HMS Thunder

[Witchypoo]

Hi Everyone

I have been ploughing through the 1891 census and what i believe to be a relative in the name of George F Goodwin it shows he was with a ship called Thunder down at the Portsmouth Dockyard His occupation was a Sailmakers Mate if I read this corectly.

Can any one tell me where I found out any thing more on this ship and maybe George's records. I am glad at least this member of my family may have at least stayed on the ship where as the last member i researched jumped ship and seem to vanish.

I have tried checking the internet and found it a maze which entry is correct. Any help would be grateful please.

Regards

Witchypoo

[Geoffers]

Registers of seamen's services in the RN from 1853-1923 can be searched and downloaded for a small fee from TNA

Could this actually be Thunderer? (What's census reference do you have for this chap?)

Have a look at Paul Benyon's web-site for some brief information.

More detail on the ship could found found using the Navy List, copies mat be purchased on CD from The Parish Chest

[keith9351]

The last HMS Thunder was scraped in 1874, there is a HMS Thunderer In Portsmouth 1890's see link below

https://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/T/04685.html

Keith (also in Essex)

[Peter Goodey]

Have you looked at the cover of the enumeration book? It looks like HMS Thunderer to me.

Wikipedia says Thunderer was was being modified from 1890-1892 which may explain why she was in the dockyard.

ADM 53/16070 at the National Archives has the ship's log.

I'm not an expert on the RN but sailmaker sounds like a dockyard employee to me. See https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/c...?sLeafletID=50

[crimea1854]

A Sailmaker was the lowest level of warrant officer (also known as inferior officers), together with the armourer, schoolmaster, cook, surgeon's mate and master-at-arms.

Since a ship could be away on a commission for perhaps two to three years, its crew had to be vitually self sufficient, hence the need for the sailmaker and his mates, who together with the carpenter and his mates, could maintain the fabric of the ship under almost any circumstances.

Regards

Martin