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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: Paulfinn7979 on Friday 11 August 17 22:33 BST (UK)
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Can anyone help identify my great grandfathers occupation please?
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Ship's carpenter
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Ship('s) Carpenter :)
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A ship's carpenter in the Clyde shipyards mainly worked with steel, wood being obsolete! ;D
Skoosh.
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I thought a ships carpenter went to sea on a ship, to maintain/replace the woodwork, although they often had other duties also.
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From another forum https://www.british-genealogy.com/threads/10506-Shipwright-or-ships-carpenter
Having just retired from almost 39 years in the Merchant Navy I will try to offer a modern interpretation of the two different titles. Whether this will help your research or not is questionable.
Ship's Carpenters were very common when I first went to sea in the 60s but they are becoming a rare breed now as crews are slimmed down and technology is used to replace them. Apart from the obvious woodworking, timber repairs, dunnage etc. a ship's carpenter was responsible for the anchors and would get involved in actual anchoring procedures and then the cleanliness, securing etc. of them once they were back on board. He also looked after some of the securing of cargo in conjunction with the Chief Officer/Mate and would also be responsible for loading and accounting of fresh water when in port. Fresh water is normally loaded from shore supplies when in port and but made by the engineers when at sea for long periods. Generally a very busy man even on modern ships and I would guess extremely busy in the days of sail.
A shipwright is someone we would meet when in for repairs. This term generally referred to someone involved in the building and repair of ships and boats, based ashore. I've not known anyone actually on a ship referred to as a shipwright but that may have been a possibility in the days of sail. It could be that your man sailed as a ship's carpenter for a number of years and then transferred his skills ashore to ship and boat repair. Many seafarers do come ashore once married and with a young family.
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Thanks for this, it's from a marriage certificate from 1905
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My grandfather was a ships' carpenter - working on one of the old sailing ships sailing out of Liverpool to places like South America. I have his old ship's trunk with brass corners. His father had also been a ship-builder.
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Can anyone help identify my great grandfathers occupation please?
Ship Carpenter (without looking at what anyone else thinks)
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Had a word with a retired ships-plater in the pub last night. No ships-carpenters on the Clyde nowadays & would be described as a fabricator!
Skoosh.