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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Paul5 on Sunday 12 December 21 15:00 GMT (UK)
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Hello
An ancestor's 1860 birth certificate has under father's occupation 'Petty Officer HMS Centurion'.
Where does one start with researching this individual's career and ships served on? I can't find him on any census and assume he was always away at sea on those dates. I'm a bit of a beginner with armed forces family history research.
Any pointers gratefully received.
Thanks
P
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Ancestry, Find My Past, National Archives.
If you give us his name we can have a dig around.
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The name is William Revill. I don't have any dates of birth or death, but the family was based in Plymouth and his wife was Elizabeth GIBBS.
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Or Revell, Revel...
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Elizabeth is a widow in 1881 RG11/2198 f106 page 68. When did William die
ADDED 1871 has her marital status as Mar and occupation as Widow :-\
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Do you have the marriage between William & Elizabeth. It may help us track him down.
There is an Elizabeth Gibbs 'Single' with son William H Gibbs age 5 months in Plymouth in 1861 RG9/1440 folio 82 page 4. :-\
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I don't know when William died or when/if he married Elizabeth. But that reference to 1861 with son William H. looks promising, thanks
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Anna Marias baptism does not mention a father. It states that Elizabeth is a single woman - abode Adelaide Street
Her birth date 18 December 1867 and baptism 2 February 1871
ADDED
In 1871 Elizabeths mother Catherine Gibbs and her brother Henry Gibbs are with her. There is no sign of daughter Catherine who was born in 1865
REVELL, CATHERINE JANE mmn GIBBS
GRO Reference: 1865 March Quarter in PLYMOUTH Volume 05B Page 301
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The birth of a Wiilam Henry Revell, mmn Gibbs, was registered in Plymouth, Dec Q 1860. ( GRO Index)
I can find no record of a William H Gibbs born at this time and place to match the entry on the 1861 census.
Added.
GRO Index. Death. Catherine Gibbs. June Q 1865. Plymourh. Age 0
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I am wondering how accurate Elizabeths description of William Henry's father was, presumably she was the one that registered the birth :-\
ADDED Was there an address on that birth certificate
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I don't see a William Reville/Revell onboard the HMS Centurian in the 1861 census. It was docked in Hamoaze, Devon at the time.
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I am wondering how accurate Elizabeths description of William Henry's father was, presumably she was the one that registered the birth :-\
ADDED Was there an address on that birth certificate
Yes, the address was Adelaide Street and the mother was the one who registered the birth
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I don't see a William Reville/Revell onboard the HMS Centurian in the 1861 census. It was docked in Hamoaze, Devon at the time.
I suppose he could have moved ship or it's all made up and this person was never in the RN!
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There is a record of a William Revill in British Royal Navy and Royal Marine Service & Pension Records on Find My Past. He served from 1833 until 1874 - lists his various ships but seems to be a bit of a gap from 1859 to 1863. If I'm reading it right looks like he was a Petty Officer in 1859.
Alas, no details of his age or where born.
So, the man appears to have existed and was alive in 1874.
Annette
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That looks really promising Annette :).
There is a small download available on TNA website (FREE if you register) for a William Revell that gives date of birth 22 Feb 1813 at Portsmouth. It has one entry showing Asia 1 January 1873 - 1 July 74 but no other clues to indicate that it is the same person
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6586142
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He served from 1833 until 1874 - lists his various ships but seems to be a bit of a gap from 1859 to 1863. If I'm reading it right looks like he was a Petty Officer in 1859.
He was posted to HMS Asia from 1859 to 1861. Asia was the HQ ship for Portsmouth at that time so he could have served on various ships.
The record is also on Ancestry:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/9050/images/42474_1831101456_11491-00098
Seems to have been an AB who served as a supernumary Petty Officer at that time. Posted to HMS Asia again from 1866-1874 which sort of ties in with the other record:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/60522/images/43283_adm_188_19-0235
The only census entries that tie in with all this are for a William H Revell born Portsmouth circa 1813 who had a wife and family in Portsea (William Henry Revell married Margaret Kevern in 1852).
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The birth of a Wiilam Henry Revell, mmn Gibbs, was registered in Plymouth, Dec Q 1860. ( GRO Index)
I can find no record of a William H Gibbs born at this time and place to match the entry on the 1861 census.
Added.
GRO Index. Death. Catherine Gibbs. June Q 1865. Plymourh. Age 0
That's the right person - that's the birth certificate I quoted in the original post.
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Thank you Shaun, I was hoping that you would explain it for us :)
I had also wondered about the married William H Revell whose wife Margaret was born in Devonport
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GRO Index. Death. Catherine Gibbs. June Q 1865. Plymourh. Age 0
Burial at Ford Park Cemetery on 13 June 1865 age 4 months
abode 7 Central St, Plymouth
Catherines birth registration
Birth Mar qtr 1865
Revell Catherine Jane Plymouth 5b 301
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Catherine Gibbs senior was buried at Ford Park age 78 on 16 Jul 1875
Section H, No.66, Row 6
Abode 36 Rendle Street Plymouth
Catherine junior was in Section AH, No.23, Row 36
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Thanks for all the help. I think I am coming round to the possibility/likelihood that William Henry born in Portsmouth had his separate family there with Margaret KEVERN, but had a few children with Elizabeth GIBBS when he was in Plymouth.
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He may only have had one child with Elizabeth Gibbs, the others could have had a different father. She would not have had to prove who the father was. Do you have the birth certificates for the others.
Probably only a DNA test could confirm that William Henry was the right candidate for fathering young William
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Yes, all true. I don't have the other birth certs at this time.