Week 9: My ancestor was a sailor

[Jill on the A272]

I have a big box of letters written by my father to my mother - he wrote to her pretty much every day when he wasn't at home. One day I might transcribe them but I read a few and felt that I was eavesdropping and put them back again. I can see there is huge detail in there about travelling to and from home (wherever it happened to be then) and life on board ship, almost like a diary, and comments about us, but they will need to wait.

I have a similar hoard that were written by the sailor in the photo on post #1, who was my great aunt's secret child, his son David found me via Genes Reunited years ago and we all met and got on very well. After David died his executor gave photos and letters to David's long term lady friend who passed them on to my uncle, who gave them to me. They are in a box, unread so far, though I have scanned all the photos.

[Lin Fisher]

Great letters Jill. They give a lot of information.

Caroline, I don't have any letters from any ancestors but don't think I would want to read them either.

[Caroline]

Great letters Jill. They give a lot of information.

Caroline, I don't have any letters from any ancestors but don't think I would want to read them either.

I think it's because they are between my parents and he is still around - so feels intrusive. I have a lovely letter written to my grandmother from her mother about me when I was a new baby - now that one I have no problem reading.

[PhotoFamily]

I have letters written by ancestors. My g'grandmother's letter to her Australian cuz was given to me - it enabled locating another branch that had gone to Canada. I have my father's letters to his parents when he was serving in WWII and when he worked out of state the year before enlisting (they're not very profound...).

Happy to have things in my ancestors' handwriting

[Jill on the A272]

Petty Officer Arthur Frederick Lacey Crisp RN is the photo on post#1. While his birth date is given correctly on his naval record the birthplace, Chichester, is wrong, he may not have known his birthplace as he was the secret child of my great aunt, Beatrice Lacey Crisp and was in fact born at her sister's house in Fratton near Portsmouth. Beatrice went on to marry and have a two daughters and a son, she often returned to visit her parents and sister but we do not know if she had contact with Arthur.

Our family knew nothing of him until his late son David contacted me some years ago via Genes Reunited and the truth came out. Arthur was fostered in Portsmouth and joined the navy, I have a photo of him in his whites, taken in Valetta, Malta and several of his wedding to Sarah in Nottingham in 1934.

Their only child, David, was born in Portsmouth in July 1939 and as war broke out Sarah made the decision to return to her family in Nottingham, which is where she and David lived for the rest of their lives. Arthur was killed on his ship HMS Latona, off Torbruk on 25th Oct 1941. After David's death in 2014 his executor passed his photos and family letters to his long term lady friend who in turn, sent them to me.

(I'll sort out a better photo later)

[Katarzyna]

2b1d7cd6-42a0-4e1b-be84-bec814695477.jpg
My Dad

My father was born in 1919 in Ipswich, Suffolk, and joined up in 1934, initially for 12 years, with the Royal Navy as a Boy Telegrapher at HMS Ganges, Shotley Gate, Suffolk. At the end of the war as a Chief Petty Officer, he enrolled in Royal Fleet Reserve until 1957 and served as an Instructor in Telegraphy back at HMS Ganges. As the family all lived in Ipswich, this wasn't too far for him to travel. I was baptized in St George's Church at HMS Ganges during that time.

HMS Ganges is famous for its 143 ft high mast and its ceremony of Running the Mast. All boys must complete the task except for the Button Boy who is always a volunteer and a very brave young man! A video of that can be seen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v6uuyREePs

HMS Ganges closed in 1967 a couple of years after my brother completed his training there.
My father served on several ships and in various places during the war, the Mediterranean and Malta convoys, the Norwegian campaigns, and the North Atlantic - Western Approaches convoys.
In 1941 he was serving in HMS Legion in the Mediterranean when the Ark Royal was torpedoed by U-81 and disabled. Legion and her sister ship, Lightning, stood by the stricken ship, embarking 1,560 survivors and returning them to Gibraltar. She returned to the Ark Royal to transfer key personnel for damage control efforts. After Ark Royal sank under tow, Legion returned to Gibraltar, arriving on 24 November. In December she was transferred to Alexandria to serve as part of the Mediterranean Fleet.

HMS_Ark_Royal_sinking.jpg
Legion and Ark Royal

On 23 March 1942 Legion was detached from a convoy to join HMS Eridge in escorting the merchantman Clan Campbell. During this operation, the vessels came under air attack and Legion was damaged by a near miss. The ship proceeded on one engine after successful damage control prevented her from sinking and she was beached at Malta. She was then towed to the docks on 25 March and tied up alongside the Boiler Wharf the next day. Whilst awaiting repair, the docks were the target of an air raid. Legion was hit by two bombs and sustained further serious damage when her forward magazine exploded. She rolled over and sank in the harbour, with her bridge and funnel lying on the jetty. Dad was lucky to survive but lost all his possessions.

Between 16 Jun 1942 to 3 Jan 1944 Dad was aboard HMS Phoebe and took part in Operation Pedestal in August 1942 as an escort for the aircraft carriers that brought Spitfires to Malta. On 23 October 1942, Phoebe was torpedoed by the German submarine U-161 off the Congo Estuary, while on passage to French Equatorial Africa. Her route was from Simonstown in South Africa to Freetown, Sierra Leone but the ship had to refuel at Pointe Noire. Two U-boats (U-161 and U-126) were patrolling that area at the time. After the hit, a corvette coming up from the harbour prevented the U-boat from finishing off the cruiser. About 60 crew members were tragically killed and three more died from malaria in the following days. After provisional repairs, Phoebe made for New York for complete repairs. It was an incredible feat to sail 10,000 nautical miles with a gaping hole (60 by 30 feet) in her hull.
Dad was stationed until Jan 1944 at HMS Asbury - which acted as shore-based transit accommodation of the Royal Navy located just outside New York City. It was used by crews picking up ships allocated to the Royal Navy under the provisions of Lend-Lease and by crews sent to collect ships that had been undergoing long term repair, refitting or construction at United States dockyards.

(notes on the events by courtesy of https://uboat.net/)

For the rest of the War Dad served on minesweepers, mine layers and convoy defence on the Western Approaches.

Dad's Medals -1939-1945 Star, The Atlantic Star with Bar, The Africa Star, The Defence Medal, 1939-45 War Medal and Oak Leaf, (a bronze Oak Leaf emblem worn to signify a Mention in Despatches) also Long Service and Good Conduct medals.

Dad died from cancer in 1991 at home in East Runton, Norfolk where my parents had made their home after retirement.

[Katarzyna]

I have many relatives who were either Merchant or Royal Navy Seamen. Most of the merchant seamen within my family were either apprenticed officially or learned from their fathers or uncles; for some this way of life reached back several generations.
My mariner families were mainly Suffolk or Essex born. Some were oyster dredgermen out of Tollesbury in Essex. Some worked the coastal trade. Grain, iron and coal were brought from other parts of the country and manufactured goods, cloth etc were taken from Ipswich to Newcastle and London. Others worked the ferries between Harwich and the continent.
For many, life aboard sailing ships proved to be a very dangerous occupation; it was a hard life and some of the crews never made it home.

1280px-PSM_V06_D022_Vessels_dredging_for_oysters.jpg
Vessels dredging for oysters. Public Domain. Created: between 1874 and 1875

Henry Charles Palmer, my great-granduncle, born 1854 in Ipswich, was the eldest son of Henry Palmer and Cassandra Elizabeth Lee.
When he was 15, he was indentured on 1st August 1870 at Newcastle and apprenticed to W.S. Lishman, owner of the sailing ship 'Nonpareil' no.48840.

Inkedpalmer apprentice_LI.jpg
The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Collection: Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Index of Apprentices; Class: BT 150; Piece Number: 40

"The ship foundered in the Atlantic Ocean with the loss of all but three of the 22 people on board. Survivors were rescued by the schooner Delmont ( United States). Nonpareil was on a voyage from Bombay, India to New York."
[ "Latest Shipping Intelligence". The Times. No. 27229. London. 24 November 1871. col E, p. 6.]
Henry was just 17 on that day, 11 October 1871


download.png
The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Registers of Wages & Effects of Deceased Seamen; Class: BT 153; Piece: 12

Three Tragedies for the family of Robert and Emma Wilkinson.
My great-granduncle, Robert James John Wilkinson was born in 1858 in Tollesbury, Essex to parents Robert Wilkinson and Emma Anna Killik.
Robert was an AB aboard Sir Robert Peel, no 58027– a 30ton sailing cutter in the fishing trade.
On 2nd February 1883 at the age of 25, Robert was washed overboard and drowned but I cannot find any report to say where this occurred.
Robert was married to Emma Harriet and had two young children, Emma Amelia and Charles Robert.

sir john peel - wilkinson.png
The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Registers of Deaths at Sea of British Nationals; Class: BT 159; Piece: 4

Robert's brother, Raymond Edwin Stephen Wilkinson also had his life tragically cut short.
Raymond and his twin sister Rosa Charlotte Sabina were born in March 1874 at Tollesbury in Essex. He was apprenticed to his father Robert, an Oyster Dredgerman, on 11th December 1886 and bound for 4 years.

R E J Wilkinson Apprenticed.jpg
The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Collection: Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Index of Apprentices; Class: BT 150; Piece Number: 49

It was initially reported in Chelmsford Chronicle Friday 8th July 1887 that Raymond age 13 was missing from the fishing smack "Petrel" off Harwich the previous Wednesday.

initial report.jpg

The body was found on the following Monday 11th near the Bell Buoy in Harwich Harbour. An Inquest was held on 12th July which was reported in the East Anglian Daily Times on 13 July 1887 that the Jury recorded a verdict of "accidental death".

East Anglian Daily Times 13 July 1887 Verdict.jpg

Raymond is buried in the cemetery of St Mary the Virgin, Tollesbury.

Emma Mary Ann Wilkinson was born in 1856; she was a sister to Raymond and Robert.
In 1874 she married Stephen Appleton, born in 1853 and master of the fishing smack "Emily" at Tollesbury.
They had nine children between 1875 and 1891.
On Thursday 18th December at about 2 pm one of his daughters, expecting him home for dinner looked out over the mudflats and saw his boat lying in the mud in Woodrope Creek on the North Point. Another mariner saw the boat and when he reached the smack with help of a launch there was no-one aboard. By the evening a search party found Stephen lying face down in the mud in about a foot of water with a large bruise to the back of his head.

An inquest was held on 20th December 1913. The verdict agreed by the Jury was that Stephen accidentally came to his death by being knocked overboard from his smack the "Emily" by the boom of the vessel.

Inquest 1 Appleton.jpg Inquest 2 Appleton.jpg
Reported in Chelmsford Chronicle. Friday 26th Dec 1913

Stephen is buried in the cemetery at St Mary the Virgin, Tollesbury.

Funeral Appleton 1913.jpg
Reported in the Chelmsford Chronicle on 2nd January 1914

[Katarzyna]

Matthew Watt John Dunthorne was my 2nd Cousin 3x removed and another example of a young son's tragic loss during a voyage to faraway places.
Matthew was born on 29th June 1848 at Swaffham, Norfolk to parents John Dunthorne and Elizabeth Watts.
On 3 Jun 1863 age 14, he was apprenticed to Carlisle and Gidder of Liverpool and the sailing ship Knight Errant no 25074 built in 1858. I can find no other information about what goods this ship traded.

Apprentice Matthew Dunthorne .png
The UK, Apprentices Indentured in Merchant Navy, 1824-1910 Ancestry.co.uk
The above record also shows that he died in Bombay, India on 28th October 1864 just aged 16.
His death record shows he died of Typhoid fever.

Matthew Death Bombay cropped .jpg
Registers Of Wages And Effects Of Deceased Seamen, 1852-1889 - Find My Past

[Jill on the A272]

Thomas Sidney Simpson married my great aunt Florence Campbell Crisp in Portsea, Hampshire in 1902, he was a stoker in the Royal Navy and was born in Birmingham in 1875. He was registered to vote at West Wittering, Sussex in 1906 which was his wife's home village where her parents lived at Myrtle Cottage. He served on numerous ships from his enlistment in 1896 and after 1906 when ashore lived at Fratton near Portsmouth.

In 1911 he was aboard HMS Britomart, serving in China, his wife was alone in Fratton and their two sons Richard and William were visiting family in West Wittering.

Thomas died when his ship, HMS Genista, was torpedoed off Ireland on 23rd Oct 1916. Their son William died in 1919 aged 12 and is buried at West Wittering. Richard went on to be a sailor too, I have also written about him on this thread.

We had a photo of the family on a silk handkerchief, my mother gave it to Thomas's grandson John Simpson (1932-2007) when they met some years ago. I have a digital copy of a group photo with William with his wife and one of her sisters and a brother, which was found behind another framed photo by my late uncle, but William has been sliced to get the photo into the frame, so is only partially visible.