Author Topic: William Wells - Boscastle/Padstow  (Read 7167 times)

Offline AMBLY

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Re: William Wells - Boscastle/Padstow
« Reply #9 on: Saturday 11 March 17 09:25 GMT (UK) »
Hi,

You're most welcome - happy I could help, hopefully it's can be proved to be your man  ;D

I agree, if he is JENKYN, he must have been in touch with some family at least.   

Perhaps following through all the JENKYN children to see who were witness to any marriages, might throw up William? Even the deaths of George & Mary, in case he is informant.

Did your William by any chance leave a will when he died (I'm presuming between 1901 & 1911 somewhere in Middlesex or Surrey?)

George JENKYN who died 1887.
He left a Will - or there was at least an Admin as a Probate was granted:
George JENKYN of Boscastle, Cornwall, Carpenter, died 23 Feb 1887
Probate London: 26 April 1887 to Mary JOHNSON (wife of Alfred JOHNSON) Effects £25

(I wonder if Mary JOHNSON is his daughter, the one on the 1851 Census?)


John Wills JENKYN who died 1869.
He left a Will - or there was at least an Admin as a Probate was granted 14 Jan 1870:
John Wills JENKYN, late of Boscastle, Parish of Forrabury, Cornwall, Mariner (not in the Royal Navy), deceased who died 10 Sep 1869 at sea was proved at Bodmin, on the oath of Alice JENKYN of Boscastle, widow the relict, Sole Executrix, Effects under £600

Might be a bit to far-fetched - but another reason I've seen for a name change, was due to a legacy & part of the conditions of someone's will requiring the legacee to change their surname -   albeit the times I've seen it was I think around a substantial inheritance... food for thought in any case?

As an aside, I came across a John England JENKYN in my travels, whom I think is probably a brother of George. He (John) was apparently born 1795 in Boscastle, married Elizabeth Mules on 25 Jan 1820. Died 12 April 12, 1867, in Launceston, Cornwall. He was a carpenter, joiner & a businessman. A number of trees on A**y, possibly had a brother or father named Christopher.

Best of luck with your continued research!

Cheers
AMBLY

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Offline JosiahS

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Re: William Wells - Boscastle/Padstow
« Reply #10 on: Sunday 12 March 17 09:04 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for the additional information Ambly

As it happens I have William's date of birth from his naval records - it was marked as being 25 July 1835 - could he have been a year out?  I suspect so, as if it were 1834 it would fit perfectly with the baptism.

In response to your question there was no will as far as I can see. 

All the best

Ashley
DU: Jones, Miller, Laverick, Orwin, Burn, Finlay, Robson, Robinson, Jobling, Fenwick, Spoor, Saunders, Billingsley, Appleby
NB: Pickard, Gilchrist, Curry, Heron, Thompson, Bell, Henderson, Aynsley
CU: Bell, Armstrong, Parker
SY: Saunders, Bartlett, Ellis
SX: Bartlett, Cager
BK: Saunders
NY: Miller (Swaledale), Raw
ALL CENSUS INFORMATION CONTAINED IN POSTINGS IS CROWN COPYRIGHT FROM www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline frogmorelodge

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Re: William Wells - Boscastle/Padstow
« Reply #11 on: Sunday 26 March 17 21:14 BST (UK) »
Hi Josiah,

Very surprised to chance upon your email. I have posted a very similar email on sites as I believe William Wells is my great great grandfather and I could not find his birth record.

What is your interest in William? How does he fit into your reasearch? Is there other information about his line you have available to share?

Regards
David Wells

Offline JosiahS

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Re: William Wells - Boscastle/Padstow
« Reply #12 on: Monday 27 March 17 06:48 BST (UK) »
Hi David

I'm researching the family as a surprise for the 70th birthday of a friend.  Hr is descended from Albert Alfred Thomas Wells, William's son,  and his mother was Edith Beatrice Wells, Albert's daughter.

Have you found a death for William's wife Amelia?

All the best

Ashley
DU: Jones, Miller, Laverick, Orwin, Burn, Finlay, Robson, Robinson, Jobling, Fenwick, Spoor, Saunders, Billingsley, Appleby
NB: Pickard, Gilchrist, Curry, Heron, Thompson, Bell, Henderson, Aynsley
CU: Bell, Armstrong, Parker
SY: Saunders, Bartlett, Ellis
SX: Bartlett, Cager
BK: Saunders
NY: Miller (Swaledale), Raw
ALL CENSUS INFORMATION CONTAINED IN POSTINGS IS CROWN COPYRIGHT FROM www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


Offline frogmorelodge

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Re: William Wells - Boscastle/Padstow
« Reply #13 on: Monday 27 March 17 08:23 BST (UK) »
Hi Ashley

Let me check my notes - I've delved a little with some dead ends and I think the wives deaths are one of them.

Regarding the suggestions others have made, which I am yet to digest fully, I think you need to consider his naval record, regarding where he was and when. Here are the ships he served on with a bit of history about the ship's where I've gleaned it from various sources. "WW Service..." shows the dates he served on each vessel:

William wells naval service
Tortoise WW service 23 May 1854-28 April 1859
Dec 1844 - Nov 1859 store ship Acension, finally scuttled.

Megaera WW service 29 April 1859 - 24 June 1859
launched 1848 Millwall, gunfire experiments on iron hull. Maiden voyage June 1851 bound for Cork to embark troops. Towed back to Sheerness due to engine crank failure  jan 1852 left with 800 aboard from Dover to Cape Good Hope via Madeira (jan 24-27), Freetown (6-7 Feb) to Simons Bay near Cape Town (23 March). 15 April home bound with 200 invalids, stopped Ascension (29 April - 6 May), St Vincent, cape Verde (May), MOB end May, Plymouth reached mid June, Woolwich 19 June. End June to Sheerness for overhaul. 30 August to Mouse Light for trials. Bow to quay collision on return to Sheerness. Woolwich 27 sept to embark Royal Artillery. 30 sept 1852 to West Indies. Several round trips to Crimea with troops inc 42nd highlanders. Summer 1854 based Black Sea. Supply ship at various ports incl Sinope. Sept 1854 part of 600 invasion ships Varna. Sept - Dec 1855 defending Eupatoria. Came under direct fire in Oct. Crimean war ended 1856. Returned for Portsmouth overhaul. Feb 1857 sailed with troops bound cape good hope. (1858 Australia?) Early 1859 ordered back to Portsmouth for cement lining of hull. From Feb 1860 spent 3 years transporting troops UK to Med. Out to Jamaica may 1863 delivering troops between islands. 1864 at Spithead for major refit. Sent to Keyham dry dock, Devonport  and reengined. Turned into storeship over 12 months  feb 1865 complement of 165.  Two round trips to Rio and Ascension, and two trips to Med before minor repairs at Woolwich completed Nov 1867 without plate work completed. 1868 two voyages Ascension, Rio. Spring 1869 Falklands. Returned to South Atlantic Dec 1869. Coal bunker fire near equator. Sheerness March 1870. Woolwich in  May opposite Arsenal boarding troops. Minor collision with brig. Mid May left for Gibraltar and Malta. Back on Thames end July 1870. aug 1870 company paid off and handed over to Steam Reserve. Feb 1871 to Maplin Sands for measured mile, returning Sheerness. An OS taken to Lewes for mutinous language. Feb depart for plymouth for coal, then bound Simonstown, cape and Sydney via madeira, cape verde, Ascension. Devonport for 30 boys for Sydney. Queenstown Cork for bowspit repairs  . Officer complaints re overcrowding and lying low in water. Letter to Times, raised in parliament. Departed march. Reached Madeira. Entertainment on board during voyage, harpooning porpoises, service on Sundays - some men with choir experience. Onto St Vincent and ascension in April, reaching Simons Bay mid May. Departed end May for Sydney but Leak sprung in June 1871 in Indian Ocean and she was beached on island of St Paul

Imperieuse WW service 18 July 1859 - 21 March 1863

Canopus 26 March - 23 May 1863. Canopus served as tender to HMS Indus the Devonport guardship

Dauntless 24 May 1863 - 29 May 1870. Coastguard base ship at Southampton, then moved to Humber in 1864. From 1870 reduced to status of tender to coastguard ship HMS Wyvern.

Hector WW service prior to 19 July 1869? Record shows 30 May 1870 - 31 May 1875. Guardship of Fleet Reserve in Southampton. Served as guardship to Queen Victoria when at IOW. (how then the link to Bexhill?)

1 badge 1 apr 1860
2 badges 1 Jun? 1862
Forfeit 1 badge 20 sep 1862
2 badges 1 sep 1865
3 badges 1 sep 1867

Gunners certificate 25 apr 1866

I plan to double check my tracing of William from my grandfather, Albert Thomas Wells of Poplar who married Florence Parkinson.

Will check my notes further. If you have information on William Wells line, I would be very happy to see it.

Best regards
David

Offline frogmorelodge

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Re: William Wells - Boscastle/Padstow
« Reply #14 on: Monday 27 March 17 08:31 BST (UK) »
Ashley

Here is some further information from my notes, working back from Albert Thomas Wells.

WELLS FAMILY

William Wells, Mariner marries Amelia Long in 1864 at Folkestone. She is b 1839 at Gosport. Williams father shown as George Wells, Carpenter.

In 1861 census the only George Wells, Carpenter (house carpenter) is listed as living at Bridport 76 South Street born 1811. Married to Mary Ann born 1815? at Burton Bradstock (or Bridport?). Children Caroline age 12 and Thomas age 10 both born at Bridport.
It appears that they married in 1845 in Bridport - 1841 census shows George, then a carrier living with parents John Wells b 1781 and Elizabeth Wells nee Marsh b 1771

(This Dorset connection may be a red herring but was the only George wells link I could find with a woodworking trade)

1861 census taken 6th April hong kong
William Wells single age 25 born boatswains mate on Imperieuse, royal navy. A wooden frigate with 51 guns. At time of census on duty East indies and china possibly involved in Anglo French attack on taku forts in second opium war. Many received the China medal.

from genuki coastguards:
Wells, William   CON 1835 born Boscastle
1871 Bexhill SSX.
1871 - Wife: Amelia, 1839 Gosport HAM. Children: George A. & William J. & Charles T. & Amelia & Adelaide & Edwin, 1867 & 1868 & 1870 & 1872 & 1873 & 1875 Bexhill SSX, Ernest, 1877 Ashford KENt

1881 Night Watchman in Brompton LDN (RG11/0047/114)   1861 - unmarried

1891 census
William Wells age 56 born 1835 boscastle door keeper.  Great GFather
Jane Wells age 49 born 1842 westbourne hants
Frank wells age 19 born 1872  London Groom
Harry wells age ? Could be 19 too                       London
Albert wells age 8 born 1883.    London                        My grandfather


Sept 1908 Marriage Poplar Albert Thomas Wells Florence Parkinson
Albert aged 23 therefore born 1884/1885 Florence aged 21
Alberts father William Wells labourer living

1911 census - note Florence has become younger!
Name   Relation   Condition/
Yrs married   Sex   Age   Birth
Year   Occupation   Where Born   Original
census
image
WELLS, Albert   Head   Married   M   27   1884    Labourer   West Kensington    VIEW
WELLS, Florence   Wife   Married
3 years   F   20   1891      Poplar London    VIEW
WELLS, Bessie   Daughter   Single   F   3   1908      Poplar London    VIEW
WELLS, Winifred   Daughter   Single   F   0 (9 MONTHS)   1911      Poplar London    VIEW
RG number:
RG14   Piece:
1740   Reference:
RG14PN1740 RG78PN60 RD22 SD3 ED24 SN8

Deaths Dec 1931   
Wells    Albert T    47    Poplar    1c   444 therefore born 1884 - age 7 at time of 1891 census



Regards
David

Offline frogmorelodge

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Re: William Wells - Boscastle/Padstow
« Reply #15 on: Monday 27 March 17 08:35 BST (UK) »
Ashley,

Back to your question of Amelia's death, I haven't pinpointed it but came up with these options:

Possible Amelia Wells Death

Deaths Mar 1873   (>99%)
WELLS    Amelia    33    Lambeth    1d   285     POSSIBLE              
   
Deaths Jun 1887   (>99%)
Wells    Amelia    46    Strand    1b   378     UNLIKELY AGE c 44    

Deaths Jun 1901   (>99%)
Wells    Amelia    62    Godstone    2a   127     POSSIBLE   But should have appeared on 1901 census 

Deaths Sep 1902   (>99%)
Wells    Amelia    61    Aston    6d   164     UNLIKELY AGE c63         

Regards
David
 
 

Offline frogmorelodge

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Re: William Wells - Boscastle/Padstow
« Reply #16 on: Monday 27 March 17 08:47 BST (UK) »
Ashley,

David

Some other information about William Wells service in the Coastguard, which someone on another forum led me to:

I have checked the Coastguard Establishment Books and found a number of entries for William. First nominated to the CG Service from HMS Imperieuse with a posting to Camber CGS on 16 May 1863 (ADM 175/10 pdf 55) followed by a posting to Kewhurst on 9 April 1866 (ADM 175/10 pdf 81). Despite looking at the CG Ships Establishment Books I was unable to find any additional information but there is a degree of duplication - ADM 175/64 pdf 67 & 175/65 pdfs 61 and 96.

Although you refer, in your list of ships he served on, to Dauntless and Hector, these were both CG HQ Ships used for administrative and training purposes, with many of the men on their books serving at landbased CG Stations. That said, your man would have undertaken a number of summer training cruises on them and in the event of a national crisis would have been expected to man the ship to form an Inshore Squadron with CG Ships from the other CG Districts.

I can confirm that according to Kevin Asplin's medal roll for the 2nd China War, William Wells, Boatswains Mate, received a no clasp medal. Born Boscastle, 25/07/35, CS number 4247A, paid off HMS Royal Adelaide 21/03/63.

It's a shame that the medal is not still with the family, as far as I know.

Regards
David

Offline JosiahS

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Re: William Wells - Boscastle/Padstow
« Reply #17 on: Monday 27 March 17 19:36 BST (UK) »
Hi David
Many thanks for all the excellent information - I had managed to get some of William's naval records from the National Archive but the detail helps a lot.

Looking at the earlier research I am pretty convinced that William Jenkyn and William Wells are one and the same.  I noticed that when he joined the navy he was illiterate so if they miswrote Wills for Wells he would not be able to correct them.  Once he did learn to write he probably just copied the spelling the navy had used.

The person whose tree I am working on is also descended from the marriage to Florence Parkinson.

Looking at Albert I presume he is the Albert Arthur Thomas Wells registered in West Kensington in Q2 1882 though I have not ordered the certificate.  As his father William married Lucy Jane Pullen (nee Collins) on 3 Feb 1889 at Fulham St Peter, then Albert's mother has to be Amelia, so her death has to be between Q2 1882 and Q1 1889, but I cannot find it.  There is also the mystery of what happened to the younger children Edwin and James who just  disappear - again I can find no deaths.  Is it possible Amelia just absconded?  The Frank and Harry who are there in 1891 were in fact Lucy Jane's children from the first marriage but marked with the surname Wells on the census.

Amelia is also a problem - her father is called George when she marries but the only Amelia Long who could be the right one has a father called Joseph.

All the best

Ashley
DU: Jones, Miller, Laverick, Orwin, Burn, Finlay, Robson, Robinson, Jobling, Fenwick, Spoor, Saunders, Billingsley, Appleby
NB: Pickard, Gilchrist, Curry, Heron, Thompson, Bell, Henderson, Aynsley
CU: Bell, Armstrong, Parker
SY: Saunders, Bartlett, Ellis
SX: Bartlett, Cager
BK: Saunders
NY: Miller (Swaledale), Raw
ALL CENSUS INFORMATION CONTAINED IN POSTINGS IS CROWN COPYRIGHT FROM www.nationalarchives.gov.uk