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7th August 2016, 05:48 AM
#1
Malabar 1847
Hello everyone, I have no naval connections but I am doing some research into a man named Joseph Seer who was apprenticed to the East India Company for five years and set sail on the Malabar on 19 July 1847. Does anyone know if I find can details of his apprenticeship and movements and what he have been apprenticed as? Would he have been allowed any home leave as an apprentice? The ship sailed between London and Bombay I believe,
Many thanks,
Mick Davis
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7th August 2016, 09:15 AM
#2
Re: Malabar 1847
Mike I have found a painting of the Wooden Clipper 'MALABAR'....malabar-1860-py9319.jpg But this one was built in 1860 by Pile of Sunderland for Greens Blackwell Line, she traded between London and India, Bombay, alcutt and Madras. She was brokenup in Calcuitta in 1882.
I dont dont know if she is the one your looking for, she fits in all aspects except your date of 1847. Hope it might be of some help to you. If you google her you can fill in the dates she sailed and Companies.
Good Luck
John
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7th August 2016, 09:48 AM
#3
Re: Malabar 1847

Originally Posted by
Michael Davis
Hello everyone,,
Many thanks,
Mick Davis
.my grandfathers brother drowned while joining the malabar on boxing day 1912 .....he was andrew cram AB from the shetlands ....dont know what tpe of vessel whether a windbag or a steamer ..regards cappy
Last edited by Doc Vernon; 7th August 2016 at 07:24 PM.
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7th August 2016, 10:02 AM
#4
Re: Malabar 1847
As regards leave, no official leave, depends on how well the mate liked him if he got any unofficial leave. Just think of Oliver Twist going up and asking for more food and in place of food put leave. Cheers JWS
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7th August 2016, 12:41 PM
#5
Re: Malabar 1847
Michael, Malabar in Sydney is named after a Burns Philp Line vessel Malabar, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malabar,_New_South_Wales .
You might also be interested in the Merchant Navy link to Burns Philp I have on the Home page of Queensland Insurance Company Oldies
Good Luck, Richard
Last edited by Richard Quartermaine; 7th August 2016 at 12:43 PM.
Our Ship was our Home
Our Shipmates our Family

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7th August 2016, 06:33 PM
#6
Re: Malabar 1847
I can't add much information.Sailing ships of the early/mid 19th century are hard to research.I feel sure she would have been a P & O vessel,as later vessels continued to perpetuate the name MALABAR.
Founded in 1836, the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company,sailed from London to Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean. The company began a service to Alexandria and an overland journey to Port Suez with a connection to India (not P&O at the time until 1840). The overland route was the quickest way to India. Passengers disembarked at Alexandria, and journeyed for12 hours up the Nile to Cairo. Special shallow-draft vessels then carried them to Cosseir and passengers then travelled in mule drawn carriages to Port Suez.The distance was 250 miles and the scheduled transit time was 88 hours. With the completion of the Alexandria - Suez railway in December, 1858 the route was changed.
In 1845 P&O services were extended to Singapore and the Far East and in 1852 they started a bi-monthly Singapore to Australia service. Southampton - Capetown - Australia sailings were started in 1853 and the opening of Suez Canal in 1869 shortened the journey times considerably
The earliest recorded MALABAR I can find was built in 1858 on the P & O Heritage website HERE.
However there is mention of a convict ship MALABAR of 1819 HERE.
Last edited by Gulliver; 7th August 2016 at 06:38 PM.
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7th August 2016, 07:34 PM
#7
Re: Malabar 1847
Hello
Don't know if this may also help however the Ships official Number was 20849
And there is detail at the NA of the Crew List ,so may be you could order this to assist you,
Official Nos: 20771, 20773, 20774, 20775, 20777, 20778, 20788, 20789, 20791, 20794,... | The National Archives
Ship Name:
exact name search
Official Number:
ID:
Search guidelines
Single Ship Report for "1020849"
IDNo:
1020849
Year:
1858
Name:
MALABAR
Keel:
18.5.57
Type:
Passenger/cargo
Launch Date:
21.10.57
Flag:
GBR
Date of completion:
4.3.58
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tons:
917
Link:
1070
DWT:
Yard No:
67
Length overall:
Ship Design:
LPP:
Country of build:
GBR
Beam:
Builder:
Wm Denny & Bros
Material of build:
Location of yard:
Dumbarton
Number of
screws/Mchy/
Speed(kn):
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Naval or paramilitary marking :
A:
*
End:
1860
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subsequent History:
[L as SEMIRAMIS]
Disposal Data:
wrecked Hospital Reef, Galle harbour 22.5.60
Last edited by Doc Vernon; 7th August 2016 at 07:37 PM.
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7th August 2016, 07:42 PM
#8
Re: Malabar 1847
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7th August 2016, 07:51 PM
#9
Re: Malabar 1847
There is also this at the Canadian University Archives ??
Crew List Index Search Results
Search results for Crew Lists in the Maritime History Archive
Types of Agreements and Accounts page provides an explanation for the codes referring to
the crew agreements held at the Maritime History Archive.
https://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/view...ial_No=1020849
Official_No: 102084
1896: D1
D1
Official Log Present
Title: Official Log Book and Account of Voyages and Crew for vessels of less than 80 tons register; exclusively employed upon the coasts of the United Kingdom.
Description: An account of voyages and crew and an official logbook in one bound document.
Lineage: Created to fulfill the requirements of the 1883 Merchant Shipping Act.
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7th August 2016, 08:31 PM
#10
Re: Malabar 1847
I think we sailing way off course here.
The clue is in the first post by Michael. If you read it you will see that Joseph Seer was an apprentice on MALABAR in 1847 therefore the ship MALABAR that he is asking about must have been built in 1847 or before. Registration of Merchant vessels only began in 1854, so no official number.
Possibly this one: Google
With regard to Joseph Seer, Apprentice records are held at Kew in piece BT 150/1-53. There is a record for a man by that name. The file is also on the pay site Ancestry - I don't have an account but maybe our own Maid Marian can have a look on your behalf. All UK, Apprentices Indentured in Merchant Navy, 1824-1910.
Regards
Hugh
"If Blood was the price
We had to pay for our freedom
Then the Merchant Ship Sailors
Paid it in full”
www.sscityofcairo.co.uk
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