Looking for John Clampitt in Liverpool

[MaryA]

I'm not transcribing all the scribble, so I've clipped it to the part that matters.

[MaryA]

It might be best if I tried to read a couple of salient points as the copy is clearer than the one posted.

It is stamped 3rd December 1924.
Born Liverpool, England June 13th, 1867, father John Clampitt was born England, now deceased.

Emigrated from Liverpool about 1880 and resided 45 years from 1880 to 1924 at New York and New Jersey.

Naturalized aws a citizen before the Common ?? Court of Jersey City, Hudson County on December 1892 ..... on 28th Day of March 1892 or 1893?

I have resided outside the United States since my naturalization at the following places
England, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand
September 1912 to 1913 about Nov.

Domiciled in the United States, permanent residence being 108 North Henry Street in the State of N.J. Occupation of Mechanic

My last passport was obtained from - looks like "never".

I am about to go abroad temporarily and intend to return within 3 months.

Desire passport for the following purpose - England, Relatives
Leaving from the port of New York, Sailing on board the Baltic on 6 December 1924.

Certificate of Naturalization seen 1 Dec 1924.
Duplicate attached herewith (see date ?? ?? 19?? March 28 1892)

I'm assuming this last line relates to his naturalization date.

[MaryA]

Don't find his entry in 1924, but strangely there is an Albert E Clampitt landing at Liverpool off the Baltic in February 1908, occupation Labourer and age 41, however he is listed under Ireland as birthplace, so perhaps not the same one.

[etangel]

Wow! Thanks for the information on Albert Clampitt. He does turn up on the 1871 census in Liverpool. So there must be Clampitt relatives in the US! Yeah!

My husband has been told that his grandfather James emigrated to South Africa where he stayed for a few years, then emigrated to Australia and then to New Zealand in about 1903. No luck so far finding any South African records.

On gr-grandfather John Clampitt, my husband reckons that as he was a sailmaker he may have gone on a ship in order to mend any sails that were needed. So yes, I guess it is possible that he was lost at sea. The 1871 census where Matilda is stated to be married was taken on 2 April 1871 and she married Thomas Birkenhead sometime in the autumn of that year. Would the person who suggested this scenario have any info of where I could find/search for ship records online for that time period?

And yes, now that I go back and look at Matilda and Thomas Birkenhead marriage details I concur that it says "Sawyer", not "Lawyer". Thanks, I would not have caught that. And no, I haven't found any divorce records for ANY Clampitts.

Sharen

[daggers]

Sailing vessels, or at least the larger ones, did have a sailmaker as an essential part of the crew. I have been re-reading Eric Newby's 'The Last Grain Race', about his voyage in one of the few surviving clippers in the late 1930s, and the sailmaker is clearly a key man.
D

[etangel]

Thanks for the confirmation D, on sailmakers being an essential part of the ship's crew. Very helpful indeed!


Sharne

[MaryA]

Look down our Websites Board, there are suggestions of sites on there that people have helpfully posted.

[dickiesam]

Hi,
Re the passport application that MaryA posted...
Found Albert's return trip to the US.

Name: Albert CLAMPITT
Date and port of departure: 10 January 1925, Liverpool.
Passenger destination port: New York, USA
Age: 57
Date of Birth: 1868 (calculated from age)
**********: Male; Occupation: Mechanic.

Ship: MEGANTIC
Official Number: 127981.
Master's name: E R WHITE
Steamship Line: White Star Line
Where bound: New York.
Square feet: 13496.
Registered tonnage: 14878.
Passengers on voyage: 289.

I checked the manifest and found his last address in the UK before embarking on this voyage was 6 Stoney Hey Road, New Brighton, Cheshire.
That's just across the Mersey from Liverpool.

There were no other Clampitt passengers on this manifest but I was surprised to find 47 manifest entries between 1900 and 1960 for Clampitt surname outgoing passengers. 25 were heading for the USA, the rest for various destinations ranging from Egypt to Chile to Venezuela to Nigeria, et al. Some were obviously the same person making another trip.

There were 2 to NZ but the 2nd entry looks like a duplication:
CLAMPITT J L - Yob 1888 - M - Occupation boilermaker - Sailed 16/04/1914 from London for for New Zealand, Auckland.
CLAMPITT J L - YoB Unknown - M - Occupation boilermaker - sailed 16/04/1914 - from London for New Zealand, Auckland.

DS

[Tina]

To Mary & D.S
you have uncovered some fantastic information, well done guys!!
Tina

[etangel]

It's been a year since I asked for help on finding my husband's gr-grandfather John Clampitt. Just wanted to post an update to say that I have finally found him! He was, as we all thought, a crew member on a ship as a sail maker. Records show he died of dysentery 30 April 1871 on board ship Star of the Sea. I found this record on findmypast.uk The record shows that one of his shipmates also died of dysentery but in the port of Bonny. I have tried unsuccessfully thus far to find anymore information on this ship - when it left, what route it took, what the cargo was, when it returned. However, as Bonny is somewhere in Africa it is likely John Clampitt died off the coast of Africa. From my research it looks like there are not a lot of shipping records online and I would have to go to the National Archives in London, the Merseyside Museum in Liverpool, or find information in a Liverpool newspaper. Will go the newspaper route. I am also wanting to see the 1871 vessel/ship census which I think findmypast has. Can check that through my library next time I go.

I am not really asking for anything here, just wanted to post an update. Thanks everyone for your assistance. It was really helpful in my search.

Sharen

[MaryA]

Thank you for the update, it's good to know you have found the next piece of the jigsaw. I think you are probably right that ship's details may well be only available at Kew.

Good luck finding out more.

[etangel]

Thanks, Mary. Now all I need is an airline ticket to London! LOL


Sharen

[Tina]

Sharen
Thanks for great updates.
Bonny is in Nigeria if that's of any help.
It was a major trading port.