Shipping record 1854 - Lady Franklin?

[hurworth]

I'd appreciate help/opinions on this excerpt from Merchant Seaman records.  I think it says he was a harpooner on the "Active".  It looks like a B on the other record.  What would that be an abbreviation of?

Many thanks

[miriamkinga]

Between?? as in between dates?

[still_looking]

Guessing another occupation, Bosun maybe contracted to Bn?

S_L

[seaweed]

I would concur the Bn is Bosun.
To prove these occupations and to give you more information on your man, you need to look at Crew Agreements of the Peterhead Whaler ACTIVE 420 GRT Captain D Gray
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_st=adv&_ep=peterhead&_cr1=bt98&_dss=range&_sd=1854&_ed=1854&_ro=any

Be aware that there were two vessels with the name ACTIVE registered in Peterhead in 1854, the other was a Coaster 91 GRT Captain Chapman.

LADY FRANKLIN

London is given as her port of departure. The only vessel with this name sailing from London in 1854 was registered in Liverpool.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4068196

[hurworth]

That's wonderful seaweed.   I didn't know about these records.

There's some other journeys that I am interested in.  There's a record of "Traveller" of Peterhead, 17 Oct 1836. 

Also, a ticket that was issued in Liverpool on 10th June 1850, but the record doesn't say where he went.  The departure was in 1851 and the return in 1852.  Would you mind having a look at the attachment please?

[seaweed]

This message from hanes teulu was sent to me as a personal message it is however addressed to you, so a glitch somewhere

Hurworth,
Through newspaper reports have tracked "The Active, Gray" in 1854. Vessels returning to Peterhead provide the "progress" reports. Apparently it was a very poor season

Feb 23 - left Peterhead for Greenland
April 10th - no seals caught
Jun 2nd - lost two boats
Jun 10th - sailing south, 400 seals
Aug 23rd - arrived Peterhead with four tuns oil

Checking out the "Lady Franklin, Penny" which looks to have sailed for the Davis Straits  Sep/Oct '54. It was returning to the Davis Straits, having spent almost a year there Oct '53 to Sep'54.

If you have access to Find My Past you can check these newspaper reports there.

LADY FRANKLIN
 This vessel was registered in Aberdeen
http://www.aberdeenships.com/single.asp?index=99363
Although this vessel sailed from Aberdeen in the 1854  whaling season, rather than London as transcribed on the Seamans Ticket you posted, It may be worth checking her crew agreements for that year.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4068006

Could you give us your ancestors name so we can look at the original documents on FindMyPast . Just looking at attached snippets dos not give us the full picture.
1836 Crew agreements for Peterhead are not available from TNA.

[hurworth]

Thank you.

The "Active" and "Lady Franklin" record is Gordon McKinnon, born 1832.

The "Traveller" is Alexander McKinnon, born approx 1797.

The ticket issued in Liverpool in 1850 is Alexander McKinnon (son of the previous), born 1829.  Neither of these are the Alexander McKinnon (born mid-1830s) who died of cholera on a voyage to Russia.

They were all from Peterhead.  There was also a third son with shipping connections called Andrew.


There was another maritime family in Peterhead - Lachlan McKinnon, born around 1800, but I don't know whether they are related.

[hurworth]

I have found records of the apprenticeships of two of these McKinnons.

Alexander commenced his apprenticeship on 8 Sept 1845 aged 15 years with A. Hutchison of Peterhead on the Kate.

Gordon commenced his apprenticeship on 20 Feb 1846 aged 13 years with J. Ogston of Peterhead on the Union.

[seaweed]

Hello,
I am in Australia until late Feb. I have made further inroads on the seagoing career of Gordon McKinnon. From the top of my head his previous ship before LADY FRANKLIN was the Whaler RANGER and before that another Whaler who's name I cannot recall. Will send you details when I return.