Collection of certificates and documents relating to Captain Francis Joseph Bayldon
Date1887 - 1945
Object numberANMS0275
NameArchive series
MediumPaper
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Mary Bayldon
DescriptionThis collection is comprised of a variety of certificates and documents relating to the achievements of Captain Francis Joseph Bayldon. Included are certificates of discharge, certificates of competency and achievement to induction as a member of a company. The collection also contains newspaper clippings, letters, membership cards and letters of application.HistoryCaptain Francis Joseph Bayldon (1872-1948) was born in England and educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Spilsby before he was apprenticed to Devitt & Moore in 1887. His sea career began as a cadet officer in their passenger ships RODNEY, HARBINGER and ILLAWARRA, sailing to Australia. In 1898 Bayldon was commissioned in the Royal Naval Reserve and was promoted lieutenant in 1907. He was published by both the British Astronomical Association and the American Lick Observatory for his work on the zodiacal light. He retired from the merchant service in 1910, and opened the Sydney Nautical Academy. Bayldon continued to contribute to journals and publications and remained active in a variety of societies until his death in 1948.
The Australian National Maritime Museum holds in its collection a range of objects relating to Captain Francis Joseph Bayldon, including a variety of nautical instruments and equipment, as well as photographs, scrapbooks and testimonials representing Captain Bayldon's life and career.
Nan Phillips, 'Bayldon, Francis Joseph (1872 - 1948)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7, Melbourne University Press, 1979, pp 217-218.SignificanceThe Bayldon collection details the life of a master mariner from his early career through to his ongoing interests in maritime history.