Tracing Your Seafaring Ancestors

As an island nation, many British family historians have photographs of sailors in their collections. If you are lucky enough to have a seafarers’ photograph among your records, or perhaps acquired online from a relative, you’ll love this new book by regular Family Tree author Simon Wills to help you analyse it.

With an emphasis on taking a practical approach, he examines how British seafarers were captured on camera between 1850 and 1950, providing the know-how to help you identify their ranks, jobs, responsibilities and experience.

There are some great tips and clues: from questions to ask yourself as you begin analysing your photographs, and the differences between the Royal and Merchant Navies, right down to what cuff stripes can tell you.

Whether ‘your’ seafarer was in one of the naval services, was a fisherman, a Royal Marine or even a ship’s passenger, this clear and easy-to-read guide will help you learn more about their lives.

ISBN: 9781473834330. RRP £14.99, paperback. Pen & Sword Family History.