Unconfigured Ad Widget

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Any Navy experts out there?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Any Navy experts out there?

    Walter Vernon Grant is at home with his parents in 1881, but his occupations shows he's in the navy.

    There is a continuous service record for him. I have downloaded this, and it shows him as serving on the Invincible in 1881 and being discharged to "Cruiser" 31 May 1881 and leaving the navy a few days later. He dies young, in 1887.

    My problems are:
    • Cruiser appears to be the name of a ship, rather than its class, but I can find no mention of it in TNA
    • The log book shows the Invincible in the Mediterranean, based in Malta, throughout 1881.
    • An officer was discharged to "cruiser" on 31 May 1881, so several men were probably discharged on the same day, but the Establishment book is not in TNA's catalogue, so I cannot check.
    • There is a William V Grant on board the Invincible in 1881!
    So... are there two William Grants, both in the Navy, but only one with a Continuous Service Record? Or are either the Navy or his parents recording him at home when he isn't?

    I'm getting more confused than usual!
    Phoenix - with charred feathers
    Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

  • #2
    I'm confused too - is he William or Walter??
    KiteRunner

    Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
    (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

    Comment


    • #3
      Might 'Cruiser' be the name of an onshore posting? So perhaps somewhere they were transferred to prior to discharge from the Navy?

      I imagine that would make it easier for all the paperwork to be completed by the office-type bods before they were discharged.

      Bee.
      Bee~~~fuddled.

      Searching for BANKS, MILLER, MOULTON from Lancs and Cheshire; COX from Staffordshire and Birmingham;
      COX, HALL, LAMBDEN, WYNN, from Hants and Berks; SYMES (my mystery g'father!) from anywhere near Bournemouth.

      Comment


      • #4
        I agree with Bee, it sounds like some sort of shore-based establishment.

        I found this list helpful, though there is no Cruiser listed. perhaps things have changed a bit since then

        Main Bases

        added: perhaps, as he was in Malta at the time, it was just a generic term for transporting him back to the UK?

        (however, on my gt grandfather's record it did name the ship)
        Last edited by Vicky the Viking; 22-07-08, 19:57.
        Vicky

        Comment


        • #5
          As far as I am aware a cruiser is just the class of Royal Naval Ship.

          Below is a website of a list of cruisers in the Royal Navy around 1881.



          Shore base establishments tend to have names that sound like ships ie
          HMS Raleigh HMS Cochrane HMS Drake HMS Vivid etc.

          HMS Invincible was the world's first Battlecruiser.

          Does it actually say on your downloaded material HMS Cruiser? If it just says cruiser then it will be a type of ship.

          Janet
          Last edited by Janet; 22-07-08, 21:16.

          Comment


          • #6
            HMS Cruiser was a Sloop launched in 1852 and disposed of in 1912. Renamed as Lark in 1893 she seems to have spent a fair time in the Mediterranean and at Malta.
            See Peter Benyon's excellent site at Late 18th, 19th and early 20th Century Naval and Naval Social History - Index

            In the index under Late 18th & 19th Century, click on Index to 5000 Royal Naval vessels from about 1793-1900.

            Merleyone

            Comment


            • #7
              Dur. Yes, Kite, he is a William.

              Now I'm at home with some reference books, "Cruiser" was a sloop, but appears in TNA as "Cruizer". But again, just ship's logs, so no names.

              Which leads me back to the question: are there two men, or just the one?
              Phoenix - with charred feathers
              Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

              Comment


              • #8
                Thanks, Merleyone. Our posts crossed. You're right: Peter Benyon's site is brilliant.
                Phoenix - with charred feathers
                Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Have you seen this site of Invincible with the name William V Grant age 18 born Hackney London Ordinary Seaman?

                  invincible

                  Janet
                  Last edited by Janet; 22-07-08, 21:58.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Hi Janet, yes, that is what is worrying me. I've found the Invincible in Valleta and Cruiser at Syracuse (and even HMS Eek!)

                    This is a friend's tree and William is not a direct ancestor, otherwise I would be sending straight off for William Vernon Grant's birth certificate to find out who he really was.

                    I either have a man both at sea and in the bosom of his family or two men of the same age, name, birthplace both in the navy.
                    Phoenix - with charred feathers
                    Researching Skillings from Norfolk, Sworn from Salisbury and Adams in Malborough, Devon.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      The description page for Invincible says it was in Grand Harbour, Valetta, Malta on census night.

                      I have seen some 1881 ship records that actually say "not on board" on the first sheet and the same poeple are listed a second time, tucked up at home. Obviously can't be the case here!

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X