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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: elizirvshaw on Monday 05 February 18 01:03 GMT (UK)
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Hello,
I have a photo of an Ancestor from England, born about 1893 who is in a sailor uniform. I'm not sure if he was the British Royal Navy or Merchant Marines or something else. Can anyone help me? I appreciate any help you can give!
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Hi,
Its definitely a Royal Navy uniform.
There is on the band of his hat the name of a ship, which cannot unfortunately be made out.
Hope this helps though!
Kind regards
David
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Hi,
It looks to possibly be WW1 period in date.
With that in mind was he born 1895 in Church Knowle, Dorset?
If so there is a Royal Navy Seaman's record on FindMyPast for this chap.
If not him, when and where was he born?
Hope this helps.
Kind regards
David
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Thanks David! He was born in Marylebone, more specifically Willesden in 1893. I will start hunting for him i the Royal Navy.
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The hat tally seems to read "HMS St. George".
The St George was a cruiser of the "Edgar" class launched in 1892. In 1902 she was designated as a depot ship and was the flagship of the Cape & West Africa Station based at Simon's Town. She was sold for breaking up at Plymouth on 1 July 1920.
As your man would not have been in the Navy before about 1908 and the photo was taken in Malta, I would guess that he was on the way to or from South Africa, either assigned to the St George herself or for on-posting to or from another vessel in the Station.
Maec
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Photographer appears to be in Malta - if that helps!
FS
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Wow. That is amazing information. Thanks, MaecW!
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Hi,
I reckon the name of the ship on his cap tally is HMS St George, which would make it the last one listed here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_St_George launched in 1892 and sold for scrap in 1920.
In wartime, I believe that the cap tallies omitted the name of the ship so that it was harder to identify which ships the sailors were from. This would perhaps make the photo either just pre war or between the end of the war and 1920 when the ship was scrapped.
Best wishes
Rockford
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While I have the attention of you naval experts, can I ask another question? I have another ancestor, (this sailor's brother, in fact) who was in the navy in the U.S. as he immigrated in 1905ish. But this ancestor completely changed his name and parents' names and birthplace. Do you know if only natural born citizens were allowed into the navy circa 1906-1917? I tried looking it up but I can only find current rules for enlisting.
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While I have the attention of you naval experts, can I ask another question? I have another ancestor, (this sailor's brother, in fact) who was in the navy in the U.S. as he immigrated in 1905ish. But this ancestor completely changed his name and parents' names and birthplace. Do you know if only natural born citizens were allowed into the navy circa 1906-1917? I tried looking it up but I can only find current rules for enlisting.
Amazing photo.
I have no idea about Navy history myself, but would suggest you need to ask in maybe a US Navy or history forum to find out about US Navy rules. Good luck
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Regarding US Navy enlistment rules, have you tried here: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/archives.html