1904 Crew List

[silicondale]

I'm trying to decipher two entries 705 and 706 (why two?) for Arthur Wm Taylor, birth details given as 18.11.1883, Clarence River, NSW (these are incorrect, but that's another story!). Having some difficulty with other data for him, though. Last ship looks like "Helen Dunsany" but I'm not sure. Rank second mate? And unable to make heads or tails of the remarks against the two entries. Help, please!!

[josey]

IMO they could be 745 & 746.....

Ship maybe Helen Durney or Denney? There was a Helen Denny
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23084780?search%5Bi%5D%5Bname_authority_id%5D=-98933&search%5Bpath%5D=items

Last word in Remark column of first line looks like Conquest. Remarks appear to start F.L or FoL or FiL 

[silicondale]

Many thanks, Josey - that is entirely possible. I'm trying to reconstruct his life story piece by piece. His previous ship was the ss Cassius, on which he was third mate - so looks like he had a promotion in 1904.

He was born Arthur Button in Brighton, Sussex, but his parents separated soon after their arrival in Australia, and he eventually adopted his stepfather's surname Taylor. His father (a younger brother of my g-grandmother) died in Sydney in 1896, but his mother, living at the time at Clarence River, was unaware of this and successfully sued for divorce in 1903! 

Arthur William Taylor is not an easy name to search for - too many false positives!

In the remarks, I think FoL is most likely, but have no idea what it stands for! As for "conquest" I'm completely stumped!

[Girl Guide]

Could he have been a First Lieutenant?

[Girl Guide]

The rank may have been Senior Mate?  I don't know how the ranks go in the navy so that may not be correct.

[silicondale]

I'm not sure, but I don't think the Merchant Navy used military ranks like 'lieutenant'. In his previous ship he was definitely a third mate, so I think in this one most likely second mate.

FoL could be 'free on leave' perhaps. The ship was clearly in dock for at least 5 days (between the two entries on 1 and 6 December)

[HMac]

The ship is the barque HELEN DENNY official number 56168 built in 1866.
His rank is definitely second mate.
The remarks column refers to his Certificate of Competency [2nd Mates ticket]. It is difficult to read but FoL could be follow up in ....
The second entry is Fol in Nav [probably navigation].
Regards
Hugh

[silicondale]

Brilliant - many thanks, Hugh. That makes a lot of sense. His elder sister had married a Swedish sea-captain in 1900, and clearly Arthur intended to make his own career at sea! A little more searching to do now.

On other branches of the family it has generally been easier as I have found present-day descendants who can help to fill in the gaps from their own recollections and what their parents/grandparents have told them. But although I have several Button family cousins in Australia, none of them even suspected the existence of this branch!