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If you have an ancestor among the 240-strong Challenger crew or a story to tell about the expedition, then please contact us on the form below. We undertake not to publish anything without your consent.

How to find out of your ancestor aboard HMS Challenger?

The National Archives at Kew hold many naval records, such as captain’s log books and crew records. These pages from the Challenger’s handwritten ‘Muster Book’ name some 70 of the 240 crewmen. ‘Charlie Collings’ is in column two, number 207.

Source: National Archives, Kew.

Knowing your ancestor’s name and date of birth is an important starting point! According to my aunt, Stella Hale, old Grandad Collins ran away to sea without his family’s sanction. On New Year’s Day 1863, Charlie used his mother’s maiden surname when he signed on as ‘Charlie Collings.’ His uncle, Henry Collings, accompanied the boy that day, standing in for his father, Charles Napoleon Matthewman. Maybe his Dad’s middle name was also a bit of an issue for Charlie?

Navy Service Records

Navy Service records are available at the National Archives. I searched under ‘ADM 188/Admiralty: Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services (1853-1924).’ Charlie’s Navy Service Record is available at the National Archives.

Charlie’s reference number is ADM 188/46/64774

Old Navy records provide a remarkable amount of personal information.

This record shows the last two ships he sailed on: HMS Penelope and HMS Challenger.

It provides a ‘Personal Description’ of each sailor, revealing that Charlie was 5 feet 3 ½ inches tall, with ‘dark brown hair’, and a ‘sallow’ complexion. His ‘wounds, scars or marks’ included tattoos of a ‘ship on breast’, ‘crucifix on right arm’, an ‘Eurydice on left arm’ and ‘bracelets on wrists.’

Each tattoo tells a story. A fully-rigged ship signifies that a sailor had rounded Cape Horn. The tattoo of a cross symbolises hope, or salvation. And an ‘Eurydice,’ or sea nymph, was a figure in Greek mythology, the wife whom Orpheus the voyager brought back from the dead with his enchanting music. Such details were required for identification in the event of injury, death or a pension claim.

His trade was Blacksmith. He was awarded a Good Conduct Badge (one stripe of gold lace) in 1872 or 1874 (worth an extra penny a day on his pay).

And he was discharged to ‘Shore’ on 28 August 1876. In the column ‘Whither and what cause’, the reason given is that his ‘CS expired’ – meaning Charlie had completed a mandatory 10 years’ Continuous Service after reaching the age of 18.