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 Thomas Shapter at Moville
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| David Tuson |
Posted on 13/07/2009 05:01
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 New Member  Posts: 8 Joined: 12/07/2009 |
Hi My great gradfather, Thomas George SHAPTER, b 1861 in Devon was posted to Moville in the late 1880s and stayed there until around 1902 when he moved to Tranmere. Would he have lived in the Coastguard Cottages at Moville (photographs on this forum)? Would he have served at the Malin Head Station or moved around? Can anyone recommend articles that depict the life of coastguard families in remote areas in the 19th century?  Thanks David |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 13/07/2009 09:04
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 Administrator  Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi David, and thanks for the introduction. I do not know where your information came from, but if you have not already done so I think Thomas's service record is available from the National Archives website (link below). However, this suggests that Thomas was born in 1860, not 1861 as you have noted. http://www.nation...ltcount=20 At this time every man in the Navy had a service record, so I'm inclined to think this is your man. Unfortunately there is a gap in the CG records from the 1870's until the early 1900's, so this is the only record available to trace his career. On whether he would have lived in the CG Cottages, this is almost certainly the case. Fraternising with the local population was frowned on, and if a man did so, he could find himself being removed to another CG Station. This meant that CG families tended to live closely together, and hence the reason many CG families inter-married. Regards Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 13/07/2009 09:04 |
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| David Tuson |
Posted on 14/07/2009 03:23
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 12/07/2009 |
Hello Martin, thanks for the response There is no doubt that the Thomas Shapter on National Archives is my great grandfather. The person who supplied the notes may have got his date of birth wrong by a year. The other reason I'm sure is that I have now got a copy of his service record and some of the vessels he served on, and his recall to the service in WWI tie in with other information that I have. I'll spend some time just browsing this site looking for information on the lives of coastguards. Every snippet I find will help build a picture of what his life (and that of his family) was like whilst at Moville. Re - the cottages, would the cottages in 1890 look the same as those in the photographs on this site? Reason I ask is that I want to send a copy of the photographs to my aunt (who was 100 on 1st January) illustrating the home of her mother's early childhood. Do you know of any photographs of the interiors of coast guard cottages - I'm sure my aunt would be interested - she is extremely bright for her age. Regards David |
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| Tony |
Posted on 14/07/2009 11:58
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 Administrator Posts: 136 Joined: 28/04/2007 |
Helo David, If you look at our Coastguard station Census records for 1901 in Co.Donegal you will find Thomas Shapter, his wife Louisa May and their five children at Moville station. I also have 4 Church of ireland Baptismal records:- Shapter. Florence Ethel. of Thomas and Louisa Mary Vincent. Baptised 24 August 1888. Coastguard at Moville, Co.Donegal. Shapter. Edith May. of Thomas and Louisa Mary Vincent. Bapt. 27 Jan. 1894. Coastguard at Tremone. Co.Donegal. Shapter. Reginald Cornelius. of Thomas and Louisa Vincent. Bapt. 8 Feb. 1896. Coastguard at Tremone, Co.Donegal. Shapter. Lionel Charles. of Thomas and louisa Vincent. Bapt. 8 April 1898. Coastguard at Moville, Co.Donegal. Two Coastguard stations Tremone and Moville in co.Donegal Martin has mentioned that many Coastguard families intermarried and I wonder if Louisa Mary Vincent came from a Coastguard family as I have a number of Census and Baptismal records for a William and George Vincent stationed in Ireland at this time?. Regards Tony Daly |
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| David Tuson |
Posted on 15/07/2009 05:31
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 12/07/2009 |
Thanks Tony I've had a look at the Census Book and discovered something I didn't know - the family's religion is recorded as Wes(leyan). I don't know if you are interested in corrections to the census details - if so Thomas' son Robin Fernely is actually Rueben Fernley (named after Louisa's father. Rueben died in 1918 from head injuries received in WWI. Louisa's family seem to have been in the Royal Marines - Artillery. She was born in Portsmouth and I only have a brother listed in the notes I received. I'll do some checking on census records to see if there were other siblings who may have become coastguards. I really appreciate yours and Martin's help, and the more I browse your site, the more impressed I become. Regards David |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 15/07/2009 09:26
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi David Following Tony's last post I've been trying to establish if Louisa came from a CG family, without any success! However I did find her and Thomas's marriage in 1887 in the BDM registers (Plymouth Q4, Vol 5b Page 516). With your latest post about her coming from a RM family I checked the online records for RM's at the NA, but could not find a Reuben. I also checked the Main Catalogue and found a Reuben Vincent who joined the RM's at 19 in 1847, transferring to the RMA in the same year. However, this man died in 1863. From the 1901 census Louisa was born in 1863, therefore it would still be possible for this Reuben to have been her father; also from the 1871 census there is a Louisa Vincent (8) living as a lodger with a family in Stonehouse, which is the RM Barracks area in Portsmouth. To confirm my theory it is perhaps necessary to obtain a copy of her and Thomas's marriage certificate, because it should show Reuben as being deceased if I'm correct - on the other hand this may be a complete red-herring!! Reuben Vincent married Mary Ann Redstone in 1859, BMD entry - East Stonehouse, July- Sept quarter, Vol 5b page 498. Regards Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 15/07/2009 12:31 |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 15/07/2009 12:05
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
David If I'm right, then I think you will also find that Reuben served on board HMS Vesuvius during the Crimean War, where he qualified for the Crimea Medal with Sebastopol and Azoff clasps, together with the Turkish Crimea Medal. As a RMA gunner it is possible that Reuben was one of the men in either the port or starboard paddle-box boats that took part in the attack on Genitchi on the 29 May 1855. Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 15/07/2009 15:28 |
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| David Tuson |
Posted on 16/07/2009 05:36
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 12/07/2009 |
Hello Tony and Martin Your interest in my ancestors is truly appreciated. From your responses it looks like a couple of marriage certificates will be necessary to confirm suspicions (I'll order these through the NZ Society of Genealogists so it will take a couple of weeks). Rueben Vincent and Mary Ann are Louisa's parents - thanks for getting the index details for me. Thomas Shapter (b 1860) had a father also called Thomas Shapter - a seaman on HMS Conqueror in 1860. From idle curiosity a week ago you have really aroused my interest in this line of my family - I had focused previously on my paternal line and my wife's family. Best wishes David |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 17/07/2009 08:52
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi David You said in your original post that Thomas Shapter jnr moved to Tranmere in 1902, so you may already have this information, but as a former boss of mine would say 'assume nothing!'. The War Graves Commission website has an entry for Fernley that provides information on Thomas and Louisa, this just might provide some additional info. http://www.cwgc.o...ty=2746493 Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 17/07/2009 08:52 |
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| David Tuson |
Posted on 18/07/2009 05:25
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 12/07/2009 |
Hello Martin Yes, I do have the CWGC details, thanks for looking it up for me though. I agree with your comment about assumptions - I work on the principle that to assume could make an ASS of U and ME. regards David |
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| David Tuson |
Posted on 20/08/2009 05:01
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 12/07/2009 |
Gudday (Kiwi for Hello) After a lengthy delay I have finally got the marriage certificate for Thomas and Louisa. (Took over 4 weeks!!) The certifiate shows that Reuben Vincent was deceased at the time of the marriage so he is most certainly the person found at National Archives. I've just requested a copy of the Attestation Papers which will hopefully arrive in my inbox in the next 48 hours. David  |
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