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[[CategoryImage:OccupationsPilotsPass.jpg|thumb|300px|Pilot's Pass c.1890s]] The '''Bengal Pilot Service''' was responsible for guiding shipping along the Hooghly River between [[Calcutta]] and the Bay of Bengal and was part of '''Bengal Marine''' In 1877 the Bombay Marine and the Bengal Marine were combined to form [[Indian Navy|HM Indian Marine]], which became the Royal Indian Marine in 1892 and the Royal Indian Navy in 1935. Amongst other contributions, this article contains extracts from FIBIS member [[User:Sage|Sage's]] unpublished manuscript of records for Genealogists interested in India. == Introduction ==According to Massey,<ref>[http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/12617 ''Recollections of Calcutta for over Half a Century''] by Montague Massey</ref><blockquote>"'''THE UNITED SERVICE CLUB'''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distinction, of course I cannot say, but at a later period, recognising possibly the injustice of their action, they rescinded their prohibition, and now the pilots sit in the seats of the mighty amongst the members of the other services."</blockquote> == History of the Bengal Pilot Service == Brice and Labey<ref name=Brice> Labey, Capt G.T. and Brice, Capt R.K.H. (1970), ''The Bengal Pilot Service''. National Maritime Museum, Ref. THS/12/1-9. Some chapters are available online, see Historical books online, above. </ref> give a date of 1651 for the foundation of the service, but according to James Prinsep's Chronological Tables,<ref>Prinsep, James (1836). [http://books.google.com/books?id=BTYGAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA160 ''Useful Tables, Forming an Appendix to The Journal Of The Asiatic Society. Part the Second. Chronological and Genealogical Tables''], page 160. Google Books</ref> the service dates back to 1669:<blockquote>[1669 ...] This year also were received orders from home, to institute a pilot establishment at Hoogly, to build a pinnace to be manned with intelligent seamen from the Indiamen, to take charge of the shipping up and down. Thus originated the Bengal Pilot Service.</blockquote> The Bengal Pilot Service was abolished on the 15th May, 1948.<ref name=Brice/> == Composition of the Pilot Service ==This table shows the number of pilots of each rank in the service in 1853. {| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"|Senior Branch Pilot||1|-|Branch Pilot||11|-|Senior Master||23|-|Master||7|-|Mate||30|-|Senior 2d Mate||12|-|Junior 2d Mate||12|-|Volunteer||46|-|Total Complement||142|}(Source: IOR/L/MAR/8/9) ==Records===== National Maritime Museum (Greenwich) === '''THS 12 ''The History of the Bengal Pilot Service'' by Brice & Labey'''

According to Massey This is a unique unpublished history of the Bengal Pilot Service in the Historical Manuscripts Collection of the [[1National 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. Some chapters of text,but no Appendices are available online.<ref name=Brice/>

"'''THE UNITED SERVICE CLUBThe Percy-Smith Collection (MS 88/006)'''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 are from my own unpublished manuscript Percy-Smith Collection is not held in the main [http://www.nmm.ac.uk/researchers/library/ Caird Library] of records for Genealgists interested the Museum - access to the items must be requested a week or so in Indiaadvance of a visit.

1. [[National Maritime Museum]] *Item (Greenwich18)- 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 include the person’s name, date and place of birth , class of certificate, certificate number and its date of granting.

1a. An unpublished history :These records divide into::Colonial Certificates of competency; Local (Foreign Trade) Certificates of competency; Local (Home Trade) Certificates of competency; Local Certificates of the Bengal Pilot Service in the Historical Manuscripts Collection ; Local (Inland) Certificates of the [[National Maritime Museum]]: THS 12 ‘The History of the Bengal Pilot Service’ by Brice & Labey. Appendix G ‘Obituaries’ comprises information from various sources for men Service; Local (Inland) Certificates of the Pilot service and their families. Competency

1b*Item (29) - Index Cards : Bengal Medical (1740-1914, surnames A-H only); Bengal Orphans (1780-1840)<ref> The index is arranged alphabetically by name of orphan, with details such as date of birth, baptised, name of father and occasionally more details such as where apprenticed, etc. A cross reference card at the front of the index reads 'see also Alipore schools', which may possibly refer to further material in one of the Percy- Smith collections held in other institutions . "Four Orphan Schools in Calcutta and the Lawrence Military Asylum, Sanawar, Part II" [[FIBIS Journals|''FIBIS Journal'']] No 23, Spring 2010, by Maureen Evers, page 14</ref>; Bengal Marine and Bengal Pilots (1700-1914). This link, from Len Barnett’s page Bengal Marine. (see below) shows the information available on one of the Bengal Marine [The http://www.barnettmaritime.co.uk/bengalsmith.htm index cards]. Note that there are index cards about other topics in the Percy-Smith Collectioncollection at the [[Society of Genealogists]] (MS 88/006)

Item === Asia, Pacific & Africa Collection, British Library (18India Office) Bengal Marine ‘Particulars ===There are many records 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 Office at the turn of [[British Library]] that pertain to the twentieth century. The entries inlcude the person’s name, date Bengal Marine and place of birth , class of certificate, certificate number and its date of grantingBengal Pilot Service.

These records divide intoRecords marked (#) should appear on [[FamilySearch]]/LDS microfilms:2028922 - 25; 2029155. [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog Search the FamilySearch Catalog] and see [[FamilySearch Centres]] for viewing access.

Colonial Certificates {| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0"!Shelf Mark!!Dates!!Description|-|L/AG/20 & 21 ||1814 - Post 1947|| Includes records of competency; Local (Foreign Trade) Certificates leave and service pensions|-|L/AG/21/9/151-157||1920-1968||Bengal Pilot Fund pensions paid in UK|-|L/E/6-7 ||1880-1924|| Pilot service recruitment information for this period contained within these papers.|-|L/MAR/8/1-20||1793-1880||Various lists of competency; employees and volunteers in the Bengal Marine and Pilot Service |-|L/MAR/C/689||1794-1830||Appointments to Bengal Pilot Service|-|L/MAR/C/704 #||1858-61||Indian Navy, Bengal pilots|-|L/MAR/C/755-756 #||1848-60||Europeans in the service of the Bengal marine|-|L/MAR/C/760-761 #||1824-64||Bengal marine civil and marine casualties Local (Home Trade) Certificates |-|L/MAR/C/762-763||||Bengal Marine records of competency; Local Certificates service|-|L/MAR/C/855 #||1821||Seamen in the Bengal marine who have claims on the company for wages, see L/E/6-7 for later recruitment’s|-|V/12||1896-1926||Covenanted pilots are included in the Bengal Histories of Service; Local (Inland) Certificates of Service; Local (Inland) Certificates of Competency .|}

Most of these records have been microfilmed. The [[Percy-Smith Collection]] originals are fragile and slowly detoriating so viewing of the microfilms is not held in recommended both for ease of use (especially making printed copies) and for conservation. Note that the hard copy microfilm index file on display at the main Caird British Library uses the old L/MAR/C numbering for these records and a translation has to be made using the concordance tables at the back of the Museum you need L/MAR index file. For example, L/MAR/8/3 used to request access be L/MAR/C/768 and the microfilm index tells us that L/MAR/C/768 is on IOR NEG 35431. The new numbering is in a different order to the items original. Some records are split across two films, for example L/MAR/8/2 is on IOR NEG 35430 and 35431. The following table provides a week or so in advance direct lookup of your vistthe film numbers.

2L/MAR/8/1-3 provide the most detailed information about volunteers (new recruits). [[Asia, Pacific Note that where films are available they are not on the open shelves and Africa Collection]] [[British Library]] (India Office)have to be ordered using the online system.

Bengal Marine {| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"|-!width="40%"|Description!!Date!!IOR Shelf Mark!!IOR Film Ref.!!LDS Film Ref.|-|Appointment, baptismal and Bengal other certificates of volunteers||1818-1844||L/MAR/8/1||IOR NEG 35410||FHL BRITISH Film 2028926 Item 2|-|Certificates of volunteers||1844-1858||L/MAR/8/2||IOR NEG 35430/1||VAULT BRITISH Film 2028996|-|Certificates of volunteers||1858-1861||L/MAR/8/3||IOR NEG 35431||VAULT BRITISH Film 2028997|-|Nominations||1858-1861||L/MAR/8/4|||||-|List of ranks of volunteers||1838-1861||L/MAR/8/5|||||-|Lists of pilots giving dates of promotion etc., A-M||1796-1858||L/MAR/8/6?||IOR NEG 35408||FHL BRITISH Film 2028925 Items 7-8|-|List of pilots, N-Z||1796-1858||L/MAR/8/7?||IOR NEG 35408||FHL BRITISH Film 2028926 Item 1|-|Certificates and lists of European employees||1793-1852||||||FHL BRITISH Film 2028998|-|European employees||1852-1869||||||FHL BRITISH Film 2028999|-|European employees||1869-1880||||||FHL BRITISH Film 2029000 Item 1|-|Quarterly Returns of Europeans in their Order of Station in the Pilot Service Establishment||1836-1853||L/MAR/8/8||IOR NEG 35432/3|||-|Quarterly Returns||1853-1862||L/MAR/8/9||IOR NEG 35433|||-|Quarterly Returns||1862-1880||L/MAR/8/10||IOR NEG 35433|||-|Quarterly Returns||1793-1833||L/MAR/8/11||IOR NEG 35432|||-|||||L/MAR/8/12||IOR NEG 35405|||-|||||L/MAR/8/13||IOR NEG 35456|||-|||||L/MAR/8/14||IOR NEG 35405|||-|||||L/MAR/8/15||IOR NEG 35405|||-|||||L/MAR/8/16||IOR NEG 35408|||-|||||L/MAR/8/17||IOR NEG 35408|||-|||||L/MAR/8/18||IOR NEG 35408|||-|||||L/MAR/8/19||IOR NEG 35406/7|||-|||||L/MAR/8/20||IOR NEG 35406/7|||-|Printed rules & Regulations||1827||L/MAR/8/21|||||-|||||L/MAR/8/22|||||-|||||L/MAR/8/23|||||}

Records marked (#) should appear on LDS microfilms=== Society of Genealogists ===Information available at the [[Society of Genealogists]]: 2028922 - 25; 2029155

L/AG/20 & 21 1814 Bullock’s ''Directory of Non Official Europeans in India (1780-1820) – lists of Europeans and Anglo-Post 1947 Indians not in the King’s Service''. The information extracted from the East India Register and similar publications for Bengal.. Includes records a number of leave and service pensions LFree Mariners/ECountry Traders/6-7 1880-1924 Pilot service recruitment Free Merchants, Indigo Planters and information for this period contained within these papersRiver Pilots. However persons in many other professions are included, also some women and children.

L/MAR/8/1-20 1793-1880 Various lists == Index of employees and volunteers in the Bengal Marine and Pilot Service Pilots ==

L*[http://MARfibis.ourarchives.online/Cbin/689 1794-1830 Appointments to Bengal Pilot Serviceaps_browse_sources.php?mode=browse_dataset&id=86&s_id=189 Appendices From M.H. Beattie] on FIBIS Search (see details below)* Index to L/MAR/C8/704# 1858-61 Indian Navy1 (in preparation)* Pilots and pilot vessels contained in the Marine lists in civil publications such as the East India Register, Bengal pilotssee the list of [http://wiki.fibis.org/index.php?title=Directories_online Directories]

L/MAR/C/760''On The Hooghly'' by Malcolm H Beattie (1935) is a personal account of the Hooghly Pilot Service, in which the author served 1878-1913. Of particular interest to family Historians are the appendices: :Appendix A comprises a list of serving Branch Pilots (1847-761# 18241888) :Appendix B comprises a list of men joining the Service as Licensed Pilot or Covenanted Pilots (1858-64 Bengal marine civil 1876) and men who joined the service as recruits from the training ships Worcester and marine casualties Conway (1877-1893) L/MAR/:Appendix C/762comprises a list of men joining the Service (1893-763 Bengal Marine records of service1916)

L/MAR/C/855# 1821 Seamen in the Bengal marine who have claims on the company for wagesThis book is available online, see L/E/6-7 for later recruitment’sV/12 1896-1926 Covenanted pilots are included in the Bengal Histories of Servicerefer below. 3. SOCIETY OF GENEALOGISTSBullock’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.

PUBLISHED WORKS==External links==Beattie ‘On The Hooghly’ (1935)*[http: This is //www.barnettmaritime.co.uk/index.htm British Maritime History - Realistic genealogical guides to surviving records and more], Len Barnett’s site, has a personal account section on [http://www.barnettmaritime.co.uk/mainbengal.htm Bengal Marine].*[http://map-india.org/artwork/shipping-in-the-hooghly-calcutta-kolkata/ Photograph: Shipping in the Hooghly, Calcutta] by Samuel Bourne c 1860. Numbered 1726. MAP Museum of Art and Photography, Bangalore.*Photographs from the National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Learning Lab website.**[https://learninglab.si.edu/resources/view/90091 Sailing ships and other boats docked along river in Calcutta], undated, by Bourne & Shepherd. Photograph titled ”Shipping in the Hooghly. 2582”. Same image [http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/s/019pho0000015s1u00085000.html British Library] dated 1890s.**[https://learninglab.si.edu/resources/view/90145 Sailing ships and other boats docked along river in Calcutta], undated, by Bourne & Shepherd. Photograph titled ”Shipping on the Hooghly . 2583”. Same image [http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/photocoll/s/019pho0000015s1u00087000.html British Library] dated 1890s.**[https://learninglab.si.edu/resources/view/90093 Strand Road with Indians with bullock carts and horse-drawn carriages and sailing ships and other boats on river in Calcutta], undated, by Bourne & Shepherd. Photograph titled ”Strand Rd & The Hooghly. Calcutta. 2599”.*[http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/48726/francis-frith-the-strand-calcutta-english-about-1865-1875/ Photograph: The Strand: Calcutta] c 1865–1875 by Francis Frith. The J Paul Getty Museum.*[http://www.hmsconway.org/Sea%20Career%20Calcutta.pdf "Old Conways & India – Part II: Calcutta & The Hooghly v11"] by Alfie Windsor 2017. hmsconway.org. The Bengal Pilot Serviceand accounts by Old Conways, old boys from the author served 1878British training school ship HMS Conway. ===Individuals===*[https://www.quivis.uk/dum/index_dum.html Arthur David Linklater, Master Mariner] -1913Duncan Linklater's excellent site contains information on shipping and navigation in the early twentieth century, including details of Linklater's employment by the Calcutta Port Commission. Of Originally with scans and transcripts of many original documents, exploring the site is recommended, but pages of particular general interest to family Historians are the appendicesinclude::*[https: Appendix A comprises a list //www.quivis.uk/dum/images/portrait/675x900/pilot.jpg Scan of serving Branch Pilots (1847-1888); Appendix B comprises a list pilot's certificate] for pilotage of men joining the Service as Licensed Pilot or Covenanted Pilots (1858Hooghly.:*[https://www.quivis.uk/dum/hooghly/index_hooghly.html Introduction To Hooghly River Pilotage]:*[https://www.quivis.uk/dum/hooghly/hooghly-pilotage1.html Hooghly Pilotage ca. 1910-1876) and men who joined the service as recruits 16]:*[https://www.quivis.uk/dum/dana/index_dana.html Dictionary of Sea Terms 1841/51] Adapted from ''The Seaman's Friend...'' by R. H. Dana 1st ed. 1841, 6th edition 1851.*[http://sayeedsjournal.wordpress.com/chapter-23-on-the training ships Worcester and -river-hooghly/ Conway On the River Hooghly] by Khwaja Sayeed Shahabuddin (1877-1893born 1923); Appendix C comprises . He was a list of men joining Leadsmen Apprentice with the Bengal Pilot Service (1893for one year in 1946-1916)1947, until he needed to wear glasses, which was not allowed.

# [http[Category://www.gutenberg.org/etext/12617 Recollections of Calcutta for over Half a CenturyOccupations]] by Montague Massey# On The Hooghly. Malcolm H Beattie, Philip Allan & Co. Ltd. (1935)[[Category:Bengal Presidency]][[Category:Naval and Maritime]]