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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Devon => Topic started by: Debbda on Monday 12 August 13 19:41 BST (UK)
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Good evening.
I have trying to track why and when my relations left Devon and went to Bermuda, ending up working in the Dockyard around 1881. Their future wives joined them from this area in Devon and married in Bermuda..
a) Samuel Weeks b 17/6/1859 Kingskerswell, lived in Tormoham (1871 census) (m Mary Balkwell Cann b 1859)
b) William John Godfrey b 21/1/1860 Torquay, lived in Tormoham (1871 census .) (m Julia Ann Jarvis Clapp b 1867)
Has anyone else got relations who did this move?
Thanks, Debbie
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hi Debbie
it could be that they had been working in the dockyards in England and moved for a better life to Bermuda as Britain had both army and navy presence in Bermuda and the west indies as a whole around that time but a lot of those postings weren,t the paradise they thought as disease was rife out there due to the swamps and mosquitos .
regards
trevor
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Yes, could have been in Navy. William Godfrey kept a diary and said he went into the Bda Dockyard as a labourer when he was 21. (Bermuda didn't have swamps and few mossies by the way.) I need to find out if the Dockyard holds records of their workers. Any idea if the RN over here would have those?
He continued in the dockyard to become a "writer" but lived in his own house.
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Hi
It looks as if William and possibly Samuel were in the RN, although the date of birth for Samuel differs from the one given in your post:
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D6646119 (http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D6646119)
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res?discoveryCustomSearch=true&_fn=Samuel&_ln=Weeks&_no=&_pl=&_sdb=&_edb=&_ser=ADM+139&_ser=ADM+188&_col=online&_dt=R&image1.x=57&image1.y=19 (http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res?discoveryCustomSearch=true&_fn=Samuel&_ln=Weeks&_no=&_pl=&_sdb=&_edb=&_ser=ADM+139&_ser=ADM+188&_col=online&_dt=R&image1.x=57&image1.y=19)
'Writer' is a naval rate (rank). If you do order William's service record, I would be interested to know if he was serving on HMS Invincible in 1882?
Martin
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MANY thanks Martin. Getting William Godfrey's service record has made my day! He served 2 days with Duke of Wellington Feb 1881, Griffin from 15 Feb 81-30 July 81; and Urgent 31 July- 9 Aug 81; Griffin 10 Aug on. Then shore job.
His rating was D 3 C (?) Can you tell me what that is?
I will have to recheck Samuel Week's dob.
Again, thank you. Debbie
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Debbie
I believe that he was a Domestic 3rd Class, then Domestic 2nd Class, and would have worked in the Officers Wardroom. I have checked the 1881 Navy List and this has HMS Griffon being recommisioned in Bermuda on 8th March 18(?) - the date is right on the fold!
You might also be interested in the following:
https://images.nationalarchives.gov.uk/assetbank-nationalarchives/action/quickSearch?keywords=bermuda&newSearch=true&quickSearch=true (https://images.nationalarchives.gov.uk/assetbank-nationalarchives/action/quickSearch?keywords=bermuda&newSearch=true&quickSearch=true)
Martin
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Thank you so much for sorting these bits out for me. The family are overjoyed!
Debbie
PS Still not convinced about Samuel Weeks so will persevere in double checking dob etc.
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Doesn't really add much to the topic, but an interesting coincidence. In a former job I had reason to travel to Bermuda several times. On one occasion I took my video camera and was taking film of the island. I happened upon a large marker from the 1800's in a graveyard. I think it listed sailors from the fort who'd died of disease. On the same side was a Fry (my surname) and a Crowe, my mother's maiden name.
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Opps! Forgot to mention I'm from the Culmstock, Devon Fry's
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Most if not all of the family graves are at St James churchyard, Sandys. I fear Samuel Weeks will take some time to sort out!
Thanks again.
Debbie
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Martin, May I ask you one more thing please?
Charles Joseph Steynor-- b 7/1/1875 in Walworth (which I know isn't quite in Devon!) but it's the same topic as before. Rumour had he he went in the services at 15, pretending to be 17. He may have gone to Bermuda with the Worcestershire Regiment but the family were all tied up with the Dockyard.
Thanks
Debbie
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Debbie
I can find no army or navy records for CJ Steynor, but the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regt were in Bermuda in 1897. Your best bet is to try and get to the National Archive, Kew and search the Regimental Muster Books.
Martin
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Thanks Martin. No more questions at this time!
Debbie
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One more question...John Cann b 1855, died Bda in 1903. His sister (I think) was Mary Balkwell Cann, my Gr grandmother. Mary married Samuel Weeks in Bda. Was John also in the Navy?
Their father was John married to Jemima Nute, 1854 E.Stonehouse, Devon.
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Hello Debbda
To not quite answer your original question, do you have a copy of "In search of Adventure: A family history of Clapps from Devon", 1984 by John Clapp? This covers off on why Julia's family moved to Bermuda.
I've transcribed the information on Julia Ann's father at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Clapp-1371 and I'm happy to share more information from the book if you don't have it. It also includes some information on William and Julia's descendants, although as one yourself you've probably got that covered.
It doesn't seem like you can do private messaging on rootschat (?) but you can contact me direct via the wikitree link if you want.
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Welcome to Rootschat, msdorney :)
You can do private messaging on here, but you need 3+ posts to your name first (to keep spammers out). A couple more replies on here and you will be good to go.
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Thanks for that info addressed to msdorney. I private messaged her (I have posted lots of times). Will she be able to reply back?
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Thanks for that info addressed to msdorney. I private messaged her (I have posted lots of times). Will she be able to reply back?
Not yet - personal messages can't be sent until the sender has posted 3 times.
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Hello debbda
I saw your message but am unable to reply.
This reply takes me up to two posts, I'll find something pertinent to post elsewhere and get back to you.
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You can just reply to this thread again if you want. No need to say anything very pertinent!
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Hello debbda
I don't know if life has intervened or if you didn't receive my last two PMs, but I know have a hard copy photo of William John Godfrey, as well as a couple of other photos of his family. These were given to me by his grandson John Grunnell.
I'm happy to post to anyone who is descendant.
I haven't got around to scanning them yet, but when I do I will attach it to his wikitree profile https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Godfrey-2737
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I just took a look at this thread because I have an interest in Bermuda matters, but I see that a very distant relative is mentioned here. Jemima Nute's nephew Albert Edwin Nute married Eme Jane Parkes in Liverpool in 1921.
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Dear Mark. I am SO sorry I didn't get any notifications by email that there were messages but thank you SO MUCH for putting the photo up as I've just found it. His family will be thrilled.
Who are the other photos of? Do you still have the hard copies?
Debbie
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Hi Shaun,
Email notifications from 2017 didn't arrive so apologies for not chatting to you.
Jemima (b 15/6/1856 Dodbrook, d 2/10/1908 Babbycombe) was my 2*great grandmother. She married a widower, John Cann 8/10/1854, in E. Stonehouse and had 11 children.
One of her children Mary Balkwell Cann (b 28/1/1859, Dodbrook, Kingsbridge) m Samuel Weeks (b 1859 Kingskerswell) in Sandys Parish, Bermuda 19.6.1883.
Ada was Mary and Sam's child. Unfortunately Mary died 1885 in Bermuda when Ada was a toddler so that family history is very sketchy to say the least! We don't know why either Mary or Sam went to Bermuda although we think Samuel went in the Navy.
Do you have anything you've heard via your own FH, or even any photos please.
Debbie
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Wonder why Mary Cann would have gone out....nurse-maid or something? Or did she go with her brother John Henry Cann who died 1963 in Bda? (worked in the Dockyard as a Writer.)
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Do you have this?
From the Royal Gazette of 28 July 1885