# Chef on a ship



## AlecH (Jun 26, 2019)

My Great Uncle, George Henry Sellors, was a chef on a ship in the 1920's, I have a photo taken which I believe is the crew of the ship, it appears to be a passenger ship by the number of "domestic" staff in the picture. Has anyone on the forum any ideas as to the ship name or any suggestions as to how I could research further? I think that George is the middle of the 3 chefs on the left of the picture.

Thanks Alec


----------



## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

I am not so sure about this photo. So many things in it do not make sense. The Captain and the chefs make sense. Nothing else does. Lower row, far left. Why would a 'sailor' be wearing a bow tie in square rig uniform and a cap that does not come from anywhere? Again front row. Centre, young lad appears to wearing a Royal Marine uniform. The two right of him seem to wearing three buttons on the sleeve cuff. Isn't that old Midshipman uniform... and wearing grey flannels. The stewardess' are wearing some sailor's rig. That is not a norm and not with caps like that. The middle row behind the Captain... they look like some very well dressed in formal passenger rig and wearing caps. The only one that looks areal is the chap at far left of the chefs... oily stained jacket... might be the Ch Eng or Engineroom Storekeeper! Lastly. The 'set', does not quite right. Formal lounge on a passenger liners with bare wooden 'floor', unless the carpet is rolled up for dancing. Looks like a set in a theatre.
Lastly, what are they all standing on? Temporary staging? 

Stephen


----------



## Cranky (Jun 18, 2007)

I've no idea what the photo represents, but the embossed stamp on the bottom right reads. "J.R.BOARD. BUXTON."
A quick search brought up a photographer, James Robert Board of Buxton who was active in the 1920s' in Derbyshire.


Derbyshire Photographers Profiles : J.R. Board of Buxton


----------



## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Possibly this photo was taken at a theatre or hotel etc.,,, Derbyshire. Makes sense. No answer though! 

Stephen


----------



## LTS (Jul 14, 2007)

Looks like a film studio
Was there any movies made involving ocean liners in the 1920's?


----------



## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Probably. Lots in the 30's & 40's. Studio? I'd go for that as well.

The problem is that George Henry Sellors was a real chef and did sail in a passenger ship.

Stephen


----------



## Wismajorvik (Dec 29, 2011)

HMS Pinafore comes to mind...


----------



## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Wismajorvik said:


> HMS Pinafore comes to mind...



In this case it would be RMS PINAFORIC !!!!


----------



## AlecH (Jun 26, 2019)

Stephen J. Card said:


> I am not so sure about this photo. So many things in it do not make sense. The Captain and the chefs make sense. Nothing else does. Lower row, far left. Why would a 'sailor' be wearing a bow tie in square rig uniform and a cap that does not come from anywhere? Again front row. Centre, young lad appears to wearing a Royal Marine uniform. The two right of him seem to wearing three buttons on the sleeve cuff. Isn't that old Midshipman uniform... and wearing grey flannels. The stewardess' are wearing some sailor's rig. That is not a norm and not with caps like that. The middle row behind the Captain... they look like some very well dressed in formal passenger rig and wearing caps. The only one that looks areal is the chap at far left of the chefs... oily stained jacket... might be the Ch Eng or Engineroom Storekeeper! Lastly. The 'set', does not quite right. Formal lounge on a passenger liners with bare wooden 'floor', unless the carpet is rolled up for dancing. Looks like a set in a theatre.
> Lastly, what are they all standing on? Temporary staging?
> 
> Stephen


Hi Stephen

Thanks for your comment, my idea that George Sellors was chef on a ship was based mainly on a belief that this photo was of a ships crew, the number of domestic staff suggested a passenger ship. However George could have been a chef in a large hotel. I know that in before the first world war he was a chef, 1911 census "chef in restaurant", he is absent from the 1921 census but his wife is present was married with the occupation "home duties" which lead me to believe that he was aboard a ship. On the 1939 register he was "Chef de Cuisine". I guess I better try hotel lounges in the Buxton area as suggested by other respondants to this query.
Cheers Alec


----------



## AlecH (Jun 26, 2019)

Cranky said:


> I've no idea what the photo represents, but the embossed stamp on the bottom right reads. "J.R.BOARD. BUXTON."
> A quick search brought up a photographer, James Robert Board of Buxton who was active in the 1920s' in Derbyshire.
> 
> 
> Derbyshire Photographers Profiles : J.R. Board of Buxton


Hi Thanks for that info, I will chase up the photographer, there may be some information stored away somewhere.


----------



## AlecH (Jun 26, 2019)

Stephen J. Card said:


> Probably. Lots in the 30's & 40's. Studio? I'd go for that as well.
> 
> The problem is that George Henry Sellors was a real chef and did sail in a passenger ship.
> 
> Stephen


As I said in my reply to your earlier response I am beginning to doubt that he really was at sea!
Cheers Alec


----------



## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Hi AlecH,
Do you have a date and place of birth for him?
Regards
Hugh


----------



## AlecH (Jun 26, 2019)

Hugh MacLean said:


> Hi AlecH,
> Do you have a date and place of birth for him?
> Regards
> Hugh


Hi Hugh,
I have lots of information about him, was just curious if the photo was a real ship's company, now seems unlikely. Just found him on the 1921 census in LLandudno working as a chef in the grosvenor restraunt. He was born on the 18th Sept 1884 in Salford Lancs.


----------



## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Thanks Alec, I just wanted to see if I could pin him to any seaman's record which I can't unfortunately. He may have been in the army during WW1 [cook] but I cant be sure.

Regards
Hugh


----------



## AlecH (Jun 26, 2019)

Hugh MacLean said:


> Thanks Alec, I just wanted to see if I could pin him to any seaman's record which I can't unfortunately. He may have been in the army during WW1 [cook] but I cant be sure.
> 
> Regards
> Hugh


Hi Hugh,
George spent the time from Nov 1915 to Apr 1919 in the army based at Aldershot, Hampshire. He enlisted in the RAMC, transferred to the Royal Engineers signal depot in 1918 until his discharge.
Cheers Alec


----------



## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

He was in TITANIC... survived and said, "No chance going back to sea after that lot!" 

Yes, quite possible he wasn't at sea. With his experience it is unlikely he would join a passenger vessel without any ship experience before doing a few years going up the ranks. Not sure, but might point to that.

Thanks your posting. Hope you are able to get the answers,

Stephen


----------



## DPowersJr (Jul 7, 2021)

AlecH said:


> My Great Uncle, George Henry Sellors, was a chef on a ship in the 1920's, I have a photo taken which I believe is the crew of the ship, it appears to be a passenger ship by the number of "domestic" staff in the picture. Has anyone on the forum any ideas as to the ship name or any suggestions as to how I could research further? I think that George is the middle of the 3 chefs on the left of the picture.
> 
> Thanks Alec
> View attachment 694704


The hanging light fixtures seen reflected in the mirror would not be onboard a ship, as they would have swung in any type of sea. It seems likely this photo was taken in a land-based building.


----------



## AlecH (Jun 26, 2019)

DPowersJr said:


> The hanging light fixtures seen reflected in the mirror would not be onboard a ship, as they would have swung in any type of sea. It seems likely this photo was taken in a land-based building.


Thanks for your reply. Another nail in the coffin of my belief that George was a seagoing chef.

I will now have to concentrate on land searches.

I guess that this means that should close this search with thanks to all those who responded.

Cheers

Alec


----------



## Waddie (Aug 2, 2014)

Definitely not ships officers and crew as all are far too happy!


----------

