View Thread
 I've lost a coastguard!!
|
|
| Joan |
Posted on 14/05/2008 18:38
|
 New Member  Posts: 2 Joined: 14/05/2008 |
Hi, I've been tracking Nicholas Merriefield, born 1815 in Gerrans, Cornwall. I know he was married in 1838 in Falmouth, to a lady called Ann. On the 1841 census I have Ann and her daughter, also Ann, living in Falmouth, but no Nicholas. I have looked on the British Coastguards 1841 -1901 where he appears three times, the first mention being blank, but mentioning his first wife and children, then again in 1861 and 1881 with second wife and children when he has moved north. Any ideas as to where I could look for him in the missing years? |
|
|
|
| crimea1854 |
Posted on 16/05/2008 08:17
|
 Administrator  Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Joan, and welcome to the Forum. I did an online search of the 1871 Census and found a Nicholas Merifield (note slight variation of spelling) in Guisborough, Lofthouse, so there is possibly one year accounted for. With regard to tracing other service, a search of the ADM 175 series of Coastguard registers that are arranged by CG Station could be worthwhile. However, I have never consulted these documents myself so do not know how useful they may prove to be. I have made a promise to myself that the next time I’m at the National Archives I will have a look so I know for future reference. Another source could be the registers of ‘Seaman’s Tickets’, particularly for 1845-54. Despite being introduced so that the Government had a national register of all merchant seamen, during this period men in the RN and the CG Service also registered and were allocated a Ticket Number. Consulting the alphabetical index in BT 114 may provide a ticket number for Nicholas, and consulting the actual Register in BT 113 could provide additional information e.g. if he had prior service in the Royal Navy, which may account for earlier service prior to entering the Coastguard. If it did transpire that he had been in the RN it would then be worth a search of the ADM 139 series of documents that provide details of naval service. However, not every man who was in the RN signed on for ‘Continuous Service’ and so is in this series of documents. Finally I did a general trawl of the Internet and came up with the following, which questioned whether Nicholas’s daughter was a bigamist! http://www.britis...hp?t=14451 Hope this has been of some help. Regards Martin |
|
|
|
| Joan |
Posted on 17/05/2008 12:59
|
|
New Member Posts: 2 Joined: 14/05/2008 |
Hi crimea, Thanks for the reply. I have managed to follow Nicholas up to Lofthouse, and his daughter Sarah was a bigamist, she even had children out of wedlock, but not my grandmother so I'm okay  Thank you for the tip, I will look into it. Joan |
|
|
|
| jane benge |
Posted on 24/06/2008 07:19
|
 New Member Posts: 1 Joined: 07/06/2008 |
My ancester (Popperwell) was also a coastguard and retired to Mylor where he took out a license for oyster beds with a Geo. Merrifield. Could this Merrifield also have also been a coastguard? My ancester was from Essex and was born in 1786. According to research there was a strong connection with West Mersea and Mylor Parish due to Oyster fishing and local names evolving from this was Banks and Merrifield. There is also a Gerrans History Society http://www.gerransheritage.co.uk/displays.htm Good Luck Jane |
|
|
|
| crimea1854 |
Posted on 04/07/2008 08:06
|
|
Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Joan I had a few spare minutes at the NA yesterday, and as I had promised myself I looked at the ADM 175 series of records. Out of general interest I looked up Nicholas Merrifield in the index and found an entry: July 1844 Nicholas Merrifield from HMS Magnet to Challabora, Folio 211. I am assuming that Challabora is Challaborough in Devon; there certainly was a CG station there. HMS Magnet was a Packet Brig sailing out of Falmouth, which would perhaps explain why NM was not on the 1841 census, being at sea. Unfortunately I did not have the time, nor patience to try and follow this up, but a quick look at the general level of information in the ADM 175 series suggest that this might be worth the trouble, and help trace NM's movements from CG station to station. I also checked the ADM 139 index (seamens service records), but could find no Nicholas Merrifield. Hope this is of some help. Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 04/07/2008 08:09 |
|
|
|
| crimea1854 |
Posted on 23/09/2008 19:13
|
|
Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Joan I'm not sure if this is your man, but I have found a Nicholas Merrifield, Coast Guard Man, on the Baltic medal roll for service aboard HMS Princess Royal, ships no. 117. His medal was sent to Waterford Coast Guard Station on 24/4/57. If you have the opportunity it would be well worth checking Princess Royals Description Book at the National Archives - Ref: ADM 38/8777. Also Princess Royal was one of those ships which saw service in both the Baltic and the Black Sea, for which Merrifield was awarded both the above medal and the Crimea Medal, with Sebastopol clasp. Regards Martin |
|
|
|
| crimea1854 |
Posted on 30/09/2008 18:56
|
|
Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Joan Having visited the National Archives today I'm 99.99% certain this is your man. According to Princess Royal's description book Nicholas Merrifield was 38 when he signed on in 1854; he gave his place of birth as Gerrans, Cornwall and was married. He was 5' 9'', fair compl, hazel eyes and brown hair. Unfortunately he provided no further details as to his prior service. Now that ADM 175 is available online, although so slow to download that one becomes almost suicidal with frustration, I have managed to trace Merrifield's movements for a few more years. 31 July 1844 from HMS Magnet to Challabro, removed 22 May 1846 to Seasalter Cliff. 22 May 1846 from Challabro to Seasalter Cliff, removed 31 Jan 1848 to Beresford. 31 Jan 1848 from Seasalter Cliff, removed 5 Nov 1850 to Seaham Harbour per request - Intimacy with inhabitants. At this point the system locked and I could not face trying to download it again! Regards Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 04/10/2008 22:00 |
|
|
|
| kilmeny |
Posted on 10/04/2009 12:08
|
 Member  Posts: 37 Joined: 28/02/2009 |
Having just read these replies and meeting the word/place ' Beresford' made me prick up my ears, Martin. Where is it? ( presumably a CG Station ?....in Ireland ??) Elizabeth Browne ( wife of my Coastguard ancestor, John Ost ) had a brother named * AUDLEY Beresford Brown(e) ( Achill 1836) and we cannot understand the Beresford connection as it has not previously been used as a name in the family, nor since ( that I know of ). Any ideas ?? I do like this wonderful site and learn something new EVERY day !......Kilmeny * Sorry.....I originally entered his name as JOHN Beresford Browne Edited by kilmeny on 26/09/2009 10:17 |
|
|
|
| crimea1854 |
Posted on 10/04/2009 13:53
|
|
Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Kilmeny Beresford CG Station falls within the Whitstable CG District, Kent, but despite using Google Map I have been unable to locate it. However, since in the EB it sits between East Swale and Seasalter, I would guess that it is somewhere on this coast between these two stations. Given your supposition that the name has a geographical link, I checked the Establishment Book for this station in 1836, but found no sign of a Brown(e). Perhaps it would be worth tracing Brown(e)'s movements to see if he served somewhere close-by. Regards Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 10/04/2009 13:54 |
|
|
|
| kilmeny |
Posted on 10/04/2009 14:44
|
|
Member Posts: 37 Joined: 28/02/2009 |
Thanks for reply, Martin. We do know the work history of Audley Beresford Brown(e)'s father ( ie: John Browne, 1795, Donegal) , and he was a Coastguard based at Irish Stations throughout his life. There are no gaps where he is likely to have been at Beresford....so my musings are unfounded, it seems. Perhaps I will yet find a much previous Beresford ancestor, marrying into the Browne family. Thanks again......Kilmeny |
|
|
|
| markt |
Posted on 04/06/2012 22:57
|
|
New Member Posts: 2 Joined: 31/01/2011 |
Hi Martin, Are you sure Beresford Station was in Whitstable? There's a Beresford Road in Whitstable but that's some way from the sea in the main part of the town so not typically where a station would have been built. There's also the old coastguard cottages between this road and the sea. There isn't an area of the town called Beresford that I know of, including in the outlying villages. However there is a Beresford Gap between Reculver and Birchington - which is about ten miles east of Whitstable. Could this be where it was? There was a station at Minnis Bay, which is about a mile to the west of Beresford Gap. There was also one at Epple Bay, a half mile to the east. Epple Bay actually had two stations: one on the east end, the other on the west. Also, there was an older station built in the 17th century and demolished in 1860. This was replaced by the West station. Not sure if this is right but it may be of interest, Mark
markt attached the following images:
|
|
|
|
| Jump to Forum: |
