Occupation: "Mariner"

[jocon]

My GG Grandfather is listed in the 1841 census with his occupation given as "Mariner". ten years later he is listed as "East India Co. Pensioner", so I presume the he was in the East India Co's merchant marine service.

My query is: does the description "Mariner", in this context, indicate his role in the navy - would he have been an officer, petty officer, or just an ordinary seaman, or would "Mariner" be a general term for all seafarers?

[DSJ]

A general term for one of the crew, I think.

[dot.hawkes]

It is the name given to an occupational seaman and the records of the East India Company are in the British Library, there is also a good description of the workings of the company, who traded in China and Japan as well as India,
http://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk/col lections_az/EIC-Factory-1/description.aspx

[jocon]

Thanks for replies - just about what I thought.

Dot - thank you particularly for the link. I have no idea what ships he may have sailed on, or what his job or position was. As far as I know the personnel records of the East India Co. only cover officers of the company, hence my enquiry.

I must find out exactly what records the British Library hold.

[dot.hawkes]

If you go to the site for 'Family Tree magazine' over their baqck issues they have covered many aspects of researching the records of the east india co. and so they may help
http://www.family-tree.co.uk/

[jocon]

Dot - Once again, thanks for the link - and for the idea of looking into magazine back numbers.

The East India Co. itself (what's left of it) has it's own website with some shipping records, and are adding to it's database - records of personnel, though, are not yet available online.