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  1. #1
    David_Ealing
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    Default Coastuards and the Crimean War

    Does anyone know how to find out if a particular coastguard served in the Crimean War rather than at their coastguard station for any time in the period 1854-1856? More than 3,000 coastguards did serve in the War.

    My great great great grandfather claimed sometimes that my great great grandmother could not have been his child because he was away in the Crimean War.

    I'd be grateful for any assistance.

  2. #2
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default

    Welcome to the British-Genealogy forums.

    Have you tried The National Archives (TNA) and the records they hold on coastguards? See this link for their research guide on coastguards.

  3. #3
    Valued member of Brit-Gen
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Essex
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    340

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    David

    I appreciate that it is some time since your original post, but I am currently compiling a database of CG men who served in the RN during the Crimea War. To date I've identified almost 2000, so if you would like me to see if your man is one of them please let me know. However, if you now have the answer, and he did serve, perhaps you could let me know so that I can add him to my list.

    Regards

    Martin

  4. #4
    David_Ealing
    Guest

    Default

    The man in question was William Sherlock, who served on HMS Nile. He claimed that Grace Alice Sherlock could not have been his daughter because he was away in the Crimea when she would have been conceived. I still haven't been able to absolutely verify this.

    David

  5. #5
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default

    You haven't given enough detail of your chap to make it worth my while searching, but you might try TNA's catalogue.

    In the word or phrase field enter your chap's name
    In the department or series code, enter ADM

    Then search - any hits who might match? If there are, you can request TNA to provide copies of the record.

  6. #6
    Valued member of Brit-Gen
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    Nov 2008
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    Essex
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    David

    As you rightly say William was on HMS Nile during the Crimea War and is already recorded in my database. I do not know the date of this questionable birth, but because the Baltic ports froze over during the winter, the larger ships returned to England. It is therefore possible that a child could have been concieved during a leave period in the winter of 1854.

    Regards

    Martin

  7. #7
    David_Ealing
    Guest

    Default

    The birth was on 29 October 1855, so conception would probably have been in February that year. Do either of you know where HMS Nile was at that time?

    Thanks for any assistance. I can go to the National Archives to check.

  8. #8
    Marie C..
    Guest

    Default

    Remember time from Conception to birth is around 280 days give or take 14 days allowing either way. So if the chap was away from Home from end January to about end Feb then it is doubtful that he fathered the child(by my reckoning). It is 271 days from beginning Feb to 29 Oct.
    The so called 9 months gestation is nearer 10 months. M

  9. #9
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by David_Ealing View Post
    The birth was on 29 October 1855, so conception would probably have been in February that year. Do either of you know where HMS Nile was at that time?
    You could try the ship's log:

    HMS NILE 22 Nov 1854 - 10 Sep 1855

    This document is at TNA - you could request TNA to provide an estimate for copying the log for a specific time period.

    Paul Benyon's site gives some information on location of ships at different times (look at the index of RN vessels).

  10. #10
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default

    PS - Further to the above message.

    Use a search engine to look for 'HMS Conway 1855'.
    (HMS Nile was renamed Conway in 1876).

    There is a site dedicated to the ship and its hstory records that on 23rd Dec 1854 the ship was dry-docked at Devonport following a minor collision.

    Repairs completed, it departed for the Baltic in April 1855

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