Master Mariner

[juey]

Does anyone know what this means exactly? Is it a class of seaman that encompasses all the officers of command?

Cheers,
Julie

[Ticker]

Hi Julie

I understand it to mean a "Sea Captain"

Best wishes

Ticker

[sillgen]

A seaman who had passed his exam to become a ship's master and was therefore qualified to be in charge of a ship.    There is a good list of Masters' certificates at Kew which gives extra information in some cases.   Mercantile Navy Lists and Lloyds Register.
Andrea

[jbidaho]

In case you're interested, there's also a livery company for the Master Mariners in London.  Their HQ is on board HQS Wellington on the River Thames, and there's a web site at http://www.hcmm.org.uk.
JB

[juey]

Thanks to you all - I'm a little wiser now!

In case any of you knows a little more about naval history, I wonder if you could answer another question?

I am tracing Daniel James BURROWS, Master Mariner, who I believe was born in England (abt. 1835, d. bef. 1871). He came to Australia in 1854, aged 19. He would have married in England as his wife and children were in Kent in the 1860's. Since he was a master mariner (merchant navy we think), would this have likely been with the British Merchant Navy? I guess there was no Australian Merchant Navy at that time. How long would it have taken to train to be a Master Mariner? Is there website with any history of the British Merchant Navy operations out of Australia in the 1800s?

Thanks,
Julie