SS Aegean 1914

[Mark Smith]

I am researching the life and career of a man who came from the USA in the second half of 1914 to join the British Merchant Navy. I've found his Particulars of Engagement for the various ships he served on. The problem is that I can't find anything on one of them.
He joined the SS Oslo as a fireman on 23 December 1914 giving his previous vessel as the Aegean. But I can't find any reference to a ship of that name in 1914. The Lloyd's Register has nothing.
It definitely says "Aegean", could he have made it up? Or someone misheard the name? Would he have had to produce documents from his previous ship to sign on to a new one? He wasn't alone either, another man (possibly two) signed on from the Aegean at the same time.

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Mark
Just a quick check on the Ships and if its the same one thee seems to be no Crew lists for her after 1888, but as said is this the same Ship??
Will continue to look into this and post anything that i may find
Cheers

This site may enlighten you as well on the Records for that era.

Merchant Navy seamen of the First World War - The National Archives

Where did you get the Records you now already have ???

AEGEAN

62288

Leith, 1870, Steam, 836 tons

Can you post his Name please and possible Place and date of Birth so this can assist us in helping where possible
Thanks

Official_No:		62288
1870:		E1
1871:		E1
1872:		E1
1873:		E1
1874:		E1
1876:		E2
1877:		E2
1878:		E2
1880:		E2
1881:		E2
1882:		E2
1887:		E2
1888:		E2

---

Search results for Crew Lists in British Institutions

We are not aware of any other crew agreements held at U.K. county record offices for Official
Number 62288.

[Mark Smith]

[I]Guy Harry Taylor (G H Taylor) born Hopkins County Texas on 21 February 1889. The first reference I can find of him in England are his signing on papers for the [I]SS Oslo on 23 December 1914 and the last of him in the USA is his being released from prison on 31 July 1914.
He served on the Oslo, then the Blairhall before joining the ill-fated[I] Membland[ /I]on 14 February 1915, the ship disappeared in the North Sea the following day, all 25 on board were never seen again.
I found the above on the 1915crewlists website, his last ship before joining the [I]Oslo is stated as the Aegean, but I can't find any record of it in 1914, two other men from the Aegean joined the same day.
I'm researching him because it looks very much as if Guy Taylor was the first US citizen to be killed in World War I, the usual names that crop up when searching for the first casualty are Leon Thrasher and Edward Stone, however Taylor died before both of them. We could rewrite history!


- - - Updated - - -

Sorry for the messy post above, I'm struggling with the italics button!

[Doc Vernon]

With the info you have on him so far could it not be possible to try and track his Previos Ship, and also any other Ships from the site which i think would be the same as you have ??

Crew List: Agreements and Official Logs for Ship Blairhall, Official Number 137783 | Royal Museums Greenwich (rmg.co.uk)

Just as an additive although you have a lot of info, the University of Canada has Crew List for the one Ship, and am wondering if perhaps they may have some other info on this Person. May be an Idea to Email them and ask!
Cheers

Crew List Index Search Results (mun.ca)


Just of Interest

Scarborough Maritime Heritage Centre | 15 February 1915 - Membland (scarboroughsmaritimeheritage.org.uk)

MaritimeQuest - Daily Event for February 15, 2015 SS Membland

Which you i guess already have !??

[Mark Smith]

Yes, I've looked at all those sites. I've got a genealogical society in his home town in Texas looking into it, but so far they know nothing about him leaving the USA. If I could track down the mysterious SS Aegean it might give me more info.

[Mark Smith]

As shown above the only ship of that name I/we can find was launched in 1870 and wrecked in 1888.

[Mark Smith]

These will sound like daft questions I know!
He joined the Blairhall at Hull on 9 January 1915 with the ship sailing for its final destination of Marsaille two days later. On 8 February, four weeks later, the ship was in Glasgow where he was discharged. Hull to Marsaille via Glasgow, was that normal? Also presumably it only took a few days to get to Glasgow, so why was he still on board three weeks later on 8 February? A lot of crew left in Glasgow around the same with others taking their place, so could you sign on for just part of the voyage not wishing to spend weeks sailing to the south of France?

[Doc Vernon]

I am researching the life and career of a man who came from the USA in the second half of 1914 to join the British Merchant Navy. I've found his Particulars of Engagement for the various ships he served on. The problem is that I can't find anything on one of them.
He joined the SS Oslo as a fireman on 23 December 1914 giving his previous vessel as the Aegean. But I can't find any reference to a ship of that name in 1914. The Lloyd's Register has nothing.
It definitely says "Aegean", could he have made it up? Or someone misheard the name? Would he have had to produce documents from his previous ship to sign on to a new one? He wasn't alone either, another man (possibly two) signed on from the Aegean at the same time.

Hi Mark
As this is really baffling me as well, can you possibly please upload any Pictures of any Documents you have that relate to the Ship Aegean. I know that you have researched it a lot, but this is something that is really puzzling me! I too have looked at the Lloyds Registers now and also cannot find the Ship. But do we know when it was built and where!? No. So i am just hoping that a possible clue somewhere may i say may, lead me somewhere! ?? So thank you in advance if you can upload any info you have !
Thanks
Cheers

In case here is the way to upload a Pic to a Post

How do I add a Picture to my Post (merchant-navy.net)

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Mark.
A trip from Hull to Marseilles and back to Glasgow would have been a standard trip, ships used to go to places in the med all the time. He could have paid off in Glasgow as the trip had ended or resigned on new articles for another trip, it was now unusual.
Cheers DEs

[Mark Smith]

So you think the Blairhall made it to Glasgow on the RETURN leg from Marsaille? In less than four weeks?
As suggested above the best thing to do, as I'm confounded by it all, is to go to 1915crewlists and type in the two ships Oslo and Blairhall, that'll show you G H Taylor as crew plus when and where he went. It'll also give an address in London which I can't find either! (Rose Rd, Poplar?) and the mysterious ship Aegean.
His final ship was the Membland which disappeared in the North Sea on 15 February 1915, the details of that are the least of my difficulties, it's his earlier sailing career that's proving so unintelligible.
Good luck, you'll have a much better chance at deciphering the documents than I have.
Thanks