Faded writing

[Geoff-E]

or
"abv ave" - above average?

and
"satisfy" = satisfactory

[Redroger]

It looks to me (perhaps stating the obvious) that there are at least 3 different sets of handwriting on this document. Presumably from 3 different overseeing officers on three different ships. Some of whom I think used blotting paper on their writng.

[Gadget]

and one was a V A Erskine - rather than Erstine which I gave in my reply #7.


Gadget 

[polidor]

What a great lot you all are for working out what the words are.

I knew Alfred Thomas Smart b 1876 was in the navy because i originally found him in the 1891 census at the Greenwich District Royal Hospital School. Then i eventually found him married but in 1901 on a ship in Mossel Bay whilst his wife was living with mother-in-law.

Caught up with him again after some difficulty in 1911 because i could at first only find his wife and children and no Alfred. Some help from another Rootschatter led me to return to the National Archives where i found this 2nd sheet about his service.

Am now fascinated about his naval life and the ships he served on.

His father George was at one time a coastguard so i am assuming that is how Alfred went to a naval school. poli.

There's a bit more that's faded on the other side of the sheet if you haven't anything better to do !!

[Gadget]

Hi Poli

This is what I've made out. I hope it's not going to come out too higgledy piggley 





Ship                Station           Date of Appointment               Date of Discharge

Pembroke 1    1.10. 15                                                         7.12.15
Irone Duke                            7.12.15                                  15.2.17
Queen
Elizabeth                              15.2.17                                   16.2.18
Pembroke                             16.2.18                                   29.7.19
Dilligence                              29.7.19                                   ?.12.19
Lion                                    11.12.19
Retry of ~ MV Vengence at
Royal ? Yes PO                     6/7/20  Cancelled

-do-                                      3/5/20

Actaeon as hvo                     21.2.21                                      31.3.22
do (Pembroke)                      31.3.22                                      14.4.2?     



It looks as if he was going to be transferred to the Merchant Service (MV Vengence) but it was cancelled! I'm not sure about the Actaeon as hvo 


Gadget

[spark]

With faded census (Ancestry) records I have found reversing to the NEGATIVE a lot easier to read. have you tried this?

Spark

[polidor]

Sounds worth a try spark, but how do you do that ?

Gadget--thanks very much indeed for your help. poli

[Gadget]

It doesn't work very well with this image, spark - I  tried. The writing is practically invisible. I used Curves to get it up to anything readable 


Gadget

[spark]

Thanks for your response Gadget.

Poli  you would need to load the image (.jeg) into an application like adobe photoshop or microsoft picture it.  Under the option/tools to "improve" or "manipulate" the image will be the possibility to create a negative.  Whenever you process an image like this SAVE to a new file name - don't over wirte the original.  Should you want to revert to the positive a negative of a negative is never as good as an original.

Hope this helps

Spark