Steam packet engineer

[SingaporeSlinky]

I’m trying to find some information about Moses Bratt if anyone can help point me in the right direction or fancies a challenge. He was born in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, an engineer, and married Jane Barton in Sculcoates, Yorkshire in March 1831.

On the census from 1851, Jane was living in Willoughby Street, Gainsborough, listed as married, and ‘engineer’s wife (steam packet)” with 5 children, so I assume he was away at that time.

2 of the children (John and Maria) were listed as being born in France (British subjects) 5 years apart, and Moses then died in Aracaju, Sergipe, Brazil on 3rd September 1858

I can’t find anything in between those dates, other than the baptism records of the 3 children who were born in Gainsborough.

I’ve been trying to search newspapers but found nothing. I think Royal Mail steam packets had a route to Brazil at that time, but that’s just a guess on my part, and I don’t know where to start.

I imagine if I was on Who Do You Think You Are, this relation would be the one that got delved into, and I’d love to find out anything about which ships he was on and I wonder if I can find his death certificate, given he died abroad.

Appreciate any advice.

Hi Slinky,
I have exactly the same query.
Moses is my 3rd great-grandfather. If he is related to you then so am I.
Are you on Ancestry or MyHeritage?
Steve

That’s funny, he’s my 4th great-grandfather. I’m on Ancestry but haven’t done a DNA yet.
Any ideas how we can find out about Moses?

Contact me on Ancestry, I have a couple of records of his time at sea.
Do the DNA. I have eight confirmed living descendants of Moses that I can trace completely from him.
Stephen D Melhuish

If you do a DNA then I advise not to include the health traits as this makes the results you get unusable on other sites. MyHeritage will accept the pure DNA results from Ancestry but not if the health traits are included.
Steve

Found Maria's French birth record which also gives their address at the time.

Update, they lived in Arles for about 10 years and had 5 children there.

I found your tree on Ancestry but it’s set to private so I can’t see any of the info you’ve found.

Have you thought about the National Archive? https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F178240

msg me on ancestry and I’ll invite you.