https://spitalfieldslife.com/2023/09/11/george-well-able-seaman-i/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:28:35 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://spitalfieldslife.com/2023/09/11/george-well-able-seaman-i/#comment-1644663 Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:28:35 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=196893#comment-1644663 My grandfather, John Herridge, was born about 1880 and brought up in Canning Town. He was killed in the bombing or 1940 in WWII so I never met him. I started working on my family history on 1983 and my Dad told me what he could remember about his Dad. He joined the Boys’ Navy and attended the Newell Street Training School. My Dad said his grandfather put his Dad and uncle in the Boys’ Navy at 14 years of age, probably because he couldn’t afford to feed all his family. After John did some service in the Navy, he was married in 1906 and had a dozen kids. It was interesting reading this info as I don’t think the training or life style had changed much since the end of the 19th century. Thanks, George!

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2023/09/11/george-well-able-seaman-i/#comment-1522037 Thu, 21 Sep 2023 10:28:34 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=196893#comment-1522037 Many Old boys, Three training school locations, all now gone just as the British Merchant Navy went the same way.

]]> https://spitalfieldslife.com/2023/09/11/george-well-able-seaman-i/#comment-1521248 Mon, 11 Sep 2023 17:31:46 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=196893#comment-1521248 I know there are arguments against it, but I can’t help thinking there are plenty of boys today who would rather do something like this than be stuck in school for another 4 years.

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