Sea School for West Ham Man c.1900

[David Lansley]

As there are no merchant seamen records between the 3rd and 4th series, I thought it may be possible tosee where my GGF Joseph William Jones trained. He was born in 1873, brought up in Bromley and was married in 1895.

My family say he joined the Merchant Navy, although in the 1891 Census he is an Inn Ostler.From 1897 he lived in West Ham. In 1911 he disappeared and is thought to have relocated to Australia - I have a tentative sighting of him in a crew on board the SS Mamari which arrived in Sydney on 15 June 1911 .

My question is : what are the possible places/ships where he may have trained up circa 1885 - 1905 ??
I know the Gravesend school didn't open til 1918 - when his son Alfred went there.

[David Lansley]

Small world..... his son, Alfred Jones, my Grandfather, lived in Yatton after evacuation...

Thankyou for the link

Important thing I didn't mention . In 1905 on a the above son's birth certificate is his occupation...SHIP'S HAIR DRESSER

I'd be grateful for any one with knowledge of this role in the Merchant Navy. Was a barber usually consigned to one ship ?