Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Document - Certificate of Competency, Marine Department, Commonwealth Council for Trade, 1883-1894
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“Ordinary Apprentice’s Indenture” Transcribed:-
(Printed form... -
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“Ordinary Apprentice’s Indenture” Transcribed:-
(Printed form ...
Fifteen year old Albert Edward Gill was born in Poplar, Middlesex, in 1868. He volunteered in May 1883 as an Apprentice Ordinary Seaman with the Merchant Services under the London shipping company James P. Corry & Co., owner of the Star Line. The shipping company by this time had a fleet of both clipper and steam cargo ships that sailed as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Gill’s apprenticeship was a four year unpaid term, with only his food, drink, lodgings, washing and medical needs provided for him. The contract had many conditions but it was a wonderful opportunity for a young man. His father James Gill signed the papers as his guarantor.
In December 1887 Gill completed his apprenticeship and qualified as an Able Seaman. He served for another seven years with James P. Corry & Co. and earned his Certificate of Competency as a Master in the Merchant Service in April 1894, having passed the Ordinary Examination. (The transcription of Gill's two certificates is provided further down this page.)
JAMES P. CORRY & CO. -
The Belfast Company was formed in 1826 by Robert Corry, and imported timber from Canada to Ireland. In 1859 the company expanded to import timber from Calcutta, and relocated its offices to London.
In the 1880s the company had a fleet of 13 tall clipper ships and included ports in Australia and New Zealand in its destinations. It continued to expand trade even further and by 1908 the Star Line had seven cargo steamers trading with the East and Far East (the ships were named Star of Australia, Star of Japan, Star of England, Star of New Zealand, Star of Ireland, Star of Scotland and Star of Victoria). In 1912 the Star Line ships added an emigrant service to Australia.
TRANSCRIPTION OF CERTIFICATES -
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“Ordinary Apprentice’s Indenture” Transcribed:-
(Printed form with printed logo of the Marine Department, Commonwealth Council for Trade. Sanctioned by the Board of Trade, May 1855. )
Registered at the Port of London, Sixteenth of May, 1883, and signed for the Registrar General.
Stamped in blue ink “REGISTERED IN LONDON, MAY 16 1883” “RECORD OF THE REGISTER GENERAL OF SEAMEN”
“This Indenture, made the SIXTEENTH day of MAY 1883 between ALBERT EDWARD GILL aged FIFTEEN years, a native of POPLAR, in the county of MIDDLESEX of the first part JAMES P. CORRY & CO. OF 9 & 11 FENCHURCH AVENUE in the CITY of LONDON of the second part, and JAMES GILL, of POPLAR, in the county of MIDDLESEX, of the third part, WITNESSETH, That the said ALBERT EDWARD GILL hereby voluntarily binds himself Apprentice unto the said JAMES P. CORRY & CO., his Executers, Administrators and Assigns, for the term of FOUR years from the date hereof; And the said Apprentice hereby covenants that, during such time, the said Apprentice will faithfully serve his said Master, his Executors, Administrators and Assigns, and obey his and their lawful commands, and keep his and their secrets, and will, when required, give to him and them true accounts of his or their goods and money which may be committed to the charge, or come into the hands, of the said Apprentice; and will, in case the said Apprentice enters Her Majesty’s Service during the said term, duly account for and pay, or cause to be paid, to his said Master, his Executors, Administrators, or Assigns, all such Wages, Prize Money and other Monies as may become payable to the said Apprentice for such service; and that the said Apprentice will not, during the said term, do any damage to his said Master, his Executors, Administrators, or Assigns, nor will he consent to such damage being done by others, but will, if possible, prevent the same, and give warning thereof; and will not embezzle or waste the Goods of his Master, his Executors, Administrators, or Assigns, nor give or lend the same to others without his or their licence; nor absent himself from his or their service without leave; nor frequent Taverns or Alehouses, unless upon his or their business, nor play at Unlawful Games : IN CONSIDERATION WHEREOF, the said Master hereby covenants with the said Apprentice, that during the said term he the said Master, his Executors, Administrators, and Assigns, will and shall use all proper means to teach the said Apprentice or cause him to be taught the business of a Seaman, and provide the said Apprentice with sufficient Meat, Drink, Lodgings, Washing, Medicine, and Medical and Surgical Assistance, NO WAGES, the said Apprentice providing for himself all sea-bedding, wearing apparel, and necessaries (except such as are herein-before specially agreed to be provided by the said Master): AND IT IS HEREBY AGREED, that if, at any time during the said term, the said Master, his Executors, Administrators or Assigns, provide any necessary apparel, or sea-bedding for the said Apprentice, he and they may deduct any sums properly expended thereon by him or them from the sums so agreed to be paid to the said Apprentice as aforesaid: And for the performance of the Agreements herein contained, each of them, the said A.E.GILL and JAMES P CORRY & Co., doth hereby bind himself, his Heirs, Executors, and Administrators, unto the said JAMES P. CORRY & CO., his Executors and Administrators, unto the other of them, his Executors and Administrators, in the penal sum of THIRTY pounds; and for the performance of the covenants on the part of the said Apprentice herein contained, the said JAMES GILL as surety, doth hereby bind himself, his Heirs, Executors, and Administrators unto the said JAMES P. CORRY & Co., his Executors and Administrators, the penal sum of THIRTY pounds; Provided, that notwithstanding the penal stipulations herein contained any Justice or Justices of the Pease may exercise such jurisdiction in respect of the said Apprentice as he or they might have exercised if no such stipulations had been therein contained.
In witness whereof, the said parties have hereunto set their hands and seals, the day and year above written.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, in the presence of - - Weston, 9 & 11 Fenchurch Avenue
Signed, James P. Corry (Master)
Signed, Albert Edward Gill (Apprentice)
James Gill (Surety)
NOTE – This Indenture must be executed in duplicate, both copies must be taken to the Registrar General of Seamen; or if in the Outports to the Shipping Master; one copy will then be retained and recorded, and the other returned to the Master with the necessary endorsement.
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Reverse of the Indenture, Transcribed:-
“This is to certify that the herein mentioned Alfred Edward Gill has served the full term of the Indenture in our employ during which time he has conducted himself satisfactorily. According to the Captain’s report he has been strictly sober during the last – years [? from his failure?]
Signed: James P. Corry & Co., Owner, Star Line
9 Fenchurch Avenue St, 13 Dec. ‘87
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Certificate of Competency, Transcribed:-
(Board of Trade logo and printed text of the certificate, with hand written details filled in)
By the Lords of the Committee of Privy, Council for Trade
Certificate of Competency as MASTER to Albert Edward Gill
Whereas it has been reported to us that you have been found duly qualified to fulfil the duties of MASTER in the Merchant Service, we do hereby, in performance of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, grant you this Certificat6e of Competency.
By Order of the Board of Trade, this 19th day of APRIL, 1894
Signed INGRAM B WALKER (one of the Assistant Secretaries of the Board of Trade)
Countersigned -, Regulator General.
Registered at the Office of the Regulator General of Shipping and Seamen.
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Reverse of Certificate of Competency, Transcribed:-
No. of Certificate - 020886
Address of Owner - SUNNY LAWN, WALLWOOD ROAD, LEYTONSTONE
Date and Place of Birth – 1868, POPLAR
Signature – A E GILL.
This Certificate is given upon an Ordinary Examination passed at
LONDON on the 17th day of APRIL 1894
Every person who makes, or procures to be made, or assists in making any false Representation for the Purpose of obtain for himself or for any other Person a Certificate either of Competence or Service, or who forges, assists in forgery, or procures to be forged, or fraudulently alters, assists in fraudulently altering, or procures to be fraudulently altered, any such Certificate or any Official Copy of any such Certificate, or who frequently makes use of any such Certificate, or copy of any such Certificate, which is forged, altered, cancelled, suspended, or to which he is not justly entitled or who fraudulently lends his Certificate to, or allows the same to be used by any other person, shall for each offence be deemed guilty of a Misdemeanour, and my be summarily punished by imprisonment with or without hard labour for a period not exceeding Six Months or by a penalty not exceeding 100 pounds, and any Master or Mate who fails to deliver up a Certificate which has been cancelled or suspended is liable to a penalty not exceeding 50 pounds.
N.B. – Any person other than the Owner thereof becoming possessed of the Certificate is required to transmit it forthwith to the Register General of Shipping and Seamen, Custom House, London, E.C.
Issued at the Port of LONDON on the 20th day of APRIL 1894.
Signed J I-, - Supt.
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These certificates are significant as a record of the process required to qualify as a ship’s Master, which was required by the vast number of merchant ships that crossed the world to Australia with cargo and passengers, all contributing to the early settlement and development of Australia as a Colony and a Nation.
The certificates are also significant for their association with James P. Corry & Col. owner of the Star Line shipping company that provided trade and passengers to Australia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Set of two documents from the Board of Trade, printed on cloth and wax paper, each relating to achieving the standard of Master Seaman, and belonging to Albert Edward Gill. They are dated 1883 to 1894.
The forms have been stamped, signed, dated, details completed and sealed with three red wax seals.
The certificate number has been stamped onto the document is such as was as to deter forgery.
The forms relate to Albert Edward Gill and James P. Corry & Co, Star Line Merchant Services and show his registered number as a Master Seaman.
245.1 –
Front: Ordinary Apprentice’s Indenture, printed certificate, with spaces completed and signed by hand, and sealed with three red wax seals. Signed and dated 16 May 1883
Reverse: Handwritten statement, signed and dated 13 Dec 1887.
245.2 –
Front: Certificate of Competency, Master in the Merchant Service, printed and completed by hand, registered at the Office of the Regulator General of Shipping and Seamen, dated 19 April 1894.
Reverse: Certificate, Ordinary Examination Passed, printed and completed by hand, dated 17 April 1894Signatures and other handwritten details.
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