Captain William Warren Rice

[cjc1867]

Hi
We have a burial at Llandyfeisant Church, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, Wales of a William Warren Rice (19 Apr 1875) and we have discovered that he was a captain of various ships (Lord Western, Sultana) and sailed between Calcutta-Bombay in India and South Africa.

Don't know when or where he was born but the burial register says he was born in 1811.

He married Louisa Mary Graves in 1835 in South Africa and as far as I know they had 3 children (Jane Stewart Talbot Rice b1837, Margaret Sophia Rice b1839 and William Evans Rice b1845). 2 of the children were said to be born at sea between India and South Africa.

His wife Louisa died in Bombay, India in June 1845 and is buried at St. Thomas's Cathedral, Bombay, India. His son William Evans Rice was also baptised there in June 1845, just after his mother died. On the burial and baptism records, it says that William was commander of 'Lord Western'.

At the age of 26 and only married for 1 month in 1871, William Evans Rice, Chief Officer was going to join his ship via a rowing boat and he ended up falling overboard and died. The document mentions his father, William Warren Rice as being in England or was on his way there.

We can't find any documents when he left India and which port in England he arrived at. I have looked for him in the 1871 Census and can't find him so he could have arrived of this Census.

When he died in 1875, he lived at Bridge Street, Llandeilo (old spelling Llandilo), Carmarthenshire, which were normally houses for employees and the retired of Lord Dynevor.

What we can't understand is why he ended up in Llandeilo, when his life was centred around India and South Africa. His daughter Jane was still living in South Africa and William left his money to her. Jane's name is unusual as well, Talbot Rice is also a name of some of the Dynevor family. Could they be related or did William know them?

Most of the documents can be found on familysearch.org and I think we have all of them but not sure.

Anyone got any ideas or where we can look for further information?

Thanks

Colin

[maddys52]

I can't help with what he was doing in Wales, however there are reports of when his ship "Sultana" was wrecked on the Byrangor Reef in 1862 and of the investigation in 1863. Happy to send you a copy if you haven't seen them.

[maddys52]

Also a death notice:

"On the 14th inst., at Bridge-street, Llandilo, Carmarthenshire, Captain Rice, R.N."

The Cambrian 23 April 1875
https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3332495/3332503/70/

[cjc1867]

Hi
Thanks for replying.

I have got the 2 newspaper articles about the Sultana is that what you mean?

We've got the death notice as well, so it looks like people knew him as the captain or was a captain in the navy, not sure if he was in the Royal Navy though...

Colin

[maddys52]

Re the Sultana - I can see an item (printed in various papers) about the wreck in June 1862, and another later that month when some crew members were picked up from Laccadive Islands. Then there is the reports of the investigation published in The Bombay Gazette 20 and 22 Jan 1864, and The Times of India.

[cjc1867]

Hi
I have got 2 newspaper articles from the Bombay Gazette dated 19th and 21st of January 1863 and titled 'Marine Court of Enquiry' but no others.

My trial has just ran out with Find My Past so I can't look there again until I get another trial.

Any chance of knowing how you found the other articles in 1862?

Thanks

Colin

[Ashtone]

Don't know when or where he was born but the burial register says he was born in 1811.

According to this SA index record on Ancestry, he was born in Bristol.

South Africa, Marriage Index, 1807-2007
Name:   William Warren Rice
Marital status:   Bachelor (Single)
Residence Place:  born Bristol, England, South Africa
Marriage Date:   8 Jul 1835
Marriage Place:   Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Church:   St. Georges Church Cape Town
Spouse:   Louisa Mary Graves
Collection:   Cape Town: St George's Cathedral Marriages, 1811-1880
Archive Name:   Anglican Church Archives Wits University

[cjc1867]

Hi
I've seen the marriage info but need more evidence to say he was born in Bristol.

Trying to stay away from the public family trees on Ancestry as everyone have copied hints and it only takes one person to get it wrong and they all follow suit.

They've put that William Warren Rice died in South Africa in 1879 and that he was a Police constable, in the army etc...

Thanks for looking and I'll see if I can find him in Bristol.

Need to know if employment records exist for working for Lord Dynevor as that might say.

Colin

[maddys52]

Hi
I have got 2 newspaper articles from the Bombay Gazette dated 19th and 21st of January 1863 and titled 'Marine Court of Enquiry' but no others.

My trial has just ran out with Find My Past so I can't look there again until I get another trial.

Any chance of knowing how you found the other articles in 1862?

Thanks

Colin

I used findmypast newspapers to find these items, I can't remember exactly what my search terms were, but probably included "Sultana" and "Byramgor Reef" (various spellings). Happy to send you copies - drop me a pm if you'd like. 

Have you looked at the family of Lord Dynevor  for a connection? I realise RICE/RHYS etc is a common name though ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Rice,_6th_Baron_Dynevor