Tracing the men who jumped ship

[jamcat95]

Hi Fiona

Did it also say that Andrew was a miner on the certificate?

Ian

[Xashus]

No, the marriage certificate didn't say that Andrew Lawson was a miner. The only occupation listed was Mariner for Frederick Lawson. Fiona

[jamcat95]

So where did the occupation miner come from then?

Ian

[Xashus]

I have no idea. Perhaps someone misread Frederick's occupation Mariner............

[Beg Clonrode...]

I will also have a look through the Police Gazettes which should list any deserters - 
Peter Anderson in Lyttelton and Otago from 1872

Hi again...

By the 1870's the NSW Police Gazette was publishing desertion notices compiled from Police Gazettes throughout Australia, NZ, Fiji and the Norfolk Islands.

Just for the record, the NSW Police Gazette of 26 June 1872 lists a Swedish deserter by the name of Peter ANDERSON.

Might not be your man as I think the desertion happened in Sydney*** but there's nothing to say he didn't later hop onto a ship heading to NZ.

Ships' Deserters 1852 - 1900 by Jim Melton

Seaman Peter Anderson deserted from the British ship Thyatira

22 years of age, light hair and whiskers, round face.

A Swede, 5ft 2inches high

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***In early June 1872 the Thyatira arrived into Sydney from London. In late June 1872 she was cleared for Shanghai. I'm assuming she never got close to NZ.

There is an E1 1872 crew agreement for the Thyatira if you ever feel the need to trace this Peter ANDERSON

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I'm guessing you'll discount this deserter as he was only twenty-two, coincidentally the exact same age as the Peter ANDERSON of reply #16. You say your man was forty-ish when he deserted but, for what it's worth, the author Jim Melton says it was very rare for a deserter to be over forty. Most were in their early to mid-twenties, a few in their thirties.

Then again, he also says he is no expert on the subject, merely someone who has compiled a detailed list of thousands of names of deserters.

---

There's no mention of a Frederick LAWSON/LARSEN in the book.

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The Otago Police Gazettes from 1862-ish to 1877 (including the twelve covering 1872) have been indexed for the Otago Nominal Index.

There's no mention of a deserter by the name of Peter ANDERSON.

Otago Nominal Index
http://marvin.otago.ac.nz/oni/advanced.php

Regards
Beg

[LizzieW]

Slightly off topic, but interesting nonetheless, I transcribe crewlists and there are quite often one or two crew members who jump ship, but on the list I was doing today, there were 48 who deserted, mostly at New York but some at a port in Barbados. Each time someone deserted they replaced them with other crew members only for them to desert at the next port.  I don't know if there were problems with the master and senior crew, or whether these men just wanted to find a better life for themselves in America.

[jamcat95]

Hi Fiona

You have two very elusive Swedish ancestors. I cannot seem to find anything on them. I have exhausted all avenues to no avail. To be honest there is too little information unfortunately.
The problem could be worsened by the fact that they probably changed their names as they most likely jumped ship.
If you come across any new info I can then retry again.

All the best.

Ian

[Xashus]

Thank you for trying. I have just been told that my Grandma had been corresponding with someone in Sweden a while back regarding Peter Anderson. I hope to get my hands on these letters and hopefully it will give me some more details.
Once again, thanks for trying. Fiona

[jamcat95]

Ok.
Those letters might help.
Let's hope so.

Ian