How Young ?

[Mick UK]

My Grandfather Born 1894 ran away from home and went to sea.
My question is, in the early 1900's how young could you be to work on a ship ? Would he have signed on ? Were there any records kept and can you search them by name and year only ?
He was born in Wandsworth so I would assume it would have been from the London Docks.
Mick UK

[Geoffers]

My Grandfather Born 1894 ran away from home and went to sea. My question is, in the early 1900's how young could you be to work on a ship ? Would he have signed on ? Were there any records kept and can you search them by name and year only ? He was born in Wandsworth so I would assume it would have been from the London Docks.
Best place to look for this will probably be The National Archives at Kew. You might begin by checking their resrearch guides. From the home page of their website http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ move your cursor over 'Getting started' in the red bar near the top of the screen. From the drop-down menu, select 'Index to research guides' and then click on the letter 'M' you'll see a lot of guides, one of which should read something like 'Merchant Seamen Service 1913-1972' (I think they go on to 1972, around about that time anyway.

As to age of going to sea, 12 is the youngest I've found for the late Victorian period.

Geoffers
Charlbury, Oxfordshire

[Mick UK]

Geoffers

Thanks for the information which I will check out, sent you a thanks email but am unsure that you received it.
Again many thanks.
Regards Mick UK