Falston, near Plymouth

[sheppardj]

The Muster Book and discharge details of the HMS Druid shows the home of my Gt Gt Grandfather Henry Sheppard as Falston, near Plymouth.  Can some one tell us where in the Plymouth area Falston might have been?

[DOB7]

Allowing for a strong Devon accent when giving the information - there is a Faunstone at Shaugh Prior which isn't too far away. Other than that, it may have been the name of a house. Alstone would possible refer to Beer Alston. HAve you located him on a census after discharge?
The only place called FALSTONE is in Northumberland.

[sheppardj]

Thanks, Beer Alston and Fursdon are currently strong contenders.  Henry being at sea most of his life managed to evade the census enumerators. 

Henry was rather busy when he arrived back in Plymouth and was paid off from the Druid on the 22 of April 1843. He signed on to the Fisgard May 13 (or 17)  and married Elizabeth Vigers of Old Town Street, Plymouth May 20.  His seaman's will dated 13 July shows Elizabeth living at 49 Navy Row in Plymouth.

Incidently far out on a branch of our family tree Thomas Edward Williams VIGUS, a nephew of Elizabeth VIGUS Henry's wife, was married to a Catherine Ellen SQUANCE.

[DOB7]

Aha - I knew of Catherine Ellen's marriage - Thomas Edward's parents being Edward & Mary Anne (WILLIAMS). I wish I could shed more light upon Henry SHEPPARD.

[JaneyCanuck]

There actually is a Falston (Faulston) in Wiltshire. Do you suppose there might have been confusion in the mind of the person who completed the documents? Henry himself would have been illiterate. If he signed on at Plymouth and someone had said "Is that near Plymouth?" he might have said "Sure".

I have a couple of Wiltshire ancestors who went into the military around the same time and ended up elsewhere (Kent and Devon) afterward.

Doing a general census search for people born in Faulston produces these results (I haven't checked images):

1871 (no county of birth recorded)
O R Antony Bushell c1854, Seaman on vessels, Durham
Mate John Penfold c1840, Mate on vessels, Durham

1861
Jonathan Roebuck c1811, born Faulston, Yorkshire

1901
James Jeff c1845, Faulston, Kent

A search for birthplace Falston -- all years, specifying no other info -- produces numerous results in all years 1861-1911. Specifying Devon, there is one result in each of 1901 and 1911. In 1911 there are 13 results for Falston altogether, with various other details, but only one is Devon. In 1891, that person is:

Emily Francis Harris c1889, born and living in Talaton, Devon (Honiton reg dist).

and indeed, the later "Falston" is a mistranscription, although it looks like Falaton. She was in Broadhembury in 1901.

Where did he sign on -- was it in or near Plymouth? If it was elsewhere, "near Plymouth" might just have been a stand-in for "we have no idea but it's in Devon somewhere".

There are several Shepard/Shepperd/Shepherds in the censuses in Talaton, Devon, in several years, in case they're of interest. In particular, there is a Robert Sheppard born c1776 in Talaton in 1841.

Just some random thoughts you might want to think about.

[JaneyCanuck]

Did Henry survive to the 1851 census? You didn't answer that Q.

I don't suppose Elizabeth is the mariner's wife in Plymouth St Andrew in 1851 with son William Brown aged 13 and son Francis Shepherd aged 1? That Elizabeth was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire; Faulston is on the outskirts of Salisbury. In 1861, that Elizabeth Shepherd is still shown as married, with sons Francis 11 and Edwin 7, and shown as born in Salisbury, Gloucestershire c1816. ... But no, in 1871, her husband is William Shepheard a mariner born in Dartmouth c1815.

I guess it could just help if you gave the known info about the family post 1841.

[sheppardj]

Thanks to all who replied to this topic.

Henry did survive the 1851 census but was at sea at the time and did not return to England until July of that year.  The 1851 Census shows Elizabeth and son George living at 16 King Street Torpoint.

Henry's story can be found here: http://www.stoneyburn.ca/Sheppard_etal/Bio/SHE_Bio_01.php

I'm having second thoughts about Henry's claim to 'Falston' in Devon that nobody seems to have heard of, not even Google.

I'm beginning to think that 'Falston' isn't a place at all but an interpretation Folkestone. When asked where he was from Henry may have said 'Folkestone' meaning the ship then added Devon as his home. The person signing Henry on to the Druid either heard it a Falston or just couldn't spell Folkestone.

At the time (February 1841) there was a merchant ship the FOLKESTONE chartered to and later in 1841 bought by Jardine and Matheson for the opium trade, which left London 4 Oct 1840 (The Morning Post (London) Tuesday 6 October, 1840) "Custom House, Oct.4 ... Cleared Outwards With Cargo.-- The Folkestone, Jolly for Macao;". Reported in 'China' on 31st January 1841 and left Macau 28 February 1841 for Singapore. Henry signed onto the Druid on 18 Feb 1841.

Now, if possible, to find a crew list for the Folkestone. 

[Darwin]

Might be worth just looking at Thurlestone (if he pronounced th as f) - there are some "Shepherd" folks there in 1841.

[sheppardj]

Thanks. Worth a look to "eliminate it from our enquires" if nothing else.