Naval Personel

[Mopsy]

Does anyone know where I could find out the names of men who were in the in the navy in the Portsmouth area from around 1815 - 1865:).
Maureen

[Genegenee]

Hi Mopsy,

Gosh!  I think you need to get hold of your ancestors Naval records. 

Portsmouth Dockyard was a very large busy base. 

What was it you were searching for exactly?

J

[Mopsy]

I have tried all the census and parish records of every area my John Forrest, his wife Ann, also Ann's family and where each of their children were born to find out where John Forrest was born but just cannot find him anywhere. Being as Ann's family came from Portsea I thought perhaps John had been in the navy. He could have been overseas when the 1851 and 1861 census came out. I'm desperate. :-[He was born 6th April 1801/2.

[liverpool annie]

Hi Mopsey and Welcome to RootsChat!

This was the only John Forest I could find that seemed to fit your bill - no sign of Ann or any children !!

1851
17 Golden Grove Southampton

William Read head  60 Southampton Hampshire blacksmith
Hannah Read Wife 50 Bregg Lincolnshire
John Forest Head 50 Southampton Hampshire blacksmith
Elizabeth Marsh Head 50  Southampton Hampshire

HO107/1669 Folio 315 Page 49

Annie

[Mopsy]

Thanks Annie.  I have read that but unfortunately he's not the one. My John was a postillian. He either rode on a carriage or rode horseback escorting a carriage. He actually died in a workhouse in St George Hanover Square in 1868.
Maureen

[Genegenee]

Hi Mopsy,

I think we all have one of these in our family - a real tuffy to crack.

I have found the Archives for the Workhouse as follows;

Westminster City Archives
City of Westminster
10 St Anne's Street
London
SW1P 2XR

They hold admissions records which may give a former address - he may well have done regular runs from Soton, Hants to London hence ending his days there.

I know it's a bit slow using snail mail but it's worth a try?

Good Luck

J

[Little Nell]

This could be tricky.  Portsmouth was also a garrison town as well as having the dockyard at Portsea.  There are a number of possibilities for John.  He could have been in the Marines, the Navy, the Artillery or the regular Army and still have been in Portsmouth. He might also just have found work in the dockyard there.

Have you found the marriage? 

Another path to pursue is to see in which county on the IGI Forrest as a name crops up most.  Fairly crude, I know, but it might help.  I've already searched the National Archives catalogue to see if John Forrest crops up - a number do, all in the armed forces, born in a variety of places: Ireland and Midlothian both featured.

Nell

[Mopsy]

I do have the marriage certificate of John. He married in 15th July 1834. St James Westminster. Its a short version so theres no name of his father.
He and Ann were married by banns but I've searched the church records of St James, also the church at Old Windsor where Annes parents were living at that time. John and Ann had a daughter Maria born in 1839 in Finchley, London I've  searched church records there for the Banns but no luck.

I have written to all the people with family with the surname of Forrest who were born around 1800 on Genes Connected to see if they had a relative with a sibling John.

On the IGI a lot of Forrest"s came from Scotland.

I have a death cert of one of John's sons which showed that he had the name of Joseph Frost Forrest. Thats how I know that the change of surname hadnt been misspelling on any church record.
Joseph Frost Forrest died at Birch Green, Hertingfordbury in 1839.

John was a coachman when his son George was born.

My ggg grand father (registered)George William Benzey Forrest (son of John) was born in Egham Surrey in 1841 but wasnt christened until Apr 1847 St Mary's Portsea, Hants. Thats where the surname changes to Frost.

(I have checked the church records and its also on the IGI).

The same applies to Georges sister Maria Forrest. She was born in Finchley, London in 1839 but in Jan 1847 (the same year as George) she was christened at Kingston, Portsea Church, Portsea. as Maria Frost

George died in Portsmouth in1917.

There are several other address's I have of George, Marylebone, Mile End Old Town, He worked several jobs a Butler, footman, commercial traveller

I could go on and on but no John Forrest/Frost birth place.

This morning I wrote to the Westminster Archives to find out if they have any more information on him as he died in The Workhouse, Mount Street, St George, Hanover Sq.

Ive been running out of ideas but cant give up.