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The National Archives think the term AB is also applicable to the Merchant Navy:

https://tinyurl.com/y8w4msbr

OK, but would someone who was a mere AB in 1891 be a Master Mariner only four years later/

He would have had to go through several Mates certificates first.

If though, the theory that Andrew Nelson wasn’t deceased at the time of his daughter’s marriage, is the information that he is a master mariner on her marriage certificate correct? Her husband Thomas Rogers Evans, and all his brothers, father, grandfather, brother in laws etc., were all master mariners so could it be that master mariner is actually right or just used as it was the main profession of the family she married into?

I might try looking for vessels that sailed the Shanghai route with a captain called Andrew Nelson or seaman. It’s a real brick wall for me.

Or if Andrew had left the family years before, as previously suggested, perhaps it was just wishful thinking on Minnie's part.

Do you have any idea who Minnie’s mother was?
Was Minnie an only child?

One of Victoria's earlier threads about Minnie, including links to others:

https://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/ancestors/thread/1363957

No idea who the mother is. Another mystery.

On the 1891 census Minnie is staying with Mary Thomas and is listed as a niece. I believe this is a transcription error. The other nieces and nephews listed are correct. If Minnie is a niece this would mean her and her husband to be are first cousins - this has never been spoken about yet other marriages between cousins were common knowledge so I think it would have been. If she is indeed a niece then her mother can only be Lowri/Laura Rogers (parents Hugh Rogers and Grace Samuels) as she is the only one from that family I have been unable to trace although I don’t think she is as family always thought Lowri had married a seaman and had 2 daughters Margaret and Laura. I guess there is a possibility she is Mary Thomas’ husband’s niece?

Minnie’s early life fascinates me and there seems so little to go on. I would dearly love to be able to travel to Shanghai and search local records there but I believe they are not available even if I could.

Let's see if we can help with Laura!

Laura Jones Rogers
in the Caernarvonshire, Wales, Anglican Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1541-1994
Name: Laura Jones Rogers
Baptism Age: 0
Record Type: Baptism
Birth Date: 1842
Baptism Date: 14 Jun 1842
Baptism Place: Wales
Father: Hugh Rogers
Mother: Grace Rogers
Page number: 384


Laura Rogers
in the 1851 England Census
Name: Laura Rogers
Age: 9
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1842
Relation: Visitor
Gender: Female
Where born: North Wales, Bangor
Civil Parish: Toxteth Park
Ecclesiastical parish: St Thomas
Phillimore Ecclesiastical Parish Maps:
View related Ecclesiastical Parish
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street Address: 211 Grafton Place
Occupation:
Condition as to marriage:
Disability:
View image
Registration District: West Derby
Sub-registration District: Toxteth Park
ED, institution, or vessel: 1uu
Neighbors:
Household Schedule Number: 86
Piece: 2187
Folio: 197
Page Number: 22
Household Members:
Name Age
Robert Williams 38
Ellen Williams 37
Ellen Williams 9
Chatlone Williams 7
Mariam Williams 3
Catherine Cundy 22
Hugh Royer 37 - Master Mariner - [Rogers on image]
Gedel Royer 37 - [Grace Rogers on image]
Margaret Royer 12 - [Rogers on image]
Laura Rogers 9
Anne Rogers 3 Mo

First name(s) Hugh
Last name Rogers
Birth year -
Event year 1836
Banns year -
Marriage year 1836
Marriage date 07 Sep 1836
Marriage place Bangor
Residence Holyhead
Spouse's first name(s) Grace
Spouse's last name Samuel
Spouse's birth year -
Spouse's residence Bangor
County Caernarvonshire
Country Wales
Event Marriage

Hugh and Grace in 1881:

Hugh Rogers
in the 1881 Wales Census
Name: Hugh Rogers
Age: 67
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1814
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Grace Rogers
Gender: Male
Where born: Holyhead, Anglesey, Wales
Civil Parish: Llandwrog
County/Island: Caernarvonshire
Country: Wales
Street Address: Bodhyfryd
Condition as to marriage: Married
Occupation: Merch Service Retired Capt
Registration District: Carnarvon
Sub registration district: Llandwrog
ED, institution, or vessel: 16
Neighbors:
Piece: 5563
Folio: 74
Page Number: 3
Household Members:
Name Age
Hugh Rogers 67 - Merchant Service, retired Captain
Grace Rogers 65


Laura and siblings in 1861. (Ancestry's transcription mixes them up with other neighbouring families.)

Laura Jones Rogers
in the 1861 Wales Census
Name: Laura Jones Rogers
Age: 18
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1843
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Jonathan Roberts (lives at no 46)
Mother's Name: Anne Roberts (lives at no 46)
Gender: Female
Where born: Caernarvon, Caernarvonshire, Wales
Civil Parish or Township: Bangor
Ecclesiastical parish: Bangor
County/Island: Caernarvonshire
Country: Wales
Street Address: 49 Glendwr Terrace
Registration District: Bangor
Sub-registration District: Bangor
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Household Schedule Number: 49
Neighbors:
Piece: 4351
Folio: 31
Page Number: 8
Margaret Rogers 22 - daughter [but no parents with them]
Laura Jones Rogers 18 - daughter
Anne Rogers 10 - daughter
Hugh Rogers 7 - son
Samuel Floyd Rogers 5 - son


ROGERS, HUGH mmn SAMUEL
GRO Reference: 1853 S Quarter in BANGOR Volume 11B Page 454

ROGERS, SAMUEL mmn SAMUEL
GRO Reference: 1855 S Quarter in BANGOR Volume 11B Page 469

Thank you! This magazine article I have written by Annie Rogers, Laura’s sister suggests Laura married at sea.

Is that the article you quote on one of your other threads, mentioning a Mary Rogers who married a Captain William Thomas?

If so (or even if not) who do you think she married?
You've said previousy that she may have had daughters Margaret and Laura, but I don't think you've mentioned the husband's name.

Yes, that’s the article - Mary Rogers (Laura’s sister) married Captain William Thomas (this is Mary Thomas whose house Minnie first appears in on the 1891 census).

Laura also apparently married at sea and had 2 daughters Margaret and Laura but I have no idea who Laura married - I haven't had any success tracing her. The article is the memoirs of Annie - another sister to the Mary and Laura mention above. Annie was in her 80’s when she recounted her tales to Minnie’s husband who wrote for this journal so it is likely there are inaccuracies in her memories.

Annie was born Annie Rogers, married a Captain William Williams and had 2 girls, Cpt Williams then died and she remarried John Thomas Pearson and had 3 further children, 2 girls and a boy. It is Annie’s 4 girls (the 2 Williams girls and 2 Pearson girls) that are with Mary Thomas and Minnie in Wales on the 1891 census. Annie and the 4 yr old boy Arthur are in the Port of London hospital in 1891 and later the 2 of them return to Shanghai from London. I believe that Annie, her 5 children and Minnie all arrived from Shanghai together but I have no proof of this. The ship (the Glenshill) Annie and Arthur returned to Shanghai on only had 17 passengers so was not a normal passenger ship. I am currently trying to trace records of the Glenshill.

I think I might need to do a few pay per views as I’m finding quite a few records for Laura J Rogers in the US census and one on a passenger list.

If this is the passenger list you found - this isns't Laura.
This is a man, aged 60, a native of Nova Scotia.

L J Rogers
in the Massachusetts, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists, 1820-1963
Name: L J Rogers
Gender: Male
Age: 60
Birth Date: abt 1841
Departure Place: Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Arrival Date: 10 Feb 1901
Arrival Place: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Last Residence: United States of America
Ship: Boston


There are a couple of Laura J Rogers on US censuses, as you say, but none are yours.

In 1860 and 1880 there's one born 1841 in New Hampshire, and living in Grafton, New Hampshire. A married woman , with husband Enoch Rogers.

In 1870 there's one born in Maine in 1841, living in Massachusetts. She's also a married woman, husband Lucius Rogers.

There are also some without the middle initial - just Laura Rogers - but none were born in the UK. Many are married.


Somebody has her on a private tree on Ancestry, but of course as it's private i can't see the tree.
The tree owner is "lindawhitley177".

ArgyllGran - I sent Linda an email about an hour ago as also spotted that :) my 14 year old son has just found me searching ships and has taken up the batton

As well as Sweden/Norway history. Consider Swedish/Danish.

Also (and this is a very long shot) could the early surname have been Nielsen? Such that 'Anders Nielsen' changed into Andrew Nelsen?

I am willing to consider anything however I do feel I am clutching at straws as I am guessing without a birth certificate or record of some description with him listed together when Minnie, I will have no way of proving it. Her children were all given Welsh names so I don’t feel they offer any clues either.

I think my biggest hope had been trying to find passenger lists with Minnie on in the hope the ship’s captain was her father or she was travelling with her father and/or mother. Going back to Annie Pearson and her 5 children, there is an interesting piece on Arthur John Pearson which makes reference to the lack of records of their passages between Shanghai and the UK, and so far I am finding this true for Minnie as well. http://liverpoolpals.com/soldier/?i=1968/16862-Pte-arthur-john-pearson

I have always assume Minnie was her given name as her marriage and death certificate state this but have since heard that Minnie can be short for Margaret (her daughters name), Mary, Wilhelmina, Amelia and various other names so it’s possible that I am never going to get to the bottom of this.