View Thread

 Print Thread
Need advice first please
MMD
My subject James Barrett born Christchurch 1816 is described in the 1871 census at Portsea as Suptd (Superintending or Superintendent??) Chief Officer Coast Guard. His children were all born in Ireland. Doesn't come up in earlier or later censuses (assume he was in Ireland (where). Grateful for advice to put more flesh on these bones (like when joined, where stationed). Also appreciate help to distinguish between terms Coast Guard and Excise (family talk about "Excise"Wink.
 
crimea1854
Welcome to the Forum MMD.

Firstly Supt. means Superannuated i.e. pensioned.

Regarding the Coastguard and Excise, it is a little confusing, because up until 1856 the CG Service was administered by Customs and Excise before transferring to the Admiralty, so a Coastguard would have been working for the Revenue Service preventing smuggling, but unlike the Excise would not collect taxes - I hope that is a little clearer.

Re your man I believe I have found his retirement on 1 June 1870 from Carnsore CG Station in Wexford, where he was Acting Chief Officer.

Tracing his career using the ADM 175 records, he was first appointed Act. CO on 21 Sept 1849 with a posting to Carnsore (ADM 175/19 pdf 55). What is interesting is that he was previously 1st Mate on the Revenue Cruiser Vulcan, but absconded, then reappeared with the reason for his absence as 'mental aberation' being granted £33 for 1 year (ADM 175/24 pdf 168). On 13 Dec 1855 he was transferred to Ballygeary, but on 16 June 1856 went back to Carnsore.

The reason I'm reasonably confident he is your man, is because as Chief Mate of the Vulcan he was issued with a Merchant Seamens Ticket (No.207,416) on which his date of birth is given as 14 May 1815, Christchurch. On the ticket he is described as 5' 5.5'' tall, dark hair, dark complexion, hazel eyes and first went to sea as a boy in 1828. The ticket was issued at Geenock on 7 July 1845.

If you wish to find out more about his career I would suggest downloading ADM 175/24 and look at both pages for Vulcan. I'm afraid to find his earlier service you would need to visit the National Archives, Kew. Hope this is of some help.

Martin

PS More info http://www.coastg...cle_id=143
Edited by crimea1854 on 21/05/2014 07:15
 
MMD
Martin

I couldn't have hoped for a better reply! I had downloaded ADM 175/100 (chosen at random) but, unlike an expert such as you, was myself unsure what I was looking at and the dates were a bit of a gamble. So, you have kindly provided a splendid steer in the right direction, I am very grateful (as will be the gggrandaughter of the man).

Supplementary question - what was the rank sturcture up to CO that he would have passed through?
Edited by MMD on 21/05/2014 09:57
 
crimea1854
His career path was a little unusual. In most instances a man entered the CG Service as a Boatman, then became a Commissioned Boatman, Chief Boatman and finally a Chief Boatman in Charge - very few became Chief Officers.

I'm guessing that he originally joined a Revenue Cruiser as a Mariner, and as such is not found on the ADM 175 records, only men with substantive rates feature in these records. To find out more you would need to consult the Muster Books in the ADM 119 series of records at the National Archives.

Martin
 
Tony
Hi.
A very interesting man was James Barrett.
Thom's Directory of Ireland lists James at Carnsore from 1851 up to 1870 his entire stay in Ireland.Long stays in one area were not common.

Here are a few items of his time in Ireland


1852.
H39. Admiralty Court – Yesterday. The Catherines cargo – Salvage
This was a case of alleged derelict salvage, in which Thomas Bate Esq.Chief Officer of the Coast Guards, James Barrett Esq. of the Coast Guards, and their parties, and Captain J.R.Crosbie were the claimants ; and the ‘Catherine’ of Glasgow, Barclay, master and her cargo was the party impugnant.
It appears that the ‘Catherine’ of Glasgow, sailed from Liverpool with a general cargo of soft goods and merchandise, bound for Quebec and Montreal, and on the morning of the 25th.March last, at about 1 o’clock, struck on a rock on the coast of Wexford: the captain and crew about 5 o’clock took to their boats and went ashore, taking with them all their clothes and valuables, and proceeded to a farmhouse in the neighbourhood, about an hour afterwards the ship was boarded by the Coast Guards, who not finding any one on board, and the vessel being in danger of going to pieces, immediately set to work in saving the cargo, and ships sails and stores, and having got shore boats and labourers were engaged for several days in saving the cargo, when the ship broke up and went to pieces, and the remainder of the property was lost. The goods saved realised in value about £4,000.
A tender of £150. was made by the owners, and the defence was that the captain and crew had merely gone ashore for assistance and returned some hours afterwards, and that there were no services rendered but ordinary work and labourers.
Adjourned to this day at 11 o’clock.
Reference; Saunders News-Letter Wednesday 28th.July 1852
--------------------------------------------------------
Ballygeary Coastguard station 1856.
SPEC.
The 120 ton Cork brigantine Spec homeward bound with coal from Cardiff, was wrecked on the beach at Ballyhire on 6th June 1856. The crew of seven were taken off by a Coastguard boat manned by Chief Officer James Barrett, Ballygeary, and a volunteer crew of four local fishermen at great risk to themselves. Later the Royal National Lifeboat expressed thanks on vellum to Officer Barrett and voted one sovereign each to the fishermen.
Reference; “Rosslare Harbour, Sea and Ships” by John Maddock.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1859
H105. The ‘Fleetwood’ of Glasgow, 560 tons, Captain Henry Allen from Girgenti, in Sicily to Glasgow, having on board 500 tons of sulphur, in bulk and 100 bales of madder root was inside the Black Rock, quite close to the shore before any danger was apprehended. The Carnsore Coast Guards, under that highly efficient officer, Mr. Barrett were sonn on the strand with a Rocket Apparatus – the idea of launching or landing a lifeboat on that strand in a storm, being preposterous – and with the willing assistance of the country, the captain and crew, seventeen in number, were safely landed, but the tide just beginning to fall, the ship fell over broadside, and very soon began to break up.
Reference; Wexford Independent Wednesday 16th.March 1859.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1867
R.N.L.I. Award. Barrett James. Chief Officer H.M. Coastguard. Carnsore. Silver (2) 6 June 1867.
Hononary Scretary, Carnsore R.N.L.I.

26 may 1867. In a strong wind and squally weather, the liverpool vessel Blanche Moore, bound from Liverpool to Calcutta, India, was seen to be in distress on the Long bank, off Wexford, Ireland. The Carnsore self-righting lifeboat Gertrude launched and saved the crew of 36 men in a service that extended to 16 hours. Mr.Barrett was in the lifeboat at the Coxswain’s request.
Reference; Lifeboat Gallantry by Barry Cox.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regards

Tony Daly
 
MMD
Martin and Tony

How absolutely splendid! Thank you Tony for such a comprehensive history. My ongoing task is to find proof (I'm using Rootschat for advice) that James is linked without doubt to the present day Barrett descendants. But to have clues from Martin to his pre CG life and then Tony's slices of his life is marvellous, thank you both again very much indeed. I have a visit to Kew planned, the to do list grows!Regards MMD
 
crimea1854
You may have already established the following, but just in case; James and Elizabeth had a daughter, Anna Maria Oborne, who was born in Dorset in 1849. Her birth was registered in Weymouth, Vol 8, page 141, and on Ancestry in their parish registers is her bapt., 1 April 1849, Portland.

As part of the details of her bapt. is the fact the family were living in Reforn(e), Dorset. Using this information I did a search of the internet and came up with the marriage of James Barrett to Elizabeth White, Reforne 28 July 1840.

http://www.opcdor...5-1844.htm

Martin
 
MMD
Martin Sorry not to have replied sooner. Yes, I'd got the birth of their first child (they had more in Ireland). I had also noted the 1840 marriage but was looking for a cross check because there is an 1847 possibility in Portsea where they also lived at some time. I'm in the process of downloading ADM175, dates/locations there may give a good steer (unless of course you have another clue up your expert sleeve??)

Many thanks, great great granddaughter (we've proven the link) very taken with all this history!

MMD
 
Jump to Forum: