RNR identity cards

[Lorraine Murphy]

My grandfather, William Beastall Wilkinson b. 1874 in Sheffield, Yorkshire joined as a midshipman some time prior to 1891 as his first records are recorded with the RNR. He went on during the next 7 or 8 years to become a master and eventually an extra master.
His drill ships were 'Eagle', 'Lancaster Castle' and 'Naworth Castle' which eventually brought him to Australia. He married an Australian and had 2 children one in 1912 and the other after WW1 in 1918. During the war he was a Lieutenant with the RANR on the ship HMAS 'Encounter'. He saw active duty and was involved with the taking of German New Guinea in 1914 and also the capture of the 'Zambesi'.
In December 1900, William as chief mate on SS 'Alpha' was one of nine survivors and lost all of his belongings when the ship went down. He had replacements made but as a result we have never seen or heard of anything like an identity card.
My question is - can a replica of this card be seen to the public or only the person issued with such would have had one?
Even though my grandfather sounded like an important person, there doesn't seem to be a photograph of him anywhere. Is there other records for merchant seamen that I haven't yet discovered?
I would appreciate any hints or clues that can fill in some missing gaps in his life.
He died in September, 1938 in Mauritius but I have not found any records in that country. He was living there for the last 8 years of his life.
If you need any more information, please don't hesitate to ask.
Thanks, Lorraine

[j.sabourn]

ve just re-read your post and think I was under the impression he was brought up in the RN. Sorry about that in that case. This changes my reply I sent so just ignore it as mis information. Someone I am sure will give you a more comprehensive answer. Regards John Sabourn

[Doc Vernon]

Sorry i am a bit confused here as well,reading it sounds like he was firstin the RN and later in the Merchant Navy! Is this correct!
One of the Ships you mention is recorded at the NA ,but not sure if this will help or in fact it is the correct one,as there are four Ships of the name !

Detecting your browser settings

If this is the correct Ship(1919) then from the Link you can get the Crew List,and possiblt then from there futher??
As for his ID Card well it is doubtfull that one can get a copy ,as even his records may not be available??
Again not sure on al this!
Hope that Hugh or Deep Sea may be able to shed some light on this for you!
Cheers and good luck

This Link is for the first Lancaster Castle 1884

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/c...type=Reference

From the Australian Archives some of the entries are notvery clear! Sorry!

Wilkenson WB.JPG
Wilkenson WB.JPG

[j.sabourn]

I totally misread the post the first time and was rabbitting on, on the wrong lines. Looking at again if he was born in 1874, and joined the Navy as a Midshipman he would probably have been about 13 then which would have been about 1887. If he was listed in the RNR in 1891 he was either out of the RN or as a lot were I suppose put on the reserve list on half pay or whatever. When the Lady says drill ships what does she mean, is this where he did his navy training? When she mentioned master and extra master I thought she was referring to the old RN sailing masters, but this goes back to Nelsons days and dont know when that was discarded. Anyhow I have expunged the post as was obviously misread by me. Best Regards John Sabourn

[Hugh]

Hello Lorraine and welcome,

You have a fair bit of information so you may or may not have his service file which is held at the UK National Archives, Kew. The file is held in classification ADM 340/145/37 at this link:
| The National Archives my understanding is that there will be no id card or photograph in this file.

This looks like him in a crew list held on the paysite Find My Past: Crew Lists 1861-1913 | Findmypast.co.uk

Regards
Hugh

[Doc Vernon]

Crew Lists 1861-1913 - list details

Vessel name:	Lancaster Castle
Period for crew list:	6 Jun 1890 - 29 Jun 1891
		Vessel official number:	91170
Master:	Chas SEASHORE	Port:	Liverpool
Master's address:		Port registry number:	147
Master's town (transcribed):		Port registry year:	1884
Master's town (standardised):		Horse power:
Master's ticket number:		Gross tonnage:	2154
		Net tonnage:	2095
Owner:	SEASHORE	Number of seamen:
Owner's address:	3 King St	Repository's reference:	BT99/1711
Owner's town (transcribed):	Liverpool	Log book available?:	No
Owner's town (standardised):	Liverpool, Lancashire	Record source:	The National Archives
Name Place of birth Age Year of birth Capacity Previous ship Previous ship port/year Chas SEASHORE Hull 50 Master Same 1890 W'm MAYNE Belfast 34 Mate Same 1890 Arthur T PATRICK Oxton 22 2nd Mate Matterhorn Liverpool 1889 Edward MIDGLEY Birkenhead 25 Carptr City Of Larean 1889 James MCKINSON Ayr 24 Steward Cleomeme L'vpool 1890 Gustaf A LAGERBRAMLT Stockholm 43 Cook Moncaster Castle Lvpool 1890 E T ANDERSON Aland 24 AB Same 1890 Markus IVSEN Laurvig 21 AB Same 1890 Frank LARSEN Chrisand 26 AB Buffalo Hull 1890 Knud JOHNSEN Bergen 26 AB Buffalo Hull 1890 Carl KRONE Brunswick 20 AB Buffalo Hull 1890 Otto RADERMACHER Southsea 26 AB Opah Belfast 1890 George T PALINER Sydney, Nsw 22 AB Pegasus Lvpool 1890 Kristian ANDERSEN Laurvig 26 AB Italian 1890 P L ANDERSEN Ch'ania 27 AB Crown Of D'mark Lpl 1890 Willem VIS Antwerp 31 AB Same 1890 A OLSSON Carlshamn 25 AB Same 1890 Jnr ANDERSEN Frederstrand 32 AB R'd Fisher Fleetwood 1890 Thomas RYAN L'vpool 36 AB Reindeer London 1890 William SMITH Hamburg 35 AB Clio Hull 1890 William YARNELL Woolwich 37 AB Sorrento Hull 1890 Tho's TREVOTHICK Sheffield 30 AB Annot Lyle L'vpool 1890 J ANDERSSON Malmo 20 AB Swedish 1890 M THOMBUK Malmo 25 AB Swedish 1890 Alfred HAWKINS Bristol 19 OS Kovno Hull 1890 John VILSEN Gothenberg 29 AB Gustav Vilhelm Wismer J P JOHANSSON Carlmar 31 AB Framnas Chr C E LARSSON Gothenburg 21 AB Poulien Helingo Nils E KJOLE Fredrikstad 25 AB Gaa Paa Lancaster C A A GAARDERS Fredrikstad 27 AB Frei Frstad A ERIKSON Fredrikstad 23 AB Gaa Paa D S WELLANDER Upsala 36 AB Thessalus 1890 Ludvig JOHANSEN Fredrikstad 19 AB Guam Fredrikstad Hans M LUDVIGSEN Fredrikstad 18 OS Rudolf Fredrikstad Alexander DILL Liverpool 24 2nd Mate Sokoto Lvpool 1890 E Harold C LLOYD Nottingham 21 First Voyage D MOOR London 31 AB Alan Newton 1890 John MURRAY Manchester 40 AB Rotokino 1890 A T HAWORTH England 19 AB Just In Time 1890 W GOFFUS Germany 19 AB Henriette 1890 Mathew WARDROP England 43 AB Elza Davies 1890 George WILSON London 38 AB Gulf Mo[...] 1890 H CARMICHAEL Scotland 27 AB L Etive 1890 S HASLEWOOD London 25 Steward Elingamite 1890 W ROBERTSON Dundee 24 AB Corona 1890 W FRASER Dundee 24 AB Sarah Pile 1889 J SMALL Scotland 21 AB Nemesis 1890 James NORMAN London 38 AB Childers 1890 Charles MCFAULL Larne 26 AB L Garry 1890 Tho's COMPTON London 36 AB Barrier 1890 J HENESSY W Indies 25 AB Criccieth Castle James SMITH Scotland 22 AB Daiwhar Patrick O'CONNELL England 21 AB Hygeia C E BRAGA Mexico 21 AB Liverpool J FERNANDEZ L'pool 21 AB Cardigan Castle A ANDERSON Sweden 29 AB Silver Cloud Patrick CROWE Kingstown 24 AB Harland R GODY Wales 25 AB Harland H W CAMPBELL Edinboro 35 AB Sir Henry Olaf SVENSSEN Sweden 37 AB Shore Service H HOI[...] Auckland 22 AB Wyrallah R RUSSELL Briland 47 AB Harland Tho's THOMPSON Manchester 27 AB Harland H BRONDEMCAKE Germany 31 AB Gainsborough W R WALTERS Hants 41 AB Wavertree J JOHNSON Finland 39 AB Victoria Nyanza A LUCAS London 25 AB Henriette John FOTYS St Johns, NB 32 AB Henriette H SAMUELSEN Norway 26 AB Fisherman Robt WISHOPP Longford 53 AB Port Denison John ROBERTS Llandudno 33 AB County Merioneth P G HARNELL Sweden 22 AB ... Albert HAMILTON Scotland 38 AB Easton Hall Henry WALLIS London 25 AB Blackadder Albert Mason DIXON Not recorded 14 Apprentice Indentured Hull 1890 George NUGENT Not recorded 15 Apprentice Indentured L'vpool 1887 William B WILKINSON Not recorded 15 Apprentice Indentured Hull 1890 John Brunton MUIR Not recorded 16 Apprentice Indentured Hull 1890

[Lorraine Murphy]

Hi Doc Vernon and pals,
Thanks so much for your replies. As far as I know, he was never in the RN but he did serve his apprenticeship on the 'Lancaster Castle' June 1890 -18/4/1893. ADM 240/21.
I have viewed the link that you have given me but it appears that he is not listed in 1891. He was appointed midshipman on 24/7/1891 and appears in the Navy List under RNR. I have no idea which ship he was on in 1891 but he served 3 months drill on 'Eagle' in 1894, '96 and '97 and then on 21/12/1894 sailed on the 'Naworth Castle' to Sydney, Aust.
From July 1896- Jan 1897 he was 1st mate on 'West Glen'
I have lots more on this period but I can't quite desciper the different positions that he has held.

Navy list for RNR states:
Appointment as midshipman 24/7/1891
Appointment as Sub lieutenant 13/3/1899 and Lieutenant on 10/3/1908

but on the other side, the certificates of competency by the Board of Trade read:
2nd mate - 26/7/1894
1st mate - 28/4/1896
OC - 5/1/1899 - these three certificates were no. 028112 (Foreign going ship)
then he was reissued with his OC (the loss of SS 'Alpha' 15/12/1900. certificate no. 035824
Extra master - Sydney, NSW no. 33 - 9/7/1915 (during WW1) just after spending 1 year on HMAS 'Encounter' as Lieutenant in RANR
Steam certificate - at Hong Kong 3/8/1916

Thanks also for the copy of his service records that I acquired from the NAA. I also have a very poor copy from the NA of his service records ADM/340/145. I applied to the on-line records and the copies are only the size of a 6"x4" photo (so as you can imagine to increase them to A4 is totally unreadable) Maybe, one day, I might get to Kew and view them myself.
Thank you
Lorraine

[Lorraine Murphy]

Hi John,
I have read and re-read my NA papers and I don't think that he was ever in the RN.
The first dates that I have are apprentice on 'Lancaster Castle' from June 1890- March 1893. During that time he was appointed midshipman on 27/7/1891.
The Navy list also apooints him as Sub-Lieutenant and Lieutenant during the next 5-6 years.
I have also replied to Doc Vernon with all the dates and appointments that I have. Could you please read that and tell me if I can find more records somewhere?
I do have a fair bit on his Australian life (but still no PHOTO)
I do have a photo that I found on the NAA site relating to a Captain W B Wilkinson (marine surveyor) but I am not sure whether or not it is my grandfather. The other W B Wilkinsin was a Waldemar Bernard Wilkinson in the RAN who seemed to have disappeared long before my Gfather.
Thanks
Lorraine

[Doc Vernon]

As far as I know, he was never in the RN ??
Navy list for RNR states:
Appointment as midshipman 24/7/1891
Appointment as Sub lieutenant 13/3/1899 and Lieutenant on 10/3/1908??

Hi Lorraine
From the above quotes to me it seems he was in the RN,albeit it being the Reserve! Also in the RANR !
This gets more confusing !?? Anyway will keep looking and let you know if anything else comes up!
Cheers

Not to put a damper on this search i think that the Photo you found is not the Man in question!

[Lorraine Murphy]

Hi Hugh,
I applied for a 14 day free trial with find my past but it will not let me access the Crew List or any list for that matter, is there a trick to this?
Thanks,
Lorraine