Occupation "butcher"--where to look in National Archives?

[allyannea]

Hi everyone, I need some advice on researching an ancestor who was listed with an occupation of a "butcher" on 3 Royal Naval ships ca. 1860-1870. I am traveling to the UK in about a month to visit family, and I'll have the opportunity to do some research on this person in the National Archives.

My question is, would this person have been a warrant officer or just a rating?

My ancestor is Henry HALE, what I know is:

1861--Butcher aboard HMS Doris, per census
1865--Butcher, HMS Orontes per daughter's birth certificate
1868--Butcher, HMS Searpis per another daughter's birth cert. and wife's death certificate

Any advice is appreciated!

[Colin Moretti]

It looks as if your best bet will be to look at the Muster and Pay books first, as you know the ships on which he sailed:If you have the name of a ship and a date, it is possible to trace a seaman's service both backwards and forwards using the ships' musters in ADM 36 , ADM 37 , ADM 38 , ADM 39 , ADM 41 , ADM 115 and ADM 119 . A muster should provide a man's age and place of birth from 1764, although this has not always been entered. The information is often vague or inaccurate but it may give clues which can be followed up in parish registers. From about 1800 description books (which give age, height, complexion, scars and tattoos) may be included with musters. Where a muster is missing you can use the ships' pay books in ADM 31 , ADM 32 , ADM 33 , ADM 34 , ADM 35 and ADM 117 to confirm that a man served on a particular ship. Until the introduction of continuous service in 1853 men often moved between naval and merchant ships, which makes tracing them very difficult.

You can search for particular musters and pay books using the Catalogue. To search for a particular ship: type in the ship's name in the key word box, do not use HMS etc; enter the years you are interested in; and restrict the search to 'ADM' in the last box.See http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=39

Presumably he will be listed whether he's a rating or a WO.

Colin

[allyannea]

Thanks, Colin!

[Peter Goodey]

HMS Searpis

Serapis?

[allyannea]

Yes, sorry, I had a typo. Serapis is correct.

[neil1821]

Where was he born and what's his date of birth (roughly)?
He would have been a rating and you should be able to download his service record online.

[allyannea]

He was born in 1835 in Exeter. I downloaded his service record but it starts at 1872... Why wouldn't the earlier records be there?