Help needed William Moor O'Connor

[duffyfarrell]

Just discovered that my gg uncle signed up for the British navy in 1861 at the age of 16 as a "Boy" and volunteered for 10 years.  I have got the record from the uk national archives but it has given no information other then his name and DOB  how do I find out what ships he served on or if he served.  Where can I go for more information
sorry cannot attach the file as it is too big but can pm if interested

[ShaunJ]

There are 5 pages in that record - is there nothing at all on where he served?


http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7907410

[duffyfarrell]

Not sure how how to show it to you as it keeps telling me it is too big to attach it has come as a PDF and I dont seem to be able to change the format or extract bits out.  However there are 10 pages and those that have writing on them are too dark to read but I think it is only personal information.  The pages with the ships on them are blank.
He was taken on as a "Boy" so I don't know if that will make a difference.  It was just before his 16th birthday.

[ShaunJ]

It's strange one. Having had sight of the record, it shows William Moore O'Connor signing on at HMS Ajax on 18 June 1861 as a B2C, and nothing about him thereafter. I can't find any other Royal Navy record for him.

Cross-checking on the RN Register of Seamens' Services, the only person who signed on for Ajax as B2C on 18 June 1861 was a James Montgomery.

[duffyfarrell]

Unless he jumped ship,  he seems to be a bit of a character, we know he went to Australia then to the US San Fransisco as part of the land grab in about 1885 and was thinking of going back to Australia where he had left half of his family, but records on him are very scarce. I also know he went by the name William Radley O'Connor but thank you for looking and clearing up the HMS Ajax I was not sure about that.  Just thinking out loud would there have been a separate register for Ireland?

[ShaunJ]

No there wouldn't have been separate naval records for Ireland. I think it has to be assumed that he was discharged or absconded shortly after signing on.

Ajax was the guard ship at Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ajax_(1809)

Do you have his 1865 marriage certificate - any clues there as to his occupation? I see there are some observations in Latin on the RC register.

[duffyfarrell]

Shaun, where did you find that I have been looking for it for ages and thought perhaps he married over seas,  as I know the he returned to dublin before setting sail to Australia.

[duffyfarrell]

Was just reading about the disaster the crew had in Dun Laoire. Kingston in the February of that year.  I have passes that monument so many time as hardly took any notice will do next time http://pdavis.nl/Boyd.php. Thanks again

[ShaunJ]

The marriage register image was attached to a public tree on Ancestry https://goo.gl/7mj3jH

(William O'Connor and Mary Abbott)