Ireland
06-04-2008, 1:58 PM
Hi,
I'm trying to trace my grandfather's life as a ship's engineer & am not sure where to go to look at any records which may exist.
He was born in 1888 and died in 1974 in Widnes, Cheshire.
I have him living in Northwich, Cheshire with an uncle in the 1901 census but can't find him again until he married my gran (Florence Ann MEACHIN) in 1927 in Northwich ... except for the following:
In 1910 - member of the Amalgamated Engineering Union in Widnes.
In 1912 - discharged from the SS California in Callas (S America I think) & appointed as 5th Engineer.
In 1914 he had a reference from the Chief Engineer in Beunos Aires.
By 1916 - back in Widnes, Cheshire...
I think what I'm most curious about (& thankful for) is why didn't he go to war? Was an Engineer on a ship a "noble" profession? Would there have been a reason to travel all the way to South America?
Grandad used to tell me (as a 10yr old) about how he was on the ship which passed the Titanic. I think he was at sea at the time but not on the right boat (SS Californian)!!
Regards,
Val
I'm trying to trace my grandfather's life as a ship's engineer & am not sure where to go to look at any records which may exist.
He was born in 1888 and died in 1974 in Widnes, Cheshire.
I have him living in Northwich, Cheshire with an uncle in the 1901 census but can't find him again until he married my gran (Florence Ann MEACHIN) in 1927 in Northwich ... except for the following:
In 1910 - member of the Amalgamated Engineering Union in Widnes.
In 1912 - discharged from the SS California in Callas (S America I think) & appointed as 5th Engineer.
In 1914 he had a reference from the Chief Engineer in Beunos Aires.
By 1916 - back in Widnes, Cheshire...
I think what I'm most curious about (& thankful for) is why didn't he go to war? Was an Engineer on a ship a "noble" profession? Would there have been a reason to travel all the way to South America?
Grandad used to tell me (as a 10yr old) about how he was on the ship which passed the Titanic. I think he was at sea at the time but not on the right boat (SS Californian)!!
Regards,
Val