1. Smith, Watts & Watts: Records of Merchant Seamen p.xv. Also Christopher T and Michael J Watts: My Ancestor was a Merchant Seaman (London: The Society of Genealogists, 1986) p.13. For detailed background see Hurd: The Merchant Navy volume I pp.97-108

  2. Smith, Watts & Watts: Records of Merchant Seamen pp.16-17
  3. Hurd: The Merchant Navy volume I pp.100-104
  4. Smith, Watts & Watts: Records of Merchant Seamen pp.47-60 and pp.67-68

  5. Duffy, Fisher, Greenhill, Starkey & Youings: New Maritime History of Devon p.146

  6. Ibid. pp.147-149. Also Bowen: Royal Naval Reserve chapter 3 for the detailed arguments from the Admiralty and shipowners over paying for pre-sea training, which was an additional complication regarding reserve forces.

  7. Duffy, Fisher, Greenhill, Starkey & Youings: New Maritime History of Devon pp.145-148

  8. Aled Eames, Lewis Lloyd, Bryn Parry & M.K. Stammers (Editors): Cymru A’r Mor/Maritime Wales Number 15 (Caernarfon: Gwynedd Archives Service, 1992) pp.78-80; and Susan C. Passmore: Farmers and Figureheads - The Port of New Quay and its Hinterland (Carmarthen: Dyfed County Council, 1992) p.77

    9. There is other, if scanty, evidence of more navigation schools around the New Quay area. The mentioned one was in the village of Llangrannog. There was definitely another in New Quay itself, one more above Aberaeron at Henfynyw and yet one more in Aberaeron itself: the furthest distance between being seven miles. (The one in New Quay is presently a ‘tea-shop’.)

  9. From samples of crew-lists and agreements it is evident that the Scottish system of parish schools was significantly successful. A far higher percentage of Scottish mariners could read and write than others within the U.K. This is particularly evident in Liverpool based foreign-going vessels. For two examples JOHN MATTHIE see PRO: BT 98/1692 (for voyages beginning 1847 and 1848), BT 98/1978 (for 1849), BT 98/2225 and BT 98/2639 (for 1850); and for BALMORAL see PRO: BT 98/2816 (for 1852). This followed the voyages of one Scottish able seaman, who subsequently deserted in Melbourne to go gold prospecting.

  10. A large number of these have been retained for posterity, this time at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. These are filed by certificate number and I have viewed approximately four hundred (of men from a handful of Welsh villages) plus others. I would submit that viewing any block of certificates would bring about similar conclusions. Some background of the circumstances in these Welsh villages can be gleaned from Passmore: Farmers and Figureheads pp.55-68.

  11. This is a synopsis from Brian Simon: The Two Nations and the Educational Structure 1780-1870 (London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1960)

  12. This is drawn from a whole raft of sources, only some of which are from published works. An erudite appraisal of Britain’s failure in education can be found in Correlli Barnett: The Audit of War - The Illusion and Reality of Britain as a Great Nation (London: Pan Books, 2001) pp.201-233. See also Paul Thompson: The Edwardians - The Remaking of British Society (London: Routledge, 1992) for many passing references.

  13. Summers: GANGES p.26

 

 

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