin. How did I get the info re the naval service? From the time I was little, my mother told me that her father's father was in the British navy and that he learned his trade (shoemaking/cordwaining) there. Unfortunately, my mother has since passed away, so I can no longer learn anymore from her. However, I had been documenting (i.e., writing down what she told me) her family stories for over thirty years. I should tell you that I have spoken to someone who is a senior writer on all things military (a family friend), and he told me that the records for the "ratings" (the lower branches of the navy, correct?) at this time were not as well kept as they were later. Furthermore, my mother told me that her grandfather had entered the navy at age 9 which would have been around 1844. Again, our family friend tells me that they were not allowing young boys into the navy at that time. I am confused. What complicates my research is that an initial search of navy men of the time brought up an incredibly high number of people named, "Richard Smith".
I appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks for this.
