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 Giles Sullivan, CG Pensioner
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| willoughr |
Posted on 18/07/2009 15:13
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 Member  Posts: 46 Joined: 03/05/2007 |
Hi all, I am trying to discover the CG career of Giles Sullivan, who is described as a Coast Guard Pensioner age 78 by 1881. He won a Royal Humane Society bronze medal that year for lifesaving. The details I have so far are below. Any help would be gratefully received. Roger Sullivan, Giles. Pensioner. RHS bronze medal. 6.8.1881. Donegal. Award: On 6 August 1881 John Byrne (5) fell off the quay at Killybegs, Co Donegal, and was being carried out to sea by the ebb tide. He was soon some 20 yards from shore and the water was 10 to 12 feet deep. Giles Sullivan (78), a retired Coast Guard who living in Killybegs, jumped into the water with all his clothes on, swam vigorously out to Byrne and first caught him by the hair. He then placed him on his left arm and brought him to the pier in safety. Byrne was then taken to his father’s house to recover from his ordeal and was there taken out of his wet clothes, friction applied and he was put to bed. The rescue was brought to the attention of the RHS by the G Tarrant, P Dowds and C Rogers, who included various newspaper accounts in support of the application. The Society granted Sullivan its bronze medal at its committee meeting on 20 September 1881 (the decision being announced in the Freeman’s Journal, Thursday 29 September 1881), the medal being posted to Mr Rogers at Killybegs on 27 September 1881 for him to arrange its local presentation. RHS case no. 21421. Biographical details: Born around 1803, Giles Sullivan retired to Killybegs and then Dunkineely, Co Donegal. He died in Dunkineely on 8 November 1896, age 92, from senile decay. A 'George' Sullivan (whether he was the same man as the 1881 rescuer is unconfirmed) was among a group of four coastguards (the others being Peter Jenkins, John Stockley and Thomas Coghlan) from Ballyhalbert Coastguard Station, were awarded £2 each from the Board of Trade Mercantile Marine Fund for putting off in their boat on 9 January 1864 and rescuing the crew of the stranded vessel Countess of Morley (Parliamentary Papers, 1864, Vol. 55, p. 493). These same coastguards later received a further 10s each from the Board of Trade Mercantile Marine Fund for launching at great risk a small boat on 6 March 1864 and going to the rescue of the crew of the smack Emily, of Llanelli, who had taken refuge on Burr Island, their vessel having foundered (Parliamentary Papers, 1864, Vol. 55, p. 494). Roger Willoughby
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 18/07/2009 19:10
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 Administrator  Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Roger I think I may have found your man, although without a date of birth or some other evidence this is all based on his last posting being Killibegs. Giles Sullivan was nominated to the CG Service from Glendore on the 27 July 1831 (Nomination No. 2574). Within the Nomination Book, and on other early records, he appears to be listed as Giles Sullivan (jnr). but I have to confess to not being entirely sure about the 'jnr', it's very difficult to read. However, his first posting was to the Crouch River, in Essex. From here he was transferred to Dartmouth on 26 Aug 1833, and then to Torcross on 17 September 1836. His next move was back to Ireland and Clonlaf CGS on 4 May 1840. He did not remain there long (if at all) because the Establishment Book has the notation 'altered' and a posting to Bray on 28 May 1840. On the 11 June 1849 he was promoted to Commissioned Boatman, and removed to Dublin. He was to remain at this station for some years, finally being transferred to Killibegs on 31 June 1860. This was to be his last posting, because he was Discharged to pension on 31 July 1867. Regards Martin |
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| willoughr |
Posted on 19/07/2009 13:52
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Member Posts: 46 Joined: 03/05/2007 |
Hi Martin Many thanks for this; it fits in with the existing information and looks like its definitely 'my' man. The 'junior' is curious, suggesting there was a Giles Sullivan senior, and presumably also in the CG, perhaps his father. Best regards Roger Roger Willoughby
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