Genealogy Chat

Just discovered that my ancestor James Walford wasn't a fisherman...but a Chief Officer (HDS) on the ship "Dreadnought" in 1881. Doesn't that sound very important!! I am very impressed! LOL Wonder if that means he was in the navy?? Karen

Excellent! How come other people have such interesting ancestors? All I have so far is a bunch of general labourers and cotton spinners. Thought we had a telegraphist once which sounded quite fun but turns out he isn't mine. Oh well! Ali

Mostly labourers and servants with me. A couple of fisherman, and one was a trawler skipper (my grandfather)

Well done Karen, i think that sounds very important !! My lot are all farm labourers so far maybe I might find one that actually owned a farm. Esta I'm also not impressed that most of my lot seemed unable to read or write !!

Back to your original question, Karen (now we've established that your rellie is far more interesting than mine!). I'd guess that he was probably something to do with the Navy. I think you had to be pretty high up to be the Chief Officer on a ship. Esta, Mine too! Do you think that's why we get so many weird and wonderful variations of the way their spell their names?!!!

It does sound like the Navy ( who have loads of records etc available which will make your research very interesting )...One little point make sure 'dreadnaught' is the name of a ship and not the type of ship !! Good Luck Esta ALYSON Tell me about it !! They certainly don't make it easy for us do they ?? All part of the fun really, but soooooo frustrating :)

Just Googled Dreadnaught........ The original dreadnought was H.M.S. Dreadnought, the British battleship that revolutionized sea warfare during World War I: Soon after, there was a whole class of vessels known as Dreadnoughts Would a vessel from 1881 last until WW1??? Ahhhh.........sweet mysteries!!

Some of the ships have been in service for years. They certainly built them to last back then.

The census address was Newhaven, Sussex, England. How can a ship be in Essex??? Maybe I have read something wrong. Although I only recently discovered that London is a port. Must learn more about English geography.

Sussex or Essex? There's a port in Essex, I think, HARWICH???

It saya Sussex on the census. Guess that is different to Essex isn't it!?!? LOL I'm looking for a map right now, promise!!

woohooooooo I looked up Newhaven & it's down the road from Brighton which is where your beach is isn't it??

There is a pink dotted lined heading into the water so I guess that means that ships leave from there.

That's definitely Sussex and is definitely on the coast so I think you're in the right area!

Karen If you google Newhaven, you get links to Newhaven*org and Newhaven Sussex by the Sea. Both seem to have info and pictures of the Fort and wartime info, so you might strike lucky with your Dreadnaught! Ali

wow.....I am excited. The Walford line is my most interesting. They seem to be milliners, dressmakers, butchers etc. Most of the blokes in England had something to do with the water because they came from Gravesend, which I now know is a port!!! I am learning lots of new things !! My Martin family were generations of Chimney sweeps, which makes Mary Poppins much more exciting for me!!! LOL

Karen, The famous HMS Dreadnought and the class of battleships the name gave rise to were built in the early 1900's as part of the arms race against Germany. They were a 'super-size' ship for their day, and the ultimate deterent of their time. No, they were not around in 1881. The Royal Navy has a tradition of reusing names for subsequent ships, so it is possible there was another previous HMS Dreadnought around earlier. The rank Chief Officer sounds more merchant marine than Royal Navy however. Where was he in 1881? There may be a clue in the spelling of the ship's name - was it with an 'a' = Dreadnaught? There is a website - Rogues Cove - that has a sea shanty about a ship called the Dreadnaught - it is not a warship. Don't know what HDS in his title stands for though. Ian

hi just checked the census & it's spelt Vessel "Dreadnought" Census Place Newhaven, Sussex, England This is the crew.........so I guess it can't be a big ship. James WALFORD Other M Male 30 Gravesend, Kent, England Chief Officer (HDS) Thomas PIKE Other M Male 30 Rothershirth, Surrey, England Engineer Alfred SEDGE Other M Male 34 Gravesend, Kent, England Fireman Henry BONNER Other M Male 40 London, Middlesex, England Fireman William TRUELOVE Other U Male 21 Greenwich, Kent, England Seaman Frank BLACK Other U Male 19 Gravesend, Kent, England Seaman Henry LEVITT Other U Male 14 Greenwich, Kent, England Boy Don't tell me it's a fishing boat with a fancy name ?!!?!?!?!?!?!?

Karen, Sorry, it isn't a battleship! It is or looks to be a small merchant vessel. Maybe a trawler? No, I think it is a cargo ship most likely. But not Royal Navy Ian

oh poop. I founf a sailing ship called the Dreadnought but it was decommisioned in 1827. My James was a master mariner in 1901, still not sure what marine ships are. Are they fishing boats or ferry boats??