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 Desmond Family
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| jeanmhealy |
Posted on 17/10/2008 19:18
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 New Member  Posts: 4 Joined: 17/10/2008 |
I am wondering if anyone would be able to help - am looking for information on the Desmond family from Queenstown Cork. Timothy (born around 1848) was my great grandfather and I know that he joined the royal navy, the 1861 census puts him at sea, and 71, 81 and 91 put him at coastguard stations in Lydd Kent, and latterly Beachy Head where he was the Chief Coastguard Officer. His father Richard of whom I can find no information, lived with him at Beachy Head in 1891, but that is all the information I have regarding him, he doesnt appear in the English censuses before that (not that I can find anyway) I would be grateful for any information or ideas as to how I can look around myself. Many thanks Jean Healy |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 18/10/2008 16:57
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 Administrator  Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Jean, and welcome to the Forum. I did a search of the online seamans service records at the National Archives, which returned two possibles (Link below). If you download these (for a fee of £3.50 each) this should provide service details from 1873 onwards. http://www.nation...5Fdate+asc However, if you are lucky, in the top left hand corner of this record there may be a continuious service number (CS ****). If this is there, then it should be possible to order his previous service record (from 1853 to 1872) from the NA. The other way to proceed, since you have the name of a ship and a date, is to physically look at the named ship's description book at the NA, for the appropriate period. This document should provide a physical decription, place of birth, usual place of residence and a list, and names & dates of the previous ships he served on. These are normally held in the ADM 38 series of documents. A search of the NA's catalogue online will provide the full reference e.g. ADM 38/8886 - you are looking for a reference that has the suffix 'D', for description book. As an example I have included a link for HMS Rodney for the period of the Crimea War. http://www.nation...mage1.y=12 Hope this has been of some help. Regards Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 18/10/2008 16:59 |
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| jeanmhealy |
Posted on 19/10/2008 18:22
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New Member Posts: 4 Joined: 17/10/2008 |
Thanks so much for your help Martin - much appreciated. If Richard was a Coastguard in Ireland, (as his son was born in Queenstown) would that record be in Kew also. The only record I can find for him is in a census when he was living with Timothy, and listed as a retired coastguard Thanks again Jean |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 19/10/2008 19:55
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Jean Can I ask you a question: 1) What ship was Timothy serving on in 1861, I note from the Genuki site that he was on HMS Agincourt in 1871. As Richard was in the coastguard and/or navy there is likely to be some record of his service held at Kew, the issue really is where to start looking. Out of interest I did check the CG Appointment Book, and there is a Richard Desmond who transferred from HMS Ganges to the CG service in 1852. Whether this is your man or not I have no idea, but a check of Ganges description book should give a place of birth and age, and might provide a starting point if his age and place of birth coincide with your Richard. Regards Martin |
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| jeanmhealy |
Posted on 19/10/2008 20:32
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New Member Posts: 4 Joined: 17/10/2008 |
Martin - again many thanks, Dates sound right for Richard, as T imothy was born around 1848 - I don't have any information for 1861. 1871 puts him in Hamoaze then 1873 he was on the Excellent, the Bellorophon, Himalaya, then back to Excellent before joining the Coastguard in 1976 Edited by jeanmhealy on 19/10/2008 20:46 |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 21/10/2008 20:26
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Jean I was at the National Archives today and thought I would have a look at HMS Ganges description book for Richard Desmond. This provided the following information: Signed on 29th March 1849, ships No. 353 aged 30. Born Cove of Cork, usual place of residence Cove of Cork. 5’ 5’’ tall, ruddy complexion, grey eyes and brown hair – crucifix on right arm. Previous ships: Trinculo Boy 1833 Hercules Ships No. 586 AB 18/02/38 - 23/11/39 G Cambridge 72 AB 12/02/40 - 26/01/43 G Caledonia 411 AB 08/03/43 - 28/04/45 G Vanguard 440 AB 14/07/45 - 28/03/49 VG Crocodile 663 AB 29/03/49 - 04/05/49 VG Paid off from Ganges 27th Jan 1852 – VG He was awarded 1 Good Conduct Badge on 14th July 49, and a second on 14th July 1851. This does not prove that this is your Richard, but at least it has him born and resident in the right area at the right time. What really surprised me while doing my own research was to come across Richard again, this time in 1854 on HMS St George. He was one of the Coastguard men recruited to serve in the navy during the Crimea War. HMS St George had been going around the coast collecting CG men, and Richard was one of those men picked up from Carrickfergus for passage to HMS St Vincent. However, the muster book indicates that in-fact he was actually discharged to HMS Boscawen. I’m afraid I could not let this pass, so ordered Boscawen’s description book, and in the mean time checked the Baltic Medal roll (ADM 171/19), which confirmed Richard Desmond’s entitlement to this medal. Once the book arrived I confirmed it was the same man, with all the above previous ships again listed, and that he had joined the ship on the 8th March 1854, being discharged to HMS Prince Regent on the 1st July 1854. This time he gave ‘Queenstown’ as his place of birth, his age as 35, and his usual place of residence as Carrickfergus. Had I more time I would have ordered the description book for Prince Regent to see how long he remained in her. With regard to his CG career I had already established the following: HMS Ganges to Groomsport CGS as Boatman 11th Feb 1852, transferred and promoted to Commissioned Btn at Mellisle CGS, 29th October 1857. Demoted back to Btn and sent to Hollywood CGS on the 19th June 1857. He was subsequently promoted back to Commissioned Boatman on the 1st August 1860 and transferred back to Mellisle CGS – at this point the trail goes cold. Nothing from the above confirms that this is your ancestor, but since he was the only Richard Desmond I could find in both the English and Irish Indexes, his place of birth is right. From the law of probabilities I’m prepared to accept this is your man; but at the end of the day it’s your decision! Regards Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 22/10/2008 08:18 |
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| jeanmhealy |
Posted on 21/10/2008 20:45
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New Member Posts: 4 Joined: 17/10/2008 |
Martin- I really don't know how to thank you - that is such a fount of information, and am hoping that he is indeed my man. Thank you so much and all best wishes Jean Edited by jeanmhealy on 30/11/2008 20:11 |
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| Tony |
Posted on 22/10/2008 00:05
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 Administrator Posts: 136 Joined: 28/04/2007 |
Jean, Cove in Co.Cork was christened Queenstown during the nineteenth centuary. When the British left Ireland in 1922 it reverted to its former name and called Cobh, in Irish. Tony |
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