Custom House Records

[peakoverload]

I was just looking up one of my ancestors, Moses Johnson, on the British Newspaper Archive. I don't know a huge amount about him other than he was involved in ship building and at one stage was a caulker. The newspaper article I found was in The Morning Post Tuesday July 27th 1841 page 4. The section is titled Ship News with the sub heading of Customs House July 26.

It then says Entered Inwards - and then I think it lists ships that presumably have entered, presumably the port of London, and where they have come from. But throughout the list there are peoples names and it is here that my ancestor appears. It reads:

Moses Johnson, Amphitrite, Brooks, Hibernia, Jeff and Louisa, Burch from Dantzic

Does anyone know what any of this means?

[andycand]

Hi

Usually those shipping lists are the ships name, captains surname, and the port they came from (or for outward sailings their destination port). Looking at part of your quote for example then Jeff and Louisa would be the ships name, Burch would be the Captains name, and Dantzic would be the port the ship came from.

Andy

[peakoverload]

Ahh I see. So Moses Johnson would have been the captain of the Amphitrite from Dantzic then? Hmm, seems a bit of leap to go from Caulker to Ships Captain. Looks like this might not be my ancestor.

Many thanks.

[Bookbox]

Ahh I see. So Moses Johnson would have been the captain of the Amphitrite from Dantzic then?

I don't think so. There is a comma between Moses and Johnson.

So the first vessel is "Moses", captained by JOHNSON, "Amphitrite" is captained by BROOKS, "Hibernia" by JEFF, and "Louisa" by BURCH -- all from Dantzig.

[peakoverload]

Ahh I see. So Moses Johnson would have been the captain of the Amphitrite from Dantzic then?

I don't think so. There is a comma between Moses and Johnson.

So the first vessel is "Moses", captained by JOHNSON, "Amphitrite" is captained by BROOKS, "Hibernia" by JEFF, and "Louisa" by BURCH -- all from Dantzig.

  Gosh you are right. I didn't spot that at all. Well I'm definitely barking up the wrong tree then