Was my Great Grandfather a sailor - or a fabricator of truth?!!!

[JLWiltshire]

My Great Grandfather, George Albert Champniss, was born in Southwark on 1st March 1840. He died in 1926 aged 86. I have found him in every census - always in the UK! He was variously a jewelcase maker, a beer seller, a photographer, a cowkeeper and dairyman! His obituary in the local paper states the following:


He had been a seafaring man and could yarn by the hour of incidents in an adventurous career in many seas. He ascribed his life at sea and the regular tot of rum which he continued ashore as the main causes of his extraordinary vigour.

I just don't know whether he totally made up these stories or whether he could have been a sailor for a short while between censuses. Does anyone have any tips for helping me to find out? I did have a researcher look at some medals he proudly wore at two coronations (Edward & George) but he thought they were just civic memorabilia.
I would love to know whether he was a teller of tales - or the truth!!

[naomiatt]

Hi - anything in here at all http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...nline/navy.asp
Besides Southwark, where else did he live. He could have perhaps sailed if he was living near the docks.
Certainly sounds like a character!

[Guest]

suppose you saw this on Familysearch

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/IGI/individual_record.asp?recid=100373822846&lds=1&region=2&regionfriendly=British+Isles&frompage=99

[JLWiltshire]

Yes I did - many thanks though. I have a full profile for bmd & censuses but can find nothing to substantiate his sailor stories at all!

[JLWiltshire]

suppose you saw this on Familysearch
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Sear...es&frompage=99

He seems to have been at Willesden for most of his life. Good point about living near the docks though. I've started going through the records via the link you gave me - many thanks for that. As yet, they haven't heard of him!!

[garstonite]

Have you thought he might have worked on a Ferry....cross channel / Newhaven /Harwich / or any of these routes....here in Liverpool we have many men who work ferries to Dublin /Dun Laohre/Belfast/ Isle of Man...and then when that gets a little boring they go `Deep Sea ` for a 6 month trip....the wife moans...so they go back on the Ferries for a while...it keeps the Mariner happy AND his wife....it`s not as unusual as you may think for a Sailor to be living at home 3 years out of 4...allan;)

[Elaine ..Spain]

His will shows on the Probate Calendar on Ancestry - do you have a copy of that to see if it helps, for example the distribution of personal possessions, etc.

[Velma Dinkley]

Are you absolutely sure that the obituary is for him and not someone of the same name?

[JLWiltshire]

Yes absolutely certain - Champniss is a very unusual name and the obituary is from his local paper - everything else in it squares absolutely.