Falmouth Packet Service

[Barbara Wilkinson]

Does anyone know if records exist for the Falmouth Packet Service; I cannot find any reference to such records in the information I have about the Cornwall Record Office - but that might just mean I am looking in the wrong place!

My 3xgreat grandfather JOHN MINTO was a master mariner, apart from being extremely elusive ......!!

JOHN MINTO married ELIZABETH TOWSEY (nee ROWE) on 9 November 1819 in Falmouth, Cornwall, although it appears that he changed his name from THOMPSON to MINTO. Another researcher into the MINTO family has an engraved cup in his possession which was awarded to JOHN THOMPSON for distinguished service as temporary captain of the brig “Grace”, which was on charter to the Falmouth Packet Service to deliver the mails to the Leeward Islands; the engraving on this cup has apparently been changed from Thompson to Minto. As far as I as aware, there is no date on this cup. John had died by 1851; his wife Elizabeth is shown on the 1851 census as a widow. Judging by his name at his marriage, it would appear that he changed it before 1819.

[AnnB]

Hello Barbara
Don't know whether this will be of any use to you, but I had a quick Google and found a Falmouth Maritime site at http://www.falmouthmaritime.co.uk/id47.htm which, if you scroll down the list has a link to Falmouth Postal Packet Archives.
Best wishes
Ann

[Frank W]

Hi Barbara

The place you need to look in is the Royal Mail/Post Office Archives situated at the Mount Pleasant complex in London. (only a short walk from the London Metropolitan Archives, and only a little further away from the Family Records Centre in Islington.)

They have a wealth of records relating to HM Packet Service, and the Packet Commanders, including promotions and postings.

With luck you may be able to trace your ancestor for quite a few years. My own ancestor had a relatively short career, and finally succumbed to the effects of a horrendous sea passage from Port Patrick to Holyhead.

I'll see if I can find my earlier stuff, as your man may have been mentioned in the Packet Minutes of the Post Office Board.

Ther are some Master Mariner records at the Guildhall Library in London as well.

Regards........Frank W

[Frank W]

Hi Barbara

I found the list of Packet Captains at Falmouth (7 of them, with the dates of their Commisions ranging from 13 April 1816 to 16 April 1822.) No Thompson or Minto among them, and as there is a note that says: "Falmouth Packets transferred to the Admiralty 5 April 1823" it seems unlikely that your man ever got onto the Post Office Establishment.
I could not see either surname on any other of the Packet Establishment Captains lists, so he must have remained as a chartered Captain. Its possible that there may be some accounts still in PO Archives relating to payments
for his services, assuming that he had chartered his own vessel to the Packet Service. Also possible is that there may be something in Admiralty records at National Archives at Kew.
Worth a trawl via the on-line Catalogue ?
I have still to find some other info on the Falmouth Packets generally, and will let you know if successful.
Regards........Frank W

[Barbara Wilkinson]

Thanks very much Frank and Ann - it's good of you to take the trouble:)

I will have a trawl around the National Archives site and also contact Post Office Archives - I know from previous experience that they can be helpful.

For future reference - if anyone needs information about the origins of the Masonic movement in the USA, there is plenty to be found on the link Ann provided ........!!

Thanks to both of you again!!

[AnnB]

Have just had a quick look at the link again, but can't see anything about Masons - or was I looking too quickly :confused:
Best wishes
Ann

[Barbara Wilkinson]

No Ann - probably not..... I had forgotten that I followed a few of the links on the site!!

I searched on the site for the brig "Grace", and lots of results came up (none about the Grace unfortunately!!), but Benjamin Franklin was Postmaster General at one time before the American War of Independance, and lots of the promising links were about him - that's where the Masons bit comes in ....! Sorry to mislead you!!

I have since found the site for the National Maritime Museum of Cornwall - which I have to admit, I did not know existed! That has a library attached, which apparently has lots of information about the Falmouth Packet Service - so I have emailed them to see if they have any information.

Thanks again for your interest.
Barbara

[AnnB]

Thank goodness for that, I thought I had finally flipped :eek:
Best wishes
Ann