Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: STOWAWAYS

  1. #1
    Famous for offering help & advice
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Grey County, Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    1,222

    Default STOWAWAYS



    Do you have that missing ancestor that you can't find anywhere? Have you considered a stowaway? I have just watched a program on CBC and an ancestor in this case had stowed away on a ship leaving Dorset and at age 14 had ended up in Newfoundland in the late 1700's. This young lad stayed in Newfoundland, married and had a family there. I wonder if his own family back "home" in England ever found out where he had gone?
    Something to consider when all other options seem lost.

    Sue

  2. #2
    Famous for offering help & advice
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Norfolk
    Posts
    1,359

    Default

    Hi Sue

    I have just read this interesting post. Apparently Kim Cattral's grandad stowed away on a ship from Liverpool to America but was caught once the ship docked and he was sent back to England.

    I wonder if that is one of the reasons (besides incomplete and faded ink) why we struggle to find an ancestor in a passenger list when we know through other evidence that they went abroad.

    Ben

  3. #3
    Knowledgeable and helpful
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland
    Posts
    627

    Default

    I used to work in Border Control in the UK in recent years. Stowaways remain a significant issue to this day. They are discovered all the time. However whilst it is possible to stow away for a short journey from say France to the UK without being discovered, it is much harder on a longer voyage. Few stowaways have sufficient food, adequate clothing or a sufficiently secure hiding place to remain undetected on a voyage lasting 7 days or longer (eg an Atlantic crossing). A few do succeed, and we know this from the remains they leave behind them on the ship or in a container, which get discovered sooner or later. But in most cases they either give themselves up to the crew in mid voyage due to hunger and cold, or get discovered when sneaking about the boat at night. They then get added to the passenger list and reported to the immigration authorities at the next port (as probably happened in Kim Cattral's case). So in the 1700s and 1800s I'd say it'd be virtually impossible to remain concealed on a small vessel for 3 weeks. Whether, when they were discovered, the Master always told the port authorities is another matter, but I'd say mostly stowaways on long distance voyages were discovered.


    Elwyn

  4. #4
    Famous for offering help & advice
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Norfolk
    Posts
    1,359

    Default

    Hi

    I have the same thoughts as you Elwyn. I did think that some may succeed but as you said they often gave themselves up or were discovered. I think they may have hidden in the storerooms of the ship. Some may have died on the voyage due to hunger and cold or a sudden infection from the rats lol. Plus it makes you wonder how they boarded the ship without getting caught.

    George Baugh, Kim Cattral's grandad was caught in 1935.

  5. #5

    Default

    An ancestor of mine stowed away on a ship from England (I don’t know which port he would have departed from) to Newfoundland, at the age of 12. I believe the year he stowed away would have been either 1865, 1866, or 1867. The reason for a 3 year span is that sometimes I’ve heard it told that he was 13 years old, but the majority of tellings have him aged at 12.

    I’ve often wondered how or why a 12 year old would have done this, was he in trouble, an orphan, did his family (if he had any) not worry? I don’t have much more information than that. I know he came out from hiding on the ship when he figured they were far enough from shore that they would not have returned him, and they put him off the ship when they stopped in Twillingate Newfoundland. A family took him in and gave him odd jobs to perform. He married, had children, and lots of descendents from there.

    His name was Thomas Pryor. Unless he made that up.

    If anyone has any info or resources that might help me find some answers, I would appreciate it. I know it’s a long shot but it never hurts to ask.

  6. #6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by TrapperB View Post
    An ancestor of mine stowed away on a ship from England (I don’t know which port he would have departed from) to Newfoundland, at the age of 12. I believe the year he stowed away would have been either 1865, 1866, or 1867. The reason for a 3 year span is that sometimes I’ve heard it told that he was 13 years old, but the majority of tellings have him aged at 12.

    I’ve often wondered how or why a 12 year old would have done this, was he in trouble, an orphan, did his family (if he had any) not worry? I don’t have much more information than that. I know he came out from hiding on the ship when he figured they were far enough from shore that they would not have returned him, and they put him off the ship when they stopped in Twillingate Newfoundland. A family took him in and gave him odd jobs to perform. He married, had children, and lots of descendents from there.

    His name was Thomas Pryor. Unless he made that up.

    If anyone has any info or resources that might help me find some answers, I would appreciate it. I know it’s a long shot but it never hurts to ask.
    If anyone can help TrapperB with his query please add to this thread.

    https://www.british-genealogy.com/fo...nfo?highlight=

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Hi TrapperB,

    B-G doesn't allow duplicate posts as they lead to duplicate effort which is frustrating.

    If a member spends time searching for info and posts on a thread, then finds an identical post on another thread and a second member has responded with the same info they quite naturally feel annoyed as they have wasted their time and effort.
    Alma

  7. #7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by almach View Post
    If anyone can help TrapperB with his query please add to this thread.

    https://www.british-genealogy.com/fo...nfo?highlight=

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Hi TrapperB,

    B-G doesn't allow duplicate posts as they lead to duplicate effort which is frustrating.

    If a member spends time searching for info and posts on a thread, then finds an identical post on another thread and a second member has responded with the same info they quite naturally feel annoyed as they have wasted their time and effort.
    Sorry about that. Thank you Almach

  8. #8

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by TrapperB View Post
    Sorry about that. Thank you Almach
    No problem, TrapperB.
    Alma

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Select a file: