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Deep Sea Diving!!

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Sisterbee

Sisterbee Report 13 Jul 2007 18:00

Hi all, I had a great-grandfather called Draper Thomas Baker, born 1871 in West Coker, Somerset. On the 1901 census, aged 30, he is a railway guard but family tradition says he was a deep sea diver at one stage. He died aged 45 and I have yet to get his death certificate, but does anyone know if there would be a register of some kind about divers?? I presume he would've been in one of the navys, Royal or Merchant, and that deep sea divers must've been few and far between in those days! Thanks!

Clive

Clive Report 13 Jul 2007 18:06

Well he may have been in the Royal Navy but from what I can remember of my childhood reading the Italians were the leading outfit for deep sea diving. Most of the divers that I read about were civillians charging the earth when they had a job. Funny jobs some of them had. Not deep sea but one man stuffed bogs of cincrete under Winchester Cathedral. Took him years before he had under pinned the whole place Siebe Gorman was one of the big names of diving companies if I remember correctly. Deep sea work was expensive and specialised. So search for the big names. C

Sisterbee

Sisterbee Report 13 Jul 2007 18:13

Thanks, will try and just google it!

Devon Dweller

Devon Dweller Report 13 Jul 2007 19:25

Try the National Archives under documents on line and then seamans services. My Great Grandfather was a RN Deep Sea Diver (received his diving badge in 1880) and I found all of his records there. Also the Divers Index are very helpful. http://www.thehds(.)com/divers/ There were very few divers back then and they didn't do a very long service either because it was so dangerous. Sheila