BORN ABOARD SHIP

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 9 April 1924, Page 7

BORN ABOARD SHIP

There are no fewer than 5,500 persons in England to-day who were born on board ship, and of these 3,350 are of British nationality. The big seaports, of course, have the largest number of inhabitants who were born at sea. In London there are 1,144 persons whose birthplace was upon the ocean, expressed in noble terms of latitude and longitude and not in mean detail of street of parish. Of these London inhabitants 270 males and 380 females are of British birth —that is to say, the children of British parents though not necessarily born on board British ships or within British waters. It is only when a birth occurs on one of the big’Atlantic liners that the public ever hears of it, for then it is made the occasion of a celebration by the passengers, and a handsome sum is generally subscribed with which to endow the lucky water baby. Children born at sea, especially the girls, are often christened with nautical names or the names of ships. This accounts for the Aiichorias, Oceanias, and Arethusas, for example, that occasionally- emerge into prominence out of the common crowd of Ethels, Mabels and Ediths.— J.A.K., in the Daily Mail. j