What was on a ship's captain's bookshelf?

[Mart 'n' Al]

I am researching a Scottish ancestor who between 1850 and 1880 was a ship's captain sailing to just about every major port in the world at the time. I've often wondered what books he would have had in his cabin, bearing in mind that occasionally his wife traveled with him. I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Martin

[Kiltpin]

I am researching a Scottish ancestor who between 1850 and 1880 was a ship's captain sailing to just about every major port in the world at the time. I've often wondered what books he would have had in his cabin, bearing in mind that occasionally his wife traveled with him. I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Martin

At that time most gentlemen had a daily prayerbook, that also covered all the movable feasts as well. He would have needed something like that, or a bible, to say the words over the dead when the need arose. 

I have a few anthologies of poetry, that were owned by male ancestors of that time.   

The Victorians were great travelogue writers. He might of had a few to compare his experiences with the written word. 

I would have thought that he would have wanted something written about his home land toward off homesickness. 

Regards 

Chas

[Mart 'n' Al]

Chas, thank you, a great start.

Martin

[Top-of-the-hill]

  Captain Marryat?

[Skoosh]

He would have Burns poems if nothing else! 

Skoosh.

[Rosinish]

He obviously enjoyed travelling i.e. georaphy & history books possibly to acquaint himself with the different places?

Annie

[Erato]

"an extraordinary number of books – at least three hundred – some FitzRoy’s, some Darwin’s, and some belonging to other members of the crew, but all shared.  ...  alongside the practical texts about sailing and navigation, is the large number of recently published travel books"

http://www.cambridgeblog.org/2014/11/what-charles-darwin-read-on-the-beagle/

Granted, the Beagle voyage was not an ordinary one.

[Mart 'n' Al]

I was thinking about Darwin myself, as we visited his house last week. That's what got me started wondering!

Annie, anything specific?

Martin

[Rosinish]

Annie, anything specific?

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Physical_Geography_Of_The_Sea_1855

Annie