SCT-EDINBURGH-L Archives

From: Sandra Ellis <>
Subject: [SCT-EDINBURGH] "seaman" help, please!
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 07:35:56 -0600

Were there any age requirements for a young man to "run off" and become
a seaman?

My gg-grandfather (Cunningham Sheppard) was born in Edinburgh 14 April
1833. He appears on the 1841 census living with his
mother/step-father, age "8". From that point, he "disappears" until the
1860 census where he shows up in a seaman's boarding house in
NYC---occupation is shown as "seaman". (He married in NYC, 15 January
1861, moved to Tennessee in 1870.)

I also suspect that his father (by the same name) also became a
"seaman", at least temporarily. He appears to have been in Edinburgh in
Sept 1832 when he married. Then, he "disappears"! Wife and son came to
the USA in 1834 but returned to Scotland where she remarried in 1839.
Marriage record says she was the relict of Cunningham Sheppard,
Connecticut, USA.

I have no idea of how long the woman/child were in the USA, when the
husband "died", or if she was actually abandoned. Her father died
before the 1839 marriage so that could have played a part in their
returning to Scotland.

ANY thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Sandy Ellis

This thread:

• [SCT-EDINBURGH] "seaman" help, please! by Sandra Ellis <>