Find Ancestors

Does anyone have experience of searching for seamen on census data? I have found a couple of articles on seamen online. but both were a little vague about the process. I have ancestors who moved up to Hartlepool from Boston, Lincolnshire. One of them, Clarke Thomas Haylock b 1831, is never recorded on a census with his wife and family. I believe I have found him on FMP merchant seamen records under the name Thomas Haylock, as a steward on a steamer in 1881, but how do I search for him on census data?

for ref

1851
Witham Marsh, Boston, Lincolnshire, Engla
Ann Haylock Head Widow Female 49 1802 Labourer's Wiodw Headon, Lincolnshire, England
Clarke Thomas Haylock Son Unmarried Male 19 1832 Mariner Sibsey, Lincolnshire, England
Charles Haylock Son - Male 18 1833 Mariner Sibsey, Lincolnshire, England
Eliza Haylock Daughter - Female 16 1835 Servant Sibsey, Lincolnshire, England
Emma Haylock Daughter - Female 11 1840 Servant Boston, Lincolnshire, England
Fanny Haylock Daughter - Female 9 1842 Scholar Boston, Lincolnshire, England
George Haylock Son - Male 7 1844 Scholar Boston, Lincolnshire, England
John Witin Lodger Widower Male 66 1785 Labourer Kirton, Lincolnshire, England
William Bird Lodger Unmarried Male 48 1803 Boatman Norfolk, England

could have been at sea when cesus taken

Here he is before his marriage. If he was away at sea when the census was taken he would not be included.


Record Transcription:
1851 England, Wales & Scotland Census

Witham Marsh, Boston, Lincolnshire, England

Ann Haylock Head Widow Female 49 1802 Labourer's Wiodw Headon, Lincolnshire, England
Clarke Thomas Haylock Son Unmarried Male 19 1832 Mariner Sibsey, Lincolnshire, England
Charles Haylock Son - Male 18 1833 Mariner Sibsey, Lincolnshire, England
Eliza Haylock Daughter - Female 16 1835 Servant Sibsey, Lincolnshire, England
Emma Haylock Daughter - Female 11 1840 Servant Boston, Lincolnshire, England
Fanny Haylock Daughter - Female 9 1842 Scholar Boston, Lincolnshire, England
George Haylock Son - Male 7 1844 Scholar Boston, Lincolnshire, England
John Witin Lodger Widower Male 66 1785 Labourer Kirton, Lincolnshire, England
William Bird Lodger Unmarried Male 48 1803 Boatman Norfolk, England


and his marriage.


Clark Thomas
Last name Haylock
Sex Male
Age 23
Birth year 1832
Marriage year 1855
Marriage date 03 Jun 1855
Marriage place Boston, St Botolph
Church St Botolph
Residence Church St
Father's first name(s) John
Father's last name Haylock
Spouse's first name(s) Hephzibah
Spouse's last name Clark
Spouse's age 20
Spouse's residence Boston West
Spouse's father's first name(s) Richard
Spouse's father's last name Clark
County Lincolnshire
Country England
Archive
Lincolnshire Archives
Page 47

family in 1861
38, Albion Street, Stranton, Hartlepool, Durham, England
Hephzibah Haylock Wife Married Female 26 1835 Dressmaker Boston, Lincolnshire, England
John Thomas Haylock Son - Male 4 1857 - Hartlepool, Durham, England
Phoebe Clark Sister In Law Unmarried Female 16 1845 Formerly A Tailoress Boston, Lincolnshire, England
Charles Haylock Brother Married Male 27 1834 Mariner Boston, Lincolnshire, England
Elizabeth Haylock Sister In Law Married Female 21 1840 -

1891
Studley Road, Stranton, Hartlepool, Durham, England
sabella Haylock Head Married Female 36 1855 - Durham, England
Mary Jane Haylock Daughter Single Female 15 1876 - Durham, England
Hephzibah Haylock Daughter Single Female 14 1877 - Durham, England
Hephzibah Haylock Mother In Law Widow Female 56 1835 - Lincolnshire, England

she is a widow
-

and the Merchant seaman list.


First name(s) Thomas
Last name Haylock
Birth year 1832
Birth place Boston
Birth country England
Year 1881
Role Steward
Vessel name Zealous
From date 13 Jun 1881
To date 18 Aug 1881
Previous vessel Blythville
Previous vessel year 1881
Vessel official number 70125
Vessel registration port Hartlepool
Vessel type Steam
Gross tonnage 1392
Net tonnage 891
Log book N
Master's first name(s) H
Master's last name Powell
Owner's first name(s) George
Owner's last name Horsley
Owner's town West Hartlepool
Owner's county Durham
Owner's country England
Record source The National Archives
Document type Eng 1
Archive reference BT99/1323
Record set England & Wales Merchant Navy Crew Lists 1861-1913
Category Education & work
Subcategory Merchant Navy & Maritime


He is recorded as Thomas in 1841.


1841 England, Wales & Scotland Census

Witham Bank, Boston, Lincolnshire, England

John Haylock Male 50 1791 Lincolnshire, England
Ann Haylock Female 40 1801 Lincolnshire, England
Thomas Haylock Male 10 1831 Lincolnshire, England
Charles Haylock Male 7 1834 Lincolnshire, England
Eliza Haylock Female 6 1835 Lincolnshire, England
Emma Haylock Female 1 1840 Lincolnshire, England
Fanny Haylock Female 0 1841 Lincolnshire, England
Elizabeth Clarke Female 80 1761 Lincolnshire, England

possible ddeath

Registers Of Deaths At Sea
Archive reference BT 159/5
War -
Record set British Armed Forces And Overseas Deaths And Burials
First name(s) Thos
Last name Haylock
Death year 1886
Birth year 1830
Type At Sea
Occupation Cook
County -
Country At Sea
Place -
Death place Acaster
Document type Deaths
Page 96
Age 56
Death date 08 Nov 1886
Burial year -
Residence W Hartlepool
Records year range 1886-1888

died of paralysis

Thos
Last name Haylock
Age 25
Birth year 1831
Birth date ? ? 1831
Birth place Boston
Birth county/country Lincolnshire
Archive
The National Archives
Series BT116
Piece number 43
Date range 1853-1857
Record set Britain, Merchant Seamen, 1835-1857
Category Education & work

Maddie, thanks for the possible death reg, I hadn't come across it. Anyone know where Acaster is/was, I've come up blank on a google search?

By definition, a census is a return which records the names etc of people at a given address on a specific night (as per your thread on chat) so anyone not there should not be recorded

it was the name of the ship

Acaster
Names and owners
Year

Name

Owner
1882 Acaster Perry, Raimes & Co.
1883 Acaster W. E. Bagshaw
1884 Acaster Wood & Co.
1889 Acaster Robert Livingston
1891 Acaster Livingston, Conner & Co.
1896 Jeanne d’Arc AS Ganger Rolf
1908 Jeanne d’Arc AS Kerguelen
1912 Granli AS PO Haavik
1913 P.O. Haavik Anders Smith

Fate

While loading salt at Ibiza, Spain the P.O. Haavik grounded & was totally wrecked on 22 February 1914.

Related items :
note
Acaster - a general history

venue
Conner & Co.

venue
Perry & Co.

venue
Wood & Co.

I appreciate that, but my understanding is that in this period, second part of the 19th century, census data was taken for merchant seaman, even those in international waters on census night. My guess would be that some ships missed submitting data, but I would hope to find data in at least some census years.

1881 for Hephzibah in which she is married. 1891 above has her as widowed.


1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census

13, Studley Road, Stranton, Hartlepool, Durham, England

Hapsabey Haylock Wife Head Married Female 46 1835 Tailoress Boston, Lincolnshire, England
John T Haylock Son Married Male 24 1857 Engineer (Artiz) West Hartlepool, Durham, England
Isabella Haylock Daughter Married Female 26 1855 - Durham, England
Mary J Haylock Daughter Single Female 5 1876 - West Hartlepool, Durham, England
Hapsabey Haylock Daughter Single Female 4 1877 - West Hartlepool, Durham, England
John Harrison Lodger Married Male 52 1829 Railway Engine Driver Durham, England

From http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/UKMerchantNavyIndex.html. Maybe worth looking at.



TRACING SEAMEN ON BRITISH CENSUSES 1841 -1891





A population census was taken every ten years in Great Britain including data on merchant seamen. The records for 1841 - 1891 are available on public access at the Family Record Centre for access details see the PRO website at http://www.pro.gov.uk

1841 Seamen on shore on census night were enumerated in the same way as the general public, in the place where they spent that night. There was no provision made for recording seamen at sea on census night.

1851 Seamen on board ships in port or docked on rivers were recorded for the first time. They were enumerated by the Master and collected by the local Officer of Customs whose duty it was to submit the records. The RGSS had similar responsibility for the enumeration of ships at sea within territorial waters. Survival rate for these records is poor. The records
may be located following the normal census records for the port at which the ship was docked or the port to which it returned at the end of its voyage.

1861 Seamen on board all ships in port or docked in rivers were recorded and returns submitted to the Officer of Customs. The RGSS assumed responsibility for those at sea in territorial waters and for the first time, those 'on the high seas.' These records are filed in a separate schedule and found at the end of the regular census. The records have been indexed and alphabetical indexes are available on microfilm to both ships and seamen. These are available in many archives world wide and also through LDS libraries.

1871 - 1891 Returns filed as above, following the ordinary census records for the port at which the ship was docked on census night, or to which it returned following its voyage.

The census of 1881 requires special mention. The returns were filed as above, but in addition there is a separate index of all names in the 1881 census which includes all named mariners, along with an index of vessel names available on microfiche. The Royal Navy was separately enumerated and are similarly indexed but on separate fiche.

Note that the complete 1881 census has been placed on CD by the LDS and is available both for purchase and at their Family History Centres. Many archives worldwide also have copies.

Thanks for the info about the Acaster Maddie.

Alviegal , thanks, I had seen this, but it does seem a bit vague. I'm not sure for 1861 what it meant by "the end of the regular census". The 1871-1891 note does at least make reference to the link to the ordinary census at the port she ship was docked at, if was, or returned to. However, apart from the "home port" for a mariner, who know where else to look?

(Not answering your question.)

On FS, there's this - though not helpful:


Name: Thos Haylock
Event Type: Military Service
Event Year Range: 1853-1857
Event Place: United Kingdom
Birthplace: Lincolnshire
Birth Year: 1831

GS Film number: 1562571
Digital Folder Number: 004650195
Citing this Record
"United Kingdom, Merchant Navy Seamen Records, 1835-1941," database, FamilySearch

I had to pop out, thinking about the seamen on census issue, I think it's unlikely that anyone except a local fisherman or the like would be on a ship/boat in their home port, unless they had just arrived in port or were preparing to leave. They'd be at home with their family. It therefore follows that they would be out at sea, or in port somewhere else. Does anyone have any ideas how to go about what, on the face of it, seems like a needle in a haystack job?

If the name doesn’t show in the results, there isn’t a transcribed record

I would beg to differ on that ErikaH. I have several instances where I have found people who didn't appear in results, by manually scanning census schedules and finding them horribly mis-transcribed. That is only a viable option if you have a pretty good idea where someone should have been and it's a modest sized location. I also had a case only yesterday where the transcription missed a person out that was on the page.

If it's not already been suggested have you looked at newspapers to see where the previous ship he was on would have been on census night 1881?

Previous vessel Blythville
Previous vessel year 1881

Thanks Rambling, worth a try, not sure how much info the papers tended to publish about shipping at that time.