Changes

[[Category:Occupations]]

According to Massey [1],

Was formerly styled the Bengal Military Club, the members of which were limited to the I.C.S. and military services. As time, however, moved on and things changed they found that this particular form of exclusiveness was rather an expensive luxury, and very wisely threw open wide the heavenly portals and admitted within their celestial and sacred precincts members of other government services, save and except those of the Bengal pilots. Why the club ever made this invidious distinction, of course I cannot say, but at a later period, recognising possibly the injustice of their action, they rescinded their prohibition, and now the pilots sit in the seats of the mighty amongst the members of the other services. "

The following comprises extracts from my unpublished manuscript of records for Geneaolgists interested in India

This is a unique unpublished history of the Bengal Pilot Service in the Historical Manuscripts Collection of the [[National Maritime Museum]]. It covers a wide range of aspects to do with the service and its employee's e.g. Appendix G ‘Obituaries’ comprises information from various sources for men of the Pilot service and their families.

Item (18) Bengal Marine ‘Particulars of certificates granted by the Government of Calcutta up to December 1902 to Masters, Mates and Engineers in Mercantile Marine’. These records are of particular interest to persons looking for River Pilots who were born in India who were in service in the 1890’s and at the turn of the twentieth century. The entries inlcude the person’s name, date and place of birth , class of certificate, certificate number and its date of granting.

The [[Percy-Smith Collection]] is not held in the main Caird Library of the Museum you need to request access to the items a week or so in advance of your vist.

Bengal Marine and Bengal Pilot Service

L/AG/20 & 21 1814 -Post 1947 Includes records of leave and service pensions

L/AG/21/9/151-157 1920-1968 Bengal Pilot Fund pensions paid in UK

Bullock’s ‘Directory of Non Official Europeans in India (1780-1820) – lists of Europeans and Anglo-Indians not in the King’s Service’. The information extracted from the East India Register and similar publications for Bengal.. Includes a number of Free Mariners/ Country Traders/ Free Merchants, Indigo Planters and River Pilots. However persons in many other professions are included, also some women and children.

Beattie ‘On The Hooghly’ (1935): This is a personal account of the Hooghly Pilot Service, the author served 1878-1913. Of particular interest to family Historians are the appendices:

Appendix A comprises a list of serving Branch Pilots (1847-1888)