Looking for ship of ancestor C R Bowling, Chief Mate

[samantha kelly]

Hi all, forgive me if this is not the right place. My husband's 4 x grandfather was a chief mate back in the 1800s. Family rumour has it that he was on the SS Great Eastern, is there anywhere I can find his records or certificates. His name was Charles Rodber Bowling and he was born on 1st November 1839 in Nice, France or at that time maybe Italy. He received a certificate of competency of chief mate for marine board of the port of London on 22nd February 1862. Any help much appreciated!

[Marian Gray]

Hi Samantha, Posting these four documents first [ Civil Service Evidence of Age] for family reference as they are from his mother just in the off chance you don't have them already. In no particular order and pertaining to this script via Find My Past:

These vital records are for established civil servants and civil service examination candidates, collected by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) from 1855 in order to establish accurate birth dates for the purpose of either ensuring that an examination candidate was of the required age, or granting a pension.

The CSC still held original documents by the 1980s for approximately 60,000 individuals, consisting largely of items that it would be impractical to replace, such as personal testimonials or documents from overseas.

This important genealogical collection was deposited at the Society of Genealogists (SoG) and provides unique and often irreplaceable evidence of birth when other sources are unlikely to be available. It is estimated only 2 percent of the papers originally held by the Civil Service are contained in this collection. The remaining 98 percent were destroyed by the Civil Service.

Records pre-dating civil registration back to 1752

This vital records collection spans evidence of birth from 1752 until the twentieth century, although the majority of births recorded took place in the nineteenth century.

Irish records, Scottish records, Indian and Anglo-Indian records, plus many more
Many candidates for the Service had been born in places and at times when no state registration of births existed, as is the case for Scottish and Irish candidates and for those born in foreign countries, on board ships (more than 80 births) and in the British colonies.

The original documents appear in a variety of languages other than English, including Dutch, French, German, Italian, Latin and Swedish.

Acknowledgements

The Society of Genealogists is grateful to all those volunteers who participated in the creation of this index. Colin Gibbens instigated the project and worked on it from start to finish.



gbor_cseoa_015_0262.jpg
gbor_cseoa_015_0263.jpg
gbor_cseoa_015_0264 (1).jpg
zonanzha.jpg


Not quite sure what is available re Charles and his seafaring days, off now to have a look

[samantha kelly]

Many thanks ��

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Samantha
As this is a very old time period, i dont know if one would find much, but i stand corrected.
There is one Crew list for that Ship at the National Archives dates to 1860, so there is a possibility that he may be on the list? (The Ship was Built in 1858 as i see it>>)
So for now this is all i can find, however will keep looking and i am sure Hugh on our site, will look into this . He has a lot more Tenticles out than i do. LOL

Cheers

Ships' Official Numbers: 21873-21891 | The National Archives

[Marian Gray]

Hi Samantha, found this record below for Charles aged 14yrs but for whatever reason [unable to read it] he doesn't appear to have sailed. I'm sure Vernon will enlarge this for you, meanwhile back to the drawing board

''Apprentices Indentured in Merchant Navy, 1824-1910'' from Ancestry.

42482_6130000_0001-00042.jpg

[Marian Gray]

Thank you Vernon, hope someone can read it. All I can decipher in red is ''cancelled at London 20/9/1854.....??.......last date given 20/12 1855.

In printed form but no red lettering so no wiser
Name Charles Rodber Bowling
Age 14
Birth Year abt 1840
Registration or Indenture Date 1 Apr 1854
Port of Registry Southampton

Samantha on his first marriage cert Charles is listed as a Merchant Marine in 1863 however, by 1864 he is employed by Great Western at Paddington'

32167_626640_0028-00082.jpg

Name Chas Rodber Bowling
Age 24
Birth Date abt 1840
Residence Date May 1864
Station Paddington
Company Great Western
Description Register of Clerks. Vol 3A. Described at item level [1835-1910]

To avoid searching the same places where have you tried yourself? Also are you on Ancestry? Lots of details on extended family members.

Late now, will try again tomorrow for the years inbetween.

[Doc Vernon]

Possibly a bit clearer ?
Cheers

32167_626640_0028-00082 Bowling.jpg

zonanzha.jpg

[Doc Vernon]

Not sure where Marian got her Info from on the Indentures, and as said hard to read.
However this Link gives the Year 1855 Indentures , but one has to apply at National Archives, so dont know if this may hold his Record!?
Leave it up to the Poster!
Cheers

London | The National Archives

[j.sabourn]

Just an additive to those who like to use certificates of competency and their dates of issue.
Depending when and where they were issued and when exactly were ready for delivery is not really accurate. E.G.my last certificate was passed in December 1963 , but was not issued until February 1964 . In the meantime if successful in passing you were issued with what was called by us, a pink slip giving authorisation to sail in that rank issued by the Head Surveyor at whatever MOT office you took the exam. If still requiring seatime for further certificates the date on your certificate of issue was not used , your discharge book was used . Further to this the only person on a ship not requiring an entry in a discharge book was the Master. The only reason I kept mine up to date was for confirmation of 2 years actual seatime in every 5 years otherwise an updating of knowledge was required which was a week at some nautical school to make sure you hadn’t missed anything new in your absence. Otherwise the only record would be your name on the various Ships Registry’s . JS

[j.sabourn]

#9 One could say I was sailing on it before it was ever printed , and certainly before the ink was dry. As regards the Updating of knowledge never had to do as was always down by the head with seatime, I was led to believe it was mainly the M notices usually found in the Notices to Mariners they were mainly Ministry notices such as “ the fine for entering a British port not flying your country of Registration flag has been increased from five pounds to 20 pounds “. JS.