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 Dawson Coastguards in Ireland
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| Fred Barton |
Posted on 17/06/2009 05:36
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 New Member  Posts: 9 Joined: 15/06/2009 |
Greetings from a very chilly New Zealand! I'm very new to this website and so I hope this is the appropriate forum to ask for some genealogical help. My paternal grandmother was a Dawson and her father, John Dawson, his older brother, James Smith Dawson Jnr, and the boys' father, James Smith Dawson Snr, were all in the Coastguard Service and at least two of them, John and James Snr were based in Ireland for at least some of their careers. I suspect James Snr was stationed at Bunmahon, Waterford in 1828 because that is where James Jnr was born. The Genuki Coastguard website gives John's birthplace as Ireland 1831, and so he could have been born in Bunmahon also (but see comments below). From John Dawson's Details of Service I know he was at Kingstown (Senior Mate on the 'Hawk') 1872/74, at River Shannon (Chief Officer 'Fly') 1876/78, at Kingstown again (Chief Officer 'Amelia') 1878/81 and then at Castletown as Inspecting Chief Officer/Divisional Inspecting Officer 1884/90, from where he was superannuated. I think it unlikely that James Jnr ever served in Ireland but James Snr certainly did, as his obituary reads "for many years an officer in the Coastguard Service, having been stationed in Ireland and other places." As mentioned, it seems likely that Bunmahon was one of his Irish locations but John's Details of Service says that he was born in Cork in 1838 (contra the Genuki info) so perhaps James Snr was stationed there too. This is the sum total of my Irish info so if anyone can help me fill in some of the gaps (or point me to appropriate other sources), particularly as far as James Smith Dawson Snr's service is concerned, that would be most helpful. He was born c1798 (but I don't know where!) and died in Colchester, Essex in 1881. Sincerely Fred Barton |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 17/06/2009 09:25
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 Administrator  Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Welcome to the Forum Fred from a sun bathed Essex! I've managed to trace a good deal of James Dawson Snr service, although I did run into a frustrating deadend. He was nominated to the CG service on 21 January 1822, and was posted to Cockle Shell Hard CG Station (Kent) on 28 January 1822. The Nomination Book has him as an 'Extraman - Minster'. I am guessing that he was initially employed in a CG Station, but was not officially on the books as a CG man until this nomination. My other guess would be that he was a local man, so came from the Sheerness area of Kent. From here he was transferred to Ballymacaw, Ireland, on 25 August 1823. On the 5 July 1826 he again moved, this time to Bunmahon, and again was transferred on 5 July 1829 to Mizen Head having been promoted to Commissioned Boatman. His next move was back to England, with a transfer to Walmer, in Kent, on 5 April 1831. From Walmer he moved on 4 April 1832 to Branscombe in Devon. From the Establishment Book (ADM 175/6 page 397 of 779) he was then transferred on 26 February 1833 to Cove in Cork . However, I cannot find him at this or any other station in the Cove CG District, but from the info you provided he must be here somewhere. I subsequently found the following in the 1881 census for Colchester, which tends to support my theory that he was born in Kent: Household: Robert J. HALLS Head M Male 41 Colchester, Essex, England Fishmonger & C & C ? Employing 8 Men & 5 Boys Catherine HALLS Wife M Female 41 Kerry Coleraine County, Ireland James S. DAWSON Father In Law W Male 82 Isle Of Sheppey, Kent, England Pensioner Norman HALLS Brother M Male 42 Colchester, Essex, England Master Ironmonger Employing 2 Men & 3 Boys Catherine E. DOWNES Serv U Female 20 Dedham, Essex, England Servant (Domestic) Regards Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 17/06/2009 09:58 |
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| Fred Barton |
Posted on 17/06/2009 10:32
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New Member Posts: 9 Joined: 15/06/2009 |
Thanks very much Martin - so prompt (same day from half a world away!) and so helpful. When next we get to the UK I must get to the National Archives at Kew and look at some of these lists. Catherine Halls (nee Dawson) was the sister of James S Jnr and John and perhaps her age/birthplace indicates another Irish posting around 1840 for James Snr. The Genuki 1831 date for John's birth in Ireland would now seem to be wrong so perhaps the 1838 date in Cork is nearer the mark. You say you're in Essex, where? The Bartons come from NE Essex (17/18th century in Kirby, Thorpe, Bromley, etc and then more recently Colchester) and my sister and brother-in-law now live at Wivenhoe, so she is back where she belongs! Regards Fred |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 17/06/2009 15:40
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Fred I have finally managed to track James Snr down. As I said in my previous reply he was posted to Cove in 1833, and on 16 August of the same year was transferred to Portrane, following his promotion to Chief Boatman. He appears to have remained at this station for a number of years, because he was next transferred on 31 October 1844 to Colaris. While at Colaris, on 16 April 1847, he was promoted to Chief Boatman in Charge. This was also to be his last station, because he was discharged on a pension on 6 August 1859. He must have returned to England shortly after this, because in the 1861 Census he is living with his his son James and daughter Catherine in St Nicholas CG Station, Birchington, Kent, where James was a Commissioned Boatman. He appears again in the 1871 Census, again living with his unmarried son and daughter and also a niece, Catherine (14), at No.5 CG Station, Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth. James S Jnr. was now rated as a Chief Boatman. You mentioned that you would like to consult these documents when next in the UK. However, the CG records can be downloaded for free from the National Archives website. If you do decide to do this I would recommend the ADM indexes in the 'Articles' section of this site - they save an awful lot of time, although they currently only cover the Irish records! Finally, I'm sitting in the SE corner of Essex right on the coast. Regards Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 17/06/2009 16:00 |
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| Fred Barton |
Posted on 17/06/2009 22:07
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New Member Posts: 9 Joined: 15/06/2009 |
Wow! Thanks so much Martin, you've done a great job and helped me fill in a number of 'holes' in my family history. Thanks, too, for the info about NA records, I'll certainly give that a try. I'm in email contact with Tony Daly as he has sent me extracts from the Admiralty Navy List - is this also freely available online from NA? Enjoy the sun! Sincerely Fred |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 18/06/2009 07:23
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Fred No problem, it was a pleasure to help. Re the Admiralty Navy Lists, these are not available from the NA website. However, 'Google Books' do have a very few editions available online, and these can be searched using the sites own search engine. Regards Martin |
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