29/06/1859 - 27/11/1859

research by Johan Gronberg - contact@findyourswedishancestry.com Lars Daniel Melin was a seaman in Sundsvall on the northern east coast of Sweden. He was according to seaman house records on his first trip 1858-18591. He was then enlisted in July 1858 on the ship ”Hillda” as a chef.2 He returned to Sundsvall before or around June 1859 because in June 1859 he was enlisted in Sundsvall at the ship ”Thor” as a chef. Captain on the ship was C. M Åberg.3 No record of what they were freighted has been found but probably timber since a lot of timber was shipped from the port in Sundsvall. Swedish newspapers at this time always had information on Swedish ships around the world and foreign ships that came to Sweden. According to the paper ”Aftonbladet” sailed the ship ”Thor” from English port Portsmouth 30 July 1859. Destination according to the newspaper was Adelaide, Australia.4 The ship Thor arrived to Adelaide 27 November 18595 and stayed there until 11 January 1860 when it sailed to Callao in Peru.6 21 May is she listed to have been loading goods at the Cinchca Islands (Peru)7 and 10 October 1860 she left Queenstown in New Zeeland for destination Hamburg.8 After leaving Queenstown they sailed between Germany and England several times, they went to Neapel and Cagliari in Italy and also Constantinopel before the ship finally returned to home port Sundsvall 28 September 1861.9 In 29 October 1861 a new crew is enlisted on the ship Thor in Sundsvall10 and 11 November it sailed to Genua.11 Lars Daniel Melin was not part of that crew and he never enlist on another ship in Sundsvall. The ship ”Thor” never embarked on a Swedish port during its trip 1859-1861 so my conclusion is that Lars Daniel Melin illegaly jumped ship abroad sometime during the trip. It might very well be in Adelaide, Australia but he could also have left in another port. Important to remember is that a seaman that had jumped ship was hunted by Swedish authorities and therefore had diffuculties getting another Swedish seaman work. I have located the archive where Lars Daniel Melins brothers probate record is (if it exist). I have ordered it from the archive and expect delivery within 3-4 weeks. Lars Daniel Melin was born 27 April 1842 in the Sundsvalls Gustav Adolf parish. His mother was Cajsa Brita Melin (born 27 July 1810). Birth records in Sundsvall were destroyed during the large fire 1888 in Sundsvall so he and his mother is only found in household examination records. His mother was never married and he carried her surname Melin making me believe that his father was listed as unknown in birth book. But that is a theory I can´t verify at this point. 1 Lars Daniel Melin had two brothers, Anders August (born 1844) and Johan Fredric (born 1848). Brother Anders August died 1864 and were not married and had no children. Johan Fredric took surname Söderberg and died 1919. He was married but had no children.2 In household examination records is Lars Daniel Melin listed as a seaman. In the book covering the years 1867-1879 he was listed to have taken part in the churchs household examination 1866 (interogation about knowledge in christianity). After that there is no listings on him except that he in the next book 1880-1891 was listed with a text saying that they knew that in 1891 was he: "vistas i Victoria i Australien" (living in Victoria, Australia). 3 In 1895 they moved him to the "obefintlighetsboken" where all people with unknown whereabout was listed.4 That means that he still was listed in the parish but they had no idea where he was. Many people that emigrated without notifying the church (who was responsible for cencus records) was placed in the "Obefintlighetsboken". A lot of seaman was listed there because they decided to stay somewhere else when they were away from home. Lars Daniel Melin might have left for good as early as 1866. I think that this Lars Daniel Melin is the Lawrence/Laurence Daniel Meline that had a child together with Emily Hillier. I am not sure that he was Daniel Maline that married Hannah Larkins in 1865 but it could be since he was a seaman. He could have been to Australia on ships back and forth. When he died his children listed him to be born "at sea". I belive that is could be an expression for a person that has been at sea since a child/youngster - he doesn´t have to be literally born at a ship. Considering that he left Sweden without notifying the church and that he was a child probably born outside marriage - his backround he might not been interested talking about. 1 Sjömanshuset i Sundsvall (Y) EIII:9 (1857-1858) Image 1130 (AID: v687563.b1130, NAD: SE/HLA/1170008) 2 Sjömanshuset i Sundsvall (Y) DIa:4 (1855-1863) Image 790 / Page 271 (AID: v687438.b790.s271, NAD: SE/HLA/1170008) 3 Sjömanshuset i Sundsvall (Y) DIa:4 (1855-1863) Image 940 / Page 287 (AID: v687438.b940.s287, NAD: SE/HLA/1170008) 4 8 august 1859 Aftonbladet 5 2 February 1860 Nya Dagligt Allehanda 6 15 March 1860 GHS 7 12 July 1860 Harnosandsposten 8 20 October 1860 Aftonbladet the death Certificate of Laurence Daniel Meline indicates that he died at Yerong Creek NSW in 1915 having fathered 4 children at St Arnaud , Western Victoria