King's Pilot Sheerness Yard 1811

[NZTracey]

Hi, can anyone help me find records of King's Pilots at Sheerness? I have a George Story (Storey) who is referred to as a Kings Pilot in 1811 at Sheerness yard but do not know if this means he was in the Royal Navy, or Merchant or something else. He was a pilot prior to this aboard the HMS Venerable (Admiral Duncan) at Camperdown in Oct 1797. He is also referred to as a pilot or mariner on the baptism details of his children from 1781 - 1798.

[olliecat]

Hi NZTracey

Trying to find a good source of information for you on "King's Pilots" but in the meantime there is a mention here that might interest you...

https://
archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/MARINERS/2007-03/1174732979

To quote, King's Pilot "was a term that was used by the Cinque Ports Pilots and London Trinity House to cover those men temporarily appointed to serve in HM Ships"

Where does this 1811 reference to him as a King's Pilot come from? Also, have you checked the Kent Archives or Trinity House records and looked for a pilots licence for him. As an aside, on searching the National Archives for George STOREY, Sheerness there are a few results under the ADM series. You may want to check these out.

[Mutley]

I believe the dockyard at Sheerness was known as the 'Royal Dockyard' built by, (I think) King Charles.
I also think it was Royal Navy, maybe a pilot would take the ships to Chatham.

Too many "I thinks" - I'll have to go google it now.....

[helachau]

Do you have George's date of death?
There are a couple of brief reports in the newspapers - Feb 1812 - of the death at Sheerness on the 17th Feb of a " .... Mr Storey, an old pilot of this port " who was killed while piloting a man of war out of the harbour.

[Mutley]

A quote from 'A brief history of pilotage on the Thames' on the PLA site

Before 1540 any pilotage activities that happened on the River Thames were completely unregulated but in that year King Henry VIII granted Trinity House a Royal Charter to regulate pilotage on the River Thames.

It may be worth taking a look or using the contact button on the Trinity House site.
https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/

HMS Venerable was launched on the Thames at Blackwall in 1784. She was part of the Royal Navy Fleet.
It is possible that she was taken down the River Thames into the River Medway to the Royal Naval Dockyard at Sheerness and possibly onto Chatham. Somehow I feel sure that your George must have been Royal Navy.

I would also think that the Kings Pilots reference related to King George III (1760-1820).

P.S:
If you are searching google 'pilotage' may give you more shipping hits than 'pilots' that seem to only fly.

[NZTracey]

Hello, thank you for all your suggestions, the 1811 reference comes from OByrnes Naval Biographical Dictionary 1849 in the details for Lieut. Edward Medley who married Elizabeth Story daugher of George Story.

He married, in 1811, a daughter of Mr. Story, King's Pilot, of Sheerness Yard, who had served in that capacity on board the Venerable 74, in the action off Camperdown 11 Oct 1797

Another reference in the Kent, Surrey, London-Canterbury Marriage Licences 1810-1837 Vol 34 Edward Medley of HM Sloop Reynard at Sheerness Lt Bach (23) and Elizabeth Story of Minster Sheppey (18) father George Story Pilot at Minster 27 Feb 1811. He must also still have been alive at the time of Elizabeth's marriage as he is suppossed to have given his consent as she was a minor age 15yrs, this is at odds re age with the previous record.
I have requested info from the National Archive re Kings Pilots, also wondering if ADM 35/1976 Venerable Ships pay book series 111 May 1797 - March 1798 would have any useful info regarding George Story as he is suppossed to be aboard at this time.

Will follow up Kent archives and Trinity House records too

Tracey

[NZTracey]

Hello, no I haven't been able to find records of death, birth etc, just baptism of 3 maybe 4 children, & marriage of 1 daughter. What paper did you find the reference to Mr Storey in?

Tracey

[NZTracey]

Thank you, yes pilot does seem to get you more of the flying variety. Perhaps a check of the paybooks for HMS Venerable on which George Story is supposed to have served will tell me if he was Royal Navy or not.

Tracey

[olliecat]

With respect to records at the National Archives.

also wondering if ADM 35/1976 Venerable Ships pay book series 111 May 1797 - March 1798 would have any useful info regarding George Story as he is suppossed to be aboard at this time.

Worth taking a look I would say. You may also want to consider the following.

In 1802 there is a references to a pilot George Storey. See ADM 354/205/504
There are a couple of other references in 1803 and 1804 relating to a George Storey objecting to the impressment of men but I don't know if he relates.

Yes, your George Storey could have been in the Royal Navy prior to becoming a pilot but many pilots went through apprenticeships or worked in the merchant service, gaining experience on merchant ships rather than the navy before taking up pilotage. However, there are references to a Lieutenant George Storey, Wells Cutter, Sheerness or Dover that you may want to look at. The dates start from the late 1760s through to the early 1770s. See here.

There are also records relating to Sheerness Yard, such as the Sheerness Yard Letter Books. However, I have zero idea of what would be in them and so don't know if it is worth your while pursuing them. See here.

Note: for each link I have given you, click it twice if it takes you to the catalogue rather than to the relevant results page.

[olliecat]

With respect to Trinity House London and Cinque Port Records

Trinity House London deposited their archives at the Guildhall Library (and they merged with the London Metropolitan Archives.) You can search the LMA catalogue here. For an example of one result from their catalogue, see CLC/526-06 - Index to pilots' registers 1808-1986. There are other records if you search.

I would have thought that a pilot operating at Sheerness would be under the authority of Trinity House London. However, depending on what you find at the LMA, you may want to check Cinque Port records. Dover Museum holds some post-1830 material on the Dover Cinque Port Pilots (pension accounts.) The Kent Archives hold pilot licence records up to 1852. One example from their catalogue is CPw/LE1 - Pilots' examination book.

BTW: What was the name of George's wife and the names of his children?