The LNER Encyclopedia

I have been stuck on an ancestor for years.

His name is Edward Collins. On every census his wife is alone with the children, she is down as married and a fishermans wife.

I know he died around 1923 and his gravestone was from Grimsby Dock gate staff. I wonder if he worked for the railways? He was around 70 when he died. I do know his father was called John this is from his marriage cert. He married Mary Wrightham in 1877 in Grimsby

I have looked for his seamans certificate to no avail. I do not know where he was born.

Any help would be much appreciated.

I'm afraid that you are not going to have much luck with fishermen and merchant seamen, because they spend so much time at sea.

They are not likely to be at home on the day of the census, and unless the boat happened to be in port on that day, they would not be registered.

His birth details, if they are accurately known, may be on his death certificate. If you can get a year from that you could look on the next census when he would be still at school and therefore with his family, but if his father was also a fisherman you are going to have the same problem.

All I can tell you, they were married in June 1877 at Caister not Grimsby if that helps.
Geofrancis

The OP mentioned having the marriage certificate, so I assumed the details would at least be correct on that.

Hi

His father was a bootmaker, but i still cannot find him.

have you checked the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich for direction to those who might have had a seaman's ticket.

Lincolnshire archives might well be able to help.

Do you know whether he was in the army, or navy, in which case his records might well be at KEWPRo.
Paul

Going on a birth year of c1855 would mean his father John Collins might have been born around 1830.

A search for John Collins b1830-ish on the 1851 census turns up a surprising number of Irish born individuals.

It may be that the family do not originate from England and Wales at all, which might account for the lack of information. The 1845 potato famine resulted in large numbers of Irish citizens fleeing to GB.

Hi
Thanks Steel.

My worst nightmare Irish records. And he did marry a 2nd generation Irish girl.