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 John Edwards - Coastguard Boatman
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| Gaynor |
Posted on 31/07/2009 12:06
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 New Member  Posts: 9 Joined: 19/07/2009 |
Hi, I'm new to the site as a member. I've been researching my gt gt gt grandfather's coastguard career and initially with the assistance of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency some years ago was able to obtain a photocopy of their record as follows: Edwards, John born Fishguard, Pembroke 1796. seaman’s ticket 111547 BT 113/56 PRO KEW. Capacity: coastguard. 5’4” complexion light hair grey eyes brown marks: none 1st went to sea as apprentice 1814 Has served in RN: NO Has been in foreign service _ _ When unemployed resides FISHGUARD Issued DUNDALK 24 June 1845 Age when ticketed 48 Can write YES CG boatman DUNANY POINT stn: DUNDALK dist (also see ADM 175/18 p232) I subsequently tracked John Edwards’ coastguard career via the recently released Admiralty Records at the National Archives to a sticky end: 1 March 1831 removed from Dove (Revenue Cruiser) to Littlehampton 12 March 1831 removed Dove to Littlehampton (secondary source) 5 July 1831 Nominated from DOVE as Coastguard Boatman no. 2208 and posted to Bognor 26 March 1833 removed from Bognor / Littlehampton to Milford (Newquay) 6 June 1833 Transfer letter from Newquay to Baldoyle 26 June 1833 removed from Milford (Newquay Cardigan) to Baldoyle, Ireland and residing at Coastguard, Newquay. July 1836 removed from Portrane to Cooley Point, Ireland 15th November 1841 removed from Cooley Point to Dunany Point, Dundalk, Ireland 31 October 1846 removed from Dunany Point to Killough (Newcastle Station) 8 December 1846 removed from Killough (Newcastle Station) to Cooley Point 10th May 1851 at Giles Quay, Cooley Point Station John Edwards was D.D. (Discharged Dead?), he “shot himself” John does not seem to appear in any census records although his two sons John (20)and Levi (15) were ashore working as shoemakers in Fishguard in 1841. I was wondering if anyone has any ideas as to what my next port of call might be to obtain further information about John's wife, his career and his intriguing death. Thanks Gaynor |
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| Tony |
Posted on 31/07/2009 13:45
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 Administrator  Posts: 136 Joined: 28/04/2007 |
Hi Gaynor, I.m afraid that he did commit suicide. G147. C.G. Suicide.;- One of the Coast Guards , named Edwards, of Cooley Point, near Carlingford committed suicide by shooting himself on Friday. The facts are as follows;- On Friday morning, Captain Siball collected the Coast Guard for inspection, and after drill he told Edwards that in consequence of his intemperate habits, he must either retire from the force, or be removed to another district. Edwards immediately went into his house, telling his wife that it was all over with him and desiring her to go for a brother Coast Guard. She, however, had scarcely turned her back when he took the pistol, which had previously loaded with ball, and shot himself, the ball entering under the breast and passing out through the back. Shortly after the Rev. M’Cormick, the Protestant curate, and Dr. Massey, were in attendance, when the latter pronounced his case hopeless. He lingered in agony for 18 hours. He has left a wife and large family to deplore his untimely end. An inquest was held on his body on Sunday, before Mr. Byrne coroner for the County of Louth, the results of which we have not ascertained. Ibid. Reference: Saunder’s Newsletter Wednesday 14th.May 1851. Regards Tony |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 31/07/2009 14:20
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 Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Gaynor If you can get to the National Archives you could consult Dove's Muster Book in ADM 119/32, from this you could take your mans career a little further back. Martin |
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| Gaynor |
Posted on 31/07/2009 19:06
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New Member Posts: 9 Joined: 19/07/2009 |
Well guys that certainly is astounding. Poor John and those poor people around him. Such a dreadful and tragic end to a 20 year career, totally erased from collective memory. Thank you so much for such prompt and detailed feedback. It's good to get to the bottom of what it was about and get the full story behind what I knew was a tragedy. I'll follow through on Dove as suggested at National Archives, a new venture for me, and try to find out if the inquest record survives in Ireland too. Thanks again, I really appreciate your efforts. Gaynor |
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| rjmontgomery |
Posted on 21/02/2010 16:55
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 New Member Posts: 1 Joined: 18/02/2008 |
Could this have been the Dove which became a Watch Vessel at Wakering Haven on Foulness Island, Essex? My grandfather William Henry English was the chief boatman on this coastguard hulk in 1871, and his family lived aboard. I believe this may have been a hospital vessel during the Crimean War. The hulk was re-named "Kangaroo" later, and moved to Burnham on Crouch, Essex. But perhaps there were several Doves? |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 21/02/2010 22:06
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi The information I have has the ex-RC Dove (1818) as the CG Watch Vessel in the Crouch River from approximately 1860 until she was sold off in 1865. There was also an HMS Dove that was a Albacore Class 'Crimea' Gunboat, which was commissioned in 1856; she was eventually sold to P&O in 1873. From 1866 it was the ex Crimean War Mortar Vessel No.39 (1856) that was the CGWV at Wakering Haven, until she was sold and broken up on 23/6/1897. The ex brig Kangeroo (1852) was the CGWV at Stangate Creek from 1865, from where she was relocated to the Crouch in 1870. Martin |
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| Gaynor |
Posted on 26/02/2010 23:00
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New Member Posts: 9 Joined: 19/07/2009 |
Thanks both for the further information. I have yet to get to Kew when it's open and will feed back here when I have more information on Dove. In the meantime I did find a site with a wealth of information about various Dove and other C19 Naval vessels at http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/D/D.html. Thanks again. Gaynor
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