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Breakthrough today on my Reed line that gives me a lead/connection to Ilfracombe, Devon.
While I still don't know who Sarah Norman is, this is definitely my 3x GR GF - the marker says in memory of William M. Reed, Master of the Schooner Volunteer who died at sea, Dec 14 1857!!! I also can't quite make out the last name on the market under Mary Jane Fishley, but I can see something Stinson Reed. Stinson is also a name in my family branch (UK and Maine) connected to the Reeds, also mariners. Yay! A little progress! Devon also appears to be a likely birthplace for my William M. Reed.
http://www.gravestonephotos.com/public/gravephoto.php?scrwidth=956&grave=298487&requestee=29800

If anyone has more info or sees a possible connection, please get in touch!

More background:

 I live in California. Looking for more info on my Master Mariner Reed/Reade/Reid line. My 3x Great Grandparents were William Reed (Master Mariner) and Mary Ann Cornish. Mary Ann Cornish was born in North Shields, Northumberland ~1817. Not sure where William was born. They married on 18 Aug 1844 — Toxteth Park, St John the Baptist, Lancashire, England. Apparently, it was a second marriage for both, so her name at their marriage is listed as Mary Ann Tait (first husband Gilbert). Not sure where William was born, who William's first wife was or if they had children. The marriage cert says William's father's name was also William and he was a farmer. It lists Mary Ann's father as Thomas Cornish, also a Mariner. BUT Mary Ann's death record in 1894 in Andover, Massachusetts in the United States, says her father was Richard Cornish (not Thomas) and her mother was an Ann Morgan.

William and Mary Ann had 5 children, Richard Cornish Reed (b. July 1845 in Liverpool, Master Mariner), Maria Reed (b. abt 1847), Annie Reed (b. abt 1849), William Cornish Reed (b.1852 d.1853 in Liverpool) and William John Reed (b. 1854 in Liverpool, my 2x GR GF, Master Mariner).

Would anyone be able to find out more about William's death at sea? Where can I obtain a copy of this will and would it likely fill in some of the blanks?

 15 April 1858
 The Will of William Reed late of Liverpool in the County of Lancaster Master Mariner in the Merchant Service deceased who died 14 Dec 1857 at Sea was proved at Liverpool by the oath of Mary Ann Reed of 16 Upper Stanhope-street Toxteth Park Liverpool aforesaid Widow the Relict and the sole Executrix.

I recently found a very interesting archived newspaper article from 1952 (Springfield Republican, Massachusetts, USA) about my Austrian/Polish immigrant GR Grand Uncle Michael (Michal) M. Jakuboski (many spelling variations including Jacobowicz). The article talks about how he was recruited by the British to fight as a calvaryman in the Second Boer War in 1897 at age 18 and some of his experiences including being captured.   He was born in 1880.  Article says at the age of 21, he returned to Poland (before immigrating to the United States).

Am looking for any British military records that might pertain to his service during this time and might tell me more about him, like what town he was born in (probably somewhere in Galicia), etc.  Can anyone help me find any records?

Happy to share the article if anyone is interested. The PDF file was too large to attach here.

Thanks! Kathleen

Here is everything I know so anything above or beyond about these relatives is much appreciated:
 
My GG Grandfather was Capt. William John Reed. He was born November 20, 1854 in Liverpool, England. He died August 21, 1928 in Charlestown, Massachusett, USA (at a merchant marine hospital) and was buried in Andover, MA.  
 
His mother was Mary Ann(e) Cornish b. 1817 census says born North Shield, Northumberland d. 1894 in Andover, MA.  
Her father was Richard Cornish and her mother was Ann Morgan (possibly related in some way to Sir Henry Morgan as one family rumor is that we are related to a pirate).  Mary Ann's burial record says her parents were both born in Wales.

William John's father was William James Reed/Reade/Reid b. abt 1815 d. unknown
 
William's John's older brother Richard Cornish Reed was b July 14, 1845 in Liverpool, England, d March 4 1914
i think Mary Anne and William James also had at least two daughters, Annie b. abt 1849 and Maria b. abt 1850.  
1851 census they were listed on a Toxteth Park/Lancashire UK census with Mary Ann as head, Richard age 5,
Maria age 3 and Annie age 1.  

William James Reed and Mary Ann Cornish also had a son June, 1852 (freeBMD index) who died
Source: Liverpool Mercury, 13 Dec. 1853 "DEATHS. ... Nov. 25th, aged 19 months, William Cornish, son of Captain William Reed, Bedford-street, Toxteth-park."

Baptism: 31 Jul 1845 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Richard Cornish Reade - [Child] of William Reade & Mary Anne
    Born: 14 Jul 1845
    Abode: Beford Street
    Occupation: Master Mariner
    Baptised by: J H Stafford Off.'s Min's
    Register: Baptisms 1844 -1846, Page 228, Entry 1817
    Source: LDS Film 93884
http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Liverpool/Liverpool-Central/stpeter/baptisms_1845.html

William James, Richard, and William John were all sea captains.
 
Family story has that William James may have owned 3 ships, 2 of which were wrecked.Not sure of the ships names or when he died or where he was born or his parent's names/birthplaces.

To add to the mix, the following may be leads or just coincidence:

1) Liverpool Mercury, 18 Dec. 1846
"On Thursday, the 10th instant, ... at St. Philip's Church, Daniel Lytton Reed, of Torquay, Devonshire, to Emma, youngest daughter of Richard Cornish, Esq."

Daniel Litton Reed in theory could have been the brother of my William James and Emma Cornish sister to Mary Ann.  Daniel was also a master mariner in Liverpool, he moved to and died in Melbourne,Australia. According to a tree on Ancestry.com, he was born 1821 in Dawlish, Devon and had a brother named William born 5 April 1815.
But Emma Cornish is listed as having been
born 1824 in Paignton, Devon to a Richard Cornish and Mary Gibson (not Ann Morgan or to parents from Wales)
Tree lists siblings but no sister Mary Ann Cornish.
 
 2)  Liverpool Mercury, 24 Jan. 1860.
"MARRIAGES.- Jan.16, at St. James's, Toxteth-park, by the Rev. John Dunkley, M.A., Mr. William Reed, mariner to Miss Jane Edwards, of this town, late of Holyhead.

not sure if there is any connection to my Reeds here.

3) In 1840, there was an English ship, registered at South Shields, named WILLIAM REED.
In 1876, there was afloat an American ship named WILLIAM REED.

4) another William Cornish Reed was born in Liverpool

Births Dec 1873  
REED  William Cornish     W. Derby  8b 461    
Marriages Jun 1899   Reed  William Cornish     Liverpool  8b 309    

what is a stewardess?

William John Reed married Lydia H. Hymmen on September 13, 1876 in Detroit Michigan.
Lydia was b May 17 1858 in Berlin, Ontario, Canada. They moved to the U.S. in the late 1800s and naturalized in Lynn, MA in 1907.  All their children were born either in
Canada or Massachusetts.

William John Reed and Helen had a daughter Mary Evelyn Reed b. July 9 1879 d. July 15 1879.  In very light writing, it looks like interred in Anfied, could be Anfield in Liverpool.  If she can be found there, she may be buried with or near more relatives. How can I find that out?

Richard Cornish Reed also moved to the U.S. and died in Andover, Massachusetts. From his obit: "from his youth until he came to Andover, he travelled the sea, first with his  father, who was the captain of a large merchant ship running from England to all parts of the continent and America. At the death of his father (William James) he continued his life at sea with his uncle Capt James Stinson of Bath, Maine, but who spent his last remaining  years in Andover.  At this time, Mr. Reed was left alone to follow the life of a seaman which he did until he rose to captain under the English flag, at which he remained until he moved to Andover many years ago.  He is survived by his wife, Jane Flynn Reed and daughter Annie."
Here is what I've been able to find on Captain James Stinson

http://www.sec.state.ma.us/vitalrecordssearch/VitalRecordsSearch.aspx
Last Name First Name Town Years Volume Page Type
Stinson Elizabeth B. ( Notman ) Andover 1888 391 206 Death
Stinson James H. Andover 1879 310 155 Death

Name: James Huston Stinson
Spouse: Elizabeth Butler Delano
Parents: John Stinson, Hopestill Delano
Birth Place: Woolwich, ME
Birth Date: Nov 1819
Marriage Date: 13 Jan 1856
Death Date: 9 May 1878

unclear exactly how he is the blood or by marriage uncle of Richard and William John.

thanks!
Kathleen