Harbour Master

[LuaLua]

Hi, I have the marriage certificate of my great-great-grandma (Catherine Owen) dated 1870.  Her fathers profession is listed as ‘Harbour Master’.  The marriage takes place in Liverpool, UK so I am assuming he is a harbour master in the Liverpool area.
Where can I find more information about her father (William Owen is his name). I am struggling to find anything. 
Catherine Owen was born in Dublin, Ireland so they have moved to Liverpool sometime between her birth in abt. 1856 and her marriage in 1870.
Is there a directory somewhere that lists harbour masters details maybe?

[ShaunJ]

Hi LuaLua and welcome to Rootschat.

A William Owen was harbour master at Caernarvon from the 1840's until his death in 1866. He had a daughter Catherine Ann(e) born circa 1844, but per the 1851 and 1861 censuses she was born in Llanbeglig, Caernarvon.

He is the only harbour master named William Owen in the England and Wales censuses.

[rosie17]

Hi and welcome to rootschat I had a look at the marriage and noticed the address for both was Prussia Street and they were both of full age so she would not have been born 1856 as she would have just been 14 years old
I seen this baptism for a Catherine Mariah Owen 19 February 1851 St Paul's Liverpool
Father William Owen address Prussia Street Liverpool ( mariner )
Mother Mary Owen

I don't see a birth for Catherine Owen 1850/1 in Liverpool so this might be a possibility

Rosie

[ShaunJ]

If your Catherine was born in Dublin in 1856, I think you might  be looking at the wrong marriage.

[LuaLua]

Thank you both.
I was given the Marriage certificate by my Aunty, and the other information I got through using Ancestry.com.  But I can see now that maybe the 2 parts don't seem to match up.  I thought Catherine Owen was born in Dublin, but I admit the age did seem strange to me if she was wed around the age of 14 or 15!
I'll check with my Aunty to see if she is 100% sure this is the correct marriage certificate.  If so, I will revisit were I got the other information from.  I perhaps have picked up on the wrong Catherine Owen.

[rosie17]

Is this your family on  the 1881 census 45,Gt Cross Hall Street Liverpool
John A Jones age 26  born Liverpool occupation seaman
Catherine Jones age 25 born Dublin about 1856
Mary A Jones age 5 born Liverpool
John R  Jones age 1 born Liverpool
Catherine Jones age 6 months ?

Rosie

[stanmapstone]

Is this your family on  the 1881 census 45,Gt Cross Hall Street Liverpool
John A Jones age 26  born Liverpool occupation seaman
Catherine Jones age 25 born Dublin about 1856
Mary A Jones age 5 born Liverpool
John R  Jones age 1 born Liverpool
Catherine Jones age 6 months ?

Rosie

The mother's maiden name for those children is Cummings

Stan

[LuaLua]

Hi,

That is one thing I do know for sure, no it's not.  The mothers maiden name is definitely Owen.

Thanks.  This looks familiar I wonder of I have picked up on this census information in error.

I'm waiting to hear from my Aunty about how sure she is about the Marriage Cert.

[Elwyn Soutter]

My understanding about Harbour Masters is that they generally have to have a Mate’s certificate. In other words they have to have relevant navigational and seamanship qualifications before they can be responsible for a harbour. So most, if not all, will at one time have served at sea.  So a harbour master today may appear in earlier records as a mariner. I think normally as a ship’s officer rather than as a basic seaman.