Revenue Vessel Crew Research



Searching for crew members of HMRC Harpy I found your list of revenue vessels circa 1847. I subsequently tried the online catalogue of the National Archives at Kew to see if information could be gained on members of the crew, and found 142 pieces of ADM 119, in which are held quarterly muster lists for all the vessels in your list, plus twenty eight earlier or later vessels. Musters seem to have taken place in normal circumstances at quarterly intervals on the fifth day of January, April and July, and the tenth day of October. I imagine these are the traditional quarter days of Christmas, Annunciation, Birthday of St. John the Baptist and Michaelmas, all delayed by eleven days, as though the Gregorian calendar had not been adopted as far back as 1752.

The period covered by the musters at Kew appears to run from 1825 to 1857.

At least 21 vessels had ceased to muster before 1847:-

  • Alert mustered from Oct.1827 to Nov.1833.

  • Cheerful from May 1825 to Oct.1842.

  • Defence from Oct.1824 to Apr.1840.

  • Dove from Jan.1826 to Sept.1843.

  • Fancy from Oct.1824 to Aug.1829.

  • Hornet from Aug.1825 to Oct.1842.

  • Melville from Nov.1827 to Aug.1836.

  • New Charter from Oct.1824 to July 1828.

  • Prince Ernest Augustus from Oct.1824 to Oct.1826.

  • Prince regent from jan.1826 to July 1827.

  • Redbreast from Feb 1827 to Oct. 1842.

  • Repulse from Oct.1824 to Oct.1838.

  • Scourge from Oct.1824 to Oct.1827.

  • Seaflower from Oct.1824 to Jul.1826.

  • Shamrock from Jan.1825 to Jun.1845.

  • Sprightly from Oct.1824 to Oct.1825.

  • Stork from Oct.1824 to Oct.1845.

  • Stork from Oct.1824 to Aug.1842.

  • Swallow from Oct.1824 to Jul 1836.

  • Tartar from Oct.1824 to Dec.1846

  • Vandeleur from Jan.1824 to Aug.1825.

Additionally the Princess Royal which mustered from Oct.1824 to Jul.1825 is probably a different vessel from that of the same name that mustered from Jul.1843 to Dec.1857. Prince Albert mustered as Diligence from Jan.1825 to Jan.1839. Three new vessels were introduced after 1847:- Fly mustered from Oct.1856 to Dec.1857. Lady Flora from Jun.1849 to Dec.1857, and Speedwell from Oct.1848 to Sep.1849. Two vessels which began mustering after 1847 are both described as formerly Ferret:- Argus from Mar.1852 to Dec.1857, And Bantry from Oct.1851 to Dec.1857. Finally Sylvia which mustered from Jan.1825 to Dec.1857, appears to have escaped the 1847 listing. I assume the muster lists contain useful information as I have yet to see one.

Thanks to Michael Gilmer for the information





1 Comment · 9504 Reads · Print  -> Posted by Tony on November 20 2007

Comments

#1 | crimea1854 on 22/11/2007 20:40:46
This looks to be a possible treasure trove of information, and when I'm next at the NA I will certainly have a look to see the type of information these contain.

If they are like the RN muster lists they should have a wealth of personal details of the crews of these vessels.

Martin
 

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