Merchant ships - Cinderella 1890, and Flying Cloud, Cowes 1890

[Hystericalwriter]

After searching for years I have finally found my ggrandfather's ships, (at least two of them) from the CLIP project.

He is listed as AB on the two above ships:
Flying Cloud, Cowes, 7895,built at Lymington
Cinderella, 68901, built at Rutherglen...

Despite fumbling my around, looked at the ShipsList, I don't seem to get any further. Probably need to go to Kew to fumble around more. Would like to find a photo of either ship, and perhaps find out where they sailed?

Would love some hints please

Anne

[seaweed]

FLYING CLOUD official number 7895
Registration papers at Kew http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10125936
This will tell you all of her owners from when she was built. There may be some indication on where she sailed.
 
CINDERELLA official number 68091 not 68901
Registration papers at Kew http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10125738
 
It is very important to copy o/n's correctly as this number is unique to individual British and  Empire ships, no matter how many name changes and owners she had as long as she remains on the British register. If she is sold foreign then later comes back on the British register her O/N will be the same. Ships are very often named the same, for instance I can find at least ten vessels with the name EVANGELINE around in 1893 but only one with the O/N 68091 which is the same vessel as CINDERELLA renamed in 1893.
 Photographs of  old ships are always difficult, local sources are your best bet as well as NMM Greenwich.
Some photo  links for you. http://www.ping.be/~pin31209/spsdb.htm

Getting hold of the vessels logbooks will tell you where they sailed. Search via official number.

Do you wish to find details of all your GGrandfathers ships? If so, a name and date and place of birth would be a big help.

[Hystericalwriter]

Thanks for that, I am always transposing numbers! Sorry....yes I do know that the ship's number sticks with it....

A visit to Kew is down on my list, I have a number of things to look up, and now at last I have a clue for this man's career it should stir me on. I'll try the NMM too, I have been to the Caird Library before Master Mariners certificates were online, searching for other seafaring men in the family. But this man eluded me.

Getting hold of the logbooks of the vessels is likely to be a problem though? I thought that most had been shipped to Newfoundland.

His name (a mouthful) was James Pomeroy Furneaux BOON, born 18th December 1858 at Brixham the illegitimate son of a Mary Boon.... I have him in various censuses, who his family are, know he was a ships rigger and then when he left the sea worked in a Ropemaker's yard in Brixham.

But you have given me something to go on, thanks again

Anne

[seaweed]

Apart from the documentation i have given you links for, I think there would be little of interest at the National Archive. NMM, I cannot comment on but I think that may be negative too.
Apart from Officers. No central individuals personal Merchant Navy records were kept between 1857 and 1913 so the records from these years are dependent on Crew Agreements.
I would take a look in Portsmouth History Centre. Apart from the fact they have the original 1890 Crew agreements of CINDERELLA they also hold over 20,000 ship photographs together with local newspapers covering the IOW ( both vessels were registered in Cowes in 1890)
Worth a fumble me thinks.

[Hystericalwriter]

Funnily enough I have only just bookmarked Portsmouth Record Office, found their catalogue online.... I knew about the seaman's tickets and the gap of years, just when my man was onboard, I am just grateful after nearly 30years of not having a clue what ship he was on to have this little piece of info.

I did have a go at the NMM catalogue without much success. Flying Cloud seems an iconic clipper, but is it the one my man was on? I wonder, there seemed to be many with this name....

I want to go to Kew for other research, so the little info that is there is just another thing to look at. Portsmouth isn't too far away, so a fumble might be on my "to do " list.

Thanks for your input

Anne