Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Hi all

My ancestor, John Skupski seems to be missing from the 1911 census.

His family are living at Prince William St, Liverpool, but no sign of him.

I think he was a sailor, and wondered if he was away at sea, I suppose he would not have been recorded?

He should appear among ships' lists, if in a British vessel, I think.
[Tennis links? If so, good luck with the Cup!]
D

I think I must be linked somewhere to Mr Ken Skupski!

How would I go about finding the ship? Any ideas? I know absolutely nothing about how to research that!

Only Royal Navy ships and Military bases overseas are on the 1911 census. Passenger ships are not on the census unless the ship is in a British port.

Hilary
Ed Officer

Thanks for the info.
Most appreciated.

Hi

on the Ellis Island web site there are two records for him both 1919..

1919 aged 47 Naturalised British subject in Liverpool June 4th 1904..occupation Boatswain on the ship named SS Dunstan tattoo Anchor on back of his left hand height 5ft 8 weight 168.

ask for someone to check incoming pasenger records on Ancestry....

xx

There is one incoming entry in Anc## as Jon Skupski.
Sorry, my subs won't let me open this.
Death in 1923 aged 52yrs Lpool.

1901 as SKUPSHI

Wife & kiddies in 1911 Tockie Park as Skupski

Tina
good luck!

Wow, that's brilliant, thank you so much for doing that.

Point of Departure - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Jon Skupski 42
Country of which a citizen - Galesia
Country of last permanent residence - Canada
Country of intended future residence - Foreign Countries
Arrived on the White Star Line - Megantic, September 1913

That's interesting.

Would a seaman state his last port as his permanent residence do you think?

Good one Mary
Galesia covered a wide area of Eastern Europe.
On the cover sheet for 1901 his birthplace listed as Deu
When looking at the true census it states Germany.
I wonder why someone transcribed it the short way for Deutschland??

Tina

Tina wrote: I wonder why someone transcribed it the short way for Deutschland??

Thank you Tina
I wonder if the enumerator was of that nationality?

Hi Caroline
His last place of perm. res Canada, could simply mean he was there for a while when the ship had a re-fit gearing up for WW1?

Canadians were building submarines in 1913.

I digress....
The ship was built in 1908 in Belfast & named after a lake in Quebec.
Troopship 1915, hit by a sub & survived.
Dr Crippen sailed back to Britain aboard her.
After a re-fit began 1919 luxury trips to Canada.

Tina
(my grandpa sailed all of his life on merchants ships including White Star Line)

Hi Mary
You could be right about the enumerator.
I once saw the census listings for a Royal Navy Crew as "The Kroo"..

Tina

John appears on the Merseyside Aliens list on Liverpool Histpry Porjects website.

He is on the return for 1905 registered 5 July 1904 John Skupski sailor on British Ship place of origin Germany address 44 Wolfe Street Toxteth Park

Hilary
Ed Officer

If you go the National Archives website www.nationalarchives.gov.uk and go to the Catalogue and then put Skupski into the search box it comes up with one hit that is the Certificate of Naturalisation for John which is dated June 1904

You cannot see the certifcate online but because it gives the number you should be able to get a copy of the certificate for a small sum.

This is from the Catalogue
Nationality and Naturalisation: Skupski, John, from Germany. Resident in Liverpool. Certificate 14510 issued 4 June 1904.

The Archives are closed on Mondays and are on a limited service on Tuesday so probably best to wait until Wednesday to contact them.

Hilary
Ed Officer

Hi Ed Off
GR8 find!!
We've a traffic jam on this post

Tina

Hi all,

Thanks so much for all of this info, it's fantastic you would go to all of this trouble for me.

Education Officer- Thank you for your info. I have found John on both of the things you mentioned. I have sent off for the cert from Archives last night.

Tina- thanks for the info on the ship. V. interesting about the Crippen part!
The heads of most of the branches of my family seem to have been merchant seamen too. I have sent off for both of my grandad's records from N. Archives, and it's so lovely seeing them.

Mary- thanks for that info. I will look closer at this today.

Again, thanks so much all.