Royal Marines and the Coast Guard c1800-1860 - William Fowler, 1st Lieut. RM

[SteveKNS]

Do you have the marriage record of the daughter Eliza of Dunkirk and the death record of William's wife Mary Ann of Ostende? The marriage record could contain the place where her parents lived at that time and the occupation of her father.

I have just found the marriage entry at Dunkerque (Online Archives of the Archives
départementales du Nord) Dunkerque mariages 1830-1845, page 507 on the left side

Thanks for that, Svenja - very helpful. I did receive some information from one of Eliza's Belgian descendants a year or so ago and his research is confirmed by your findings. But he did find another record that indicated that Andre Thomas Fowler was the son of Eliza's sister Catherine, so it's still a bit of a mystery - he believes that Andre Thomas died just a few months later on 30 April 1831.

He also found what we think is the death record of Eliza's mother (25 March 1834 at Ostend), but her name is shown as Marianna Clarington of Kent (as you found) and her partner was stated as Henricus Fowler of the Marines, so it's not conclusive. However, there was a death notice for Mary Ann in the 8 April 1834 issue of the Kentish Weekly Post - it didn't state the place of death, but the date is close enough to Marianna Clarington's death to make it likely they're the same people (Mary Ann's maiden name was Claringbold, which is close enough to Clarington if we allow for language/handwriting errors). It's harder to explain the Henricus Fowler name, though, as her husband's name was William (when Mary Ann died, he was commander of the coast guard station at Dugurth, County Mayo, Ireland); I'm wondering whether William had a brother named Henry and it was he who was present at the death of Mary Ann. But I've not been able to find out anything about William's parents or siblings.

I've since found that William Fowler died on 24 January 1862 near West Cove, County Kerry, Ireland - he'd been the commander of the local coast guard station at West Cove since 1843. Two of his unmarried daughters, Jane and Charlotte, were living with him and were the only beneficiaries of his will.

[Svenja]

Hi Steve

But he did find another record that indicated that Andre Thomas Fowler was the son of Eliza's sister Catherine, so it's still a bit of a mystery - he believes that Andre Thomas died just a few months later on 30 April 1831.

The birth record I found also says that the mother was a Catherine Fowler. But the son mentionned in Eliza's marriage record at Dunkerque was still living when she married.

Regards
Svenja

[SteveKNS]

The birth record I found also says that the mother was a Catherine Fowler. But the son mentionned in Eliza's marriage record at Dunkerque was still living when she married.

Thanks Svenja - that is interesting. As far as we know, Catherine never married - she died on 10 January 1866 at Dunkerque. Her sister Eliza died the following year, also at Dunkerque, on 6 June 1867. It seems unlikely that both sisters would have had sons named Andre Thomas, but it's hard to explain otherwise. Maybe the father was the same for both - stranger things have happened... Also, a 3rd sister (Sophia) apparently lived with Eliza and Catherine at Rue du Moulin à Poudre - she died at Dunkerque on 16 June 1867; she had previously married William Coleman but I have no further details for him. When Eliza married Joseph Ignace Dekooninck at Dunkerque on 24 October 1840 his occupation was innkeeper, so maybe he had an inn in the Rue du Moulin à Poudre.

[John V]

Hi Steve,

I am researching the connection between my family the Vaughans of Sneem and their connection with the Needhams. I came across a Fanny Needham. She married a Joseph Farnley, coast guard officer in Coad near Sneem. When Fanny died Joseph married Charlotte the daughter of William Fowler, a coast guard officer in Coad. William died in January 1862. Joseph and Charlotte married in April 1862.

Lt. William Fowlers death is reported in the Cork Examiner. He died on the 25th of January 1862 at 84 years of age. He is described as a member of the Royal Marines, late inspecting officer of the coast guard in the West Cove district.

William made his will in 1844 and he left his estate to his two daughters, Jane and Charlotte.

[SteveKNS]

Thanks John - yes, that partly matches what I've found out about Charlotte; she married Joseph Fearnley on 24th April 1862 at Templenoe, County Kerry. I don't know what happened to her sister Jane, though. William's will was proved on 26th April 1862 and he left effects worth less than £100 to Charlotte and Jane; his other children were not mentioned.

If you have an Ancestry account then you might like to look at the Royal Marines and Coast Guard records that I've used to piece together William's interesting career. Search for William Fowler b. 1778 in the Nutt-Smith Family Tree. He may have been born in Ireland but I haven't found any evidence yet - just a scrawled note that said he may have been Irish (which may have been wrongly assumed as he spent the last 30 years of his life in Ireland).

If you don't have an Ancestry account then you can create a free guest account (with limited functionality) here: https://support.ancestry.co.uk/s/article/Ancestry-Guest-Registration-1460088565395

I have also found what I believe to be the original Coast Guard cottage at West Cove; see Google StreetView: https://goo.gl/maps/jHR7vdWJCaw

Hope that helps,

Steve