Mercantile Marine Reserve - Yacht Patrol?

[jimbohodge]

Hello,

Can anybody help me build a bigger picture from the below:

Plymouth naval Memorial – Wall of Remembrance
Steward GEORGE SMITH
Mercantile Marine Reserve
Died on 31 October 1915 Age 41
Devon United Kingdom
Son of Walter George and Ruth Smith, of Eastney, Portsmouth; husband of Evelyn Matilda Smith, of 5, Smith's View, Cottage Grove, Southsea, Portsmouth

George and fellow crew were aboard the 'Aries' when it was sunk on 31st October 1915

Hope somebody can shed some light on the above as it is all a mystery to me.

Thanks

James

[fastfusion]

after much ado>

Marriages Jun 1875 
Smith    Walter George        Portsea    2b   638
BARTON    Ruth

is the marriage...............


so your chap was illitigimate>

however that still leaves an inevitable problem ...which cert for birth ?

Births Mar 1874 
SMITH    George Frederick        Southampton    2c   23
Smith    George        Southampton    2c   36   
Smith    George Nicholas        Portsea    2b   469

Births Sep 1874   
Smith    George        Portsea    2b   476
Smith    George        Portsea    2b   416   

Births Dec 1874
Smith    George Victor        Portsea    2b   462

the chap married which helps >

Marriages Mar 1902   Cornick    Evelyn Matilda        Portsmouth    2b   831    
Smith    George   

there is a chance that Evelyn was a daughter of Tom & Matilda according to an 1891 census for Southsea but no affirmation.....
please note that there are also Cornick family in the Sherborne reg district..........  [including a cert pair for a young Evelyn Matilda born 1901 dying 11 years of age in 1913 which could be one of Georges children??]

I presume this is out of the 3 options is his death cert ref>
Deaths Dec 1913  Smith    George A    41    Epsom    2a   46

out of the 3 age 41 that seemed the most logical out of Walsall & Easthampstead & EPSOM as the latter is nearer the coast......   and another chap who was on the same vessel is on a memorial in Sussex.  ....

"""""Killed by mine explosion off S Foreland.............    of Eastney Portsmouth
husband of Evelyn Matilda Smith ...""""   [transcribed from article]

so now some kind soul may be able to find some census material for this......

[fastfusion]

now I am going to have a speculation for this >


it is feasible out of all the SMith / Cornick births  the couple had issue>

Births Dec 1912    Smith    Arthur M J    Cornick    Sherborne    5a   579   
Births Sep 1914    Smith    Daisy L    Cornick    Sherborne    5a   579

the 2nd child would have been born after George died or at least registered as such but with no proof I am only putting this forward as a remote possible........   but they may have lived in Dorset but again NO Proof............   

[fastfusion]

so i also wish to point out that the vessel was blown to smitherins by a mine for which they were clearing..........    and as much as i tried couldnt actually find a lot on the vessel ..just comments thru various snipets on the web....

[HMac]

George Smith served as a steward in the Mercantile Marine Reserve – they are very difficult to research as not much in the way of records survive for this group of men.
He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal which were sent to his widow.
The yacht was under the command of Lt Cdr Harry Calder RNR who lost his life along with 4 other officers, 4 ratings and 14 MMR ratings.  It would be worth getting hold of ADM 137/1121 from the National Archives Kew - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4114802.

ARIES, hired yacht, Pendant No 05. Built 1880, 201grt/268TM. Armament: 2 3pdr. In service from 12.9.14. May have served as wireless-equipped A/P Group Leader or in special yacht squadrons, at home or in Mediterranean. Mined 31.10.15 off Leathercoat, in Dover Straits.

Regards
Hugh