Reason for a British Civil Service Evidence of Age

[Devsom]

I’ve located a British Civil Service Evidence of age for my 4x great-grandfather Joseph William Roberts (born 1834 Plymouth) It proves he was baptised in the Charles Parish on 8th June 1834 because there was no evidence of his birth in the books of the Registrar General of Births at Somerset House. The document is dated 2nd May 1861.

As I understand it, these documents were for people applying to the Civil Service for employment or a pension.

Joseph would have been aged about 27 years old in 1861. According to that years census he was a blacksmith. By 1871 he was a shipsmith at Devonport Dockyard.

Can anyone tell me why he would have needed this document. He doesn’t appear to have ever worked for the civil service or looked like he would have applied.

[mazi]

I think civilian employees in navy dockyards were employed by the admiralty, so civil servants.

Mike

[Devsom]

Thanks for the help. You’re right, I looked up your answer and people employed by the Crown to work in Royal Dockyards were civil servants, I should have realised that.