I've found more info on Joseph Bridges, sort of ...

[Kit]

Well I am now the proud owner of the original Certificate of Discharge dated 1870 for my elusive 2greats grandfather Joseph Bridges.

He was a seaman on the ship Victory between 5/4/1870 and 6/9/1870. He was engaged at Calcutta and discharged at L'dow (Ludlow?). There are other certificates but I don't have them nor know the contents. But he must have spent some time in the navy.

I'd like to trace his time in the Navy but don't know how to do it. I've had a look at the National Archives site but I'm not very good at searching it.

Could some kind person help me?

He was born 9/3/1842 in Whitechapel London married in India in 1878. Church register says he was a widower but no idea who the first wife was or if the info is actually correct. Information someone found for me was that he was appointed to the East India railway company in Nov 1871 when he was 26y6mths old.

[Uncle John]

L'dow - isn't it more likely to be a port than somewhere inland? How about an abbreviation for London?

[Kit]

Yes I agree, I would have thought it was a port but I have no idea where Ludlow. The abbreviation is L'dow though.

[Uncle John]

Yes I agree, I would have thought it was a port but I have no idea where Ludlow. The abbreviation is L'dow though.

Ludlow is in Shropshire, about as far from the sea or a navigable river as you can get!

[Kit]

Well its no wonder I'm having trouble finding him. lol

[Phoenix]

If you search the Catalogue, on TNA,

PUT vICTORY in 1st box, then 1870 to 1870 and ADM at the bottom.

You should find at least a log book, to show where he went and ifyou are lucky, the muster, to show his service, provide a description etc.

[Phoenix]

Or possibly he was not in the Royal Navy at all, but in the Merchant Navy?

Could Ludlow be Lucknow? (If that is on the coast!)

[Uncle John]

Could Ludlow be Lucknow? (If that is on the coast!)

That thought crossed my mind too. But it's way inland, near the border with Nepal. Wasn't there a siege there during the Indian Mutiny?

[Kit]

I'll try searching Phoenix thanks. I'm useless on that site but will try again. As for the Royal Navy vs Merchant Navy its possible. What is the difference between the 2 and would there be better records for one?

Re-reading the certificate the fine print says: 'for seaman discharged before the superintendant of a mercantile marine office in the united kingdom, a british consul or a shipping officer in british posession abroad" so maybe it is the Merchant Navy. It was signed at the Hammet Street office so I'll goggle to see if I can find where that is.

As for L'dow you could be right. Maybe I should have started a thread asking where that was. lol