Q & A
KATHERINE COBB is a member of AGRA based in Somerset
EMMA JOLLY is a writer, historical researcher and member of AGRA
CHRIS PATON is a genealogist and author, and blogs at scottishgenes. blogspot.com
JAYNE SHRIMPTON is a professional dress historian and portrait specialist
ALAN STEWART is a family history writer, and author of Grow Your Own Family Tree
RUTH SYMES is the author of Tracing Your Ancestors Through Letters & Personal Writings
PHIL TOMASELLI is a military family history expert, and wrote Tracing Your Air Force Ancestors
SIMON WILLS is the author of Tracing Your Seafaring Ancestors
Was Walter in the Royal Navy?
Q I have a photograph of Walter
Wood, my great uncle, in naval uniform aboard the Chili in 1904. Walter was born in Putney, London, in 1886. It’s said that he ran away to sea at 15 or 16. I’m unsure whether Walter was in the British or the Merchant Navy (we couldn’t find any naval records for him at The National Archives), but a ship named Chili was registered as a merchant ship in 1886. Could you confirm which service he was in, what rank he might have been, and where we would find crew lists of the ships that he served on?
Alan Totham
Unfortunately, this charming photograph doesn’t offer enough detail to identify Walter’s employer, because some merchant seamen wore Navy-like uniforms. As you say, was a merchant ship and Walter has no Royal Navy service records,
