Edward Henry Collingwood b.1817 - d.1878 Old Hong Kong

[softly softly]

I thought it was going to be interesting ?

[Daniel Collingwood]

Sorry to disappoint, John

[Daniel Collingwood]

(Oct 2015) was the 137th anniversary of his death in Hong Kong. October 24th 1878
 Died from fever from exposure while fixing storm damage on Dharwar

http://goo.gl/eI3gTr


William Inkster 10 years later in 1888 was on his last voyage on the Dharwar.
He saved the ship from certain disaster by making good the ships damaged steering gear
in a devastating storm.
He became famous in his day as the shipwright that saved the Dharwar!

When not at sea both William Inkster and Edward Henry Collingwood worked as part-time
firemen.

William Inkster  of the Dharwar
http://goo.gl/OfHRee

Edward lived for some time at Gillender St (formally Masters Lane, that runs parallel to the A12 tunnel approach from about 1865) next to the now dis-used fire-station in proximity to the Poplar Seamans Hospital that closed in 1951 to make way for the Blackwall Tunnel entrance. Seven of his former addresses were demolished for the new Tunnel Approach widening scheme and the Poplar Housing / Lansbury market new developments - (Masters Lane, Ellerthorpe St, Cawdor St, Aberfeldy St, Dee St, Lochnagar St, and his birthplace Tuckers Court Alley was demolished for the expansion of the Poplar Workhouse and a school for the poor in Poplar High St, also to make way for the East-West India railway lines that now cut through Tuckers Court and Dolphin Lane  cutting off the access to the West India Docks - 1839.

Interestingly at this time, mid- 19th century the Duke of Wellington on order of Queen Victoria oversaw the huge task of cleaning up London's foul primitive sewerage systems, which, in fact were non-existant. Putrifaction of London's Streets and waterways was rife and his first task was the draining of the  moat around the Tower of London which proved to be the last resting place of hundreds of dead animals, horses, cats, dogs, farm animals and murdered people !

It would be another 30 years before Sir Joseph Basilgette began constructing London's tunnel sewers but open-sewers that ran almost everywhere into the canals were soon cleaned up under Victoria.
One such sewer, an open ditch ran from Poplar High St at the back of the Poplar Workhouse and Tuckers Court straight into the West India Dock a distance of 200m and sloped at such a narrow gradient that the muck deposited hardly moved and basically relied on rain and liquid slops to help carry it away. All rubbish was dumped into this open sewer and regularly had to be cleaned and flushed by common poor people recruited from the workhouse. British History Online mentions that Poplar's open sewers were referred to as 'Rolling Turd Alley'.

What an incentive for people living in close proximity to the filthy streets of London to get away and go to sea. Edward Henry had this sewer in his back alley and the sweet smell of the sea must have been a welcome alternative?

[Daniel Collingwood]

http://www.djbryant.co.uk/dockyard/shipwrights/apprenticeships.htm

http://www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/Ships/Ships.html

http://marinersandships.com.au/

http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t17331205-12-person106&div=t17331205-12#highlight

[Daniel Collingwood]

The Shipwrights

Women bringing meals into the yard in baskets were often caught removing valuable items along with the "Chips". The taking of "chips" was abolished in May 1801 and was replaced by a daily payment. It was not uncommon for a worker to appear at roll call and then secretly leave the yard for the rest of the day, in order to relax or work at another paying job. Labour troubles were not uncommon in the dockyards, especially in times of particular national need as before or during a war. One method used by the Navy Board to deal with such disruptions was to press gang the ringleaders for sea service. Old workmen were permitted to keep their jobs long after they were fit to do them and many were allowed servants. They were often given light tasks such as sorting wedges, and mooting treenails , that is, finishing them into smooth cylinders of various gauges by means of a moot. When they died ,their servants stayed on, providing income for the widows. In 1764 the first scheme of superannuation (pension system ) was instituted for those who had served 30 years or more with the possibility of retiring on 2/3rd of basic pay.

http://www.djbryant.co.uk/dockyard/shipwrights/apprenticeships.htm

Inspector of Shipwrights was the first step in the salaried scale. The order of advancement was:
1. Working shipwright.
2. Quarterman of shipwrights.
3. Leading man of shipwrights.
4. Inspector of shipwrights.
5. Foreman of the Yard.
6. Senior foreman of the yard.
7. Assistant Master Shipwright.
8. Master Shipwright.
9. Surveyor of the Navy.

The first three grades were hourly paid , the later six ,salaried . In grades 6 to 9 men would have been employed in designing warships, managing the Dockyards and selecting timbers. An Acting Inspector would have been known as a Leading man until being placed on a salary list.

[Daniel Collingwood]

William Parker married Jane Collingwood on December 28, 1766. Jane Collingwood was born about 1740 and died about 1815. Her father was Captain Edward Collingwood, who was born about 1694 and died July 13, 1779 in Greenwich, England.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/dljordan/parker-edwards.htm

Parents
Edward Collingwood
1660-1721
Mary Bigge
1663-Unknown
Spouse(s)
Mary Rodham
1700-1783
Jane Carlton
1712-1791

Children
Winifred Collingwood
1744-Unknown
Carlton Collingwood
1746-1871
John Trevor Collingwood
1738-1796
Jane Collingwood
1740-1815
Edward Collingwood*     
1743-1809
Master Attendant at Deptford. Has been to Rye with Justly Watson, directing engineer, and have surveyed the Harbour Enclosure
Date:   1756 Dec 31

Francis Collingwood 
1745-1799

 {Francis Edward Collingwood  of Trafalgar 1785-1835} was the son of Francis Collingwood 1745-1799  of Greenwich Esq. by Sarah, sister of Captain Thomas Richbell RN, Chief Magistrate of the Thames Police.
https://archive.org/stream/cihm_37593/cihm_37593_djvu.txt

His grandfather, Edward Collingwood*, had been Master Attendant at Plymouth, Portsmouth, Chatham and Deptford Dockyards.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9231499


His great Grandfather was Captain Edward Collingwood, 1660-1721}



Many Collingwoods' made the connections from Ratcliffe and Wapping as they moved to the ship building yards, sawmills and roperies of Woolwich, Greenwich and Deptford shipyards. This should prove interesting and may lead us to the ship building yards and sawmills and roperies. The line from Edward Henry the shipwright through John the ropemaker Edward John the Sawyer, cousin to  Edward Collingwood* Master Attendant at Plymouth, Portsmouth, Chatham and Deptford Dockyards, looks to be the connection to Francis Edward Collingwood and his lineage to to Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood through Mary Bigge the Rodhams, Parkers and Carltons

 Edward was the son of Edward Collingwood (born about 1660 and died in 1721) and Mary Bigge (born about 1663). Captain Collingwood married twice. His first marriage was to Mary Rodham and his second to Jane Carlton. Jane Carlton was born about 1712 in Greenwich and died February 19, 1791 at the Royal Naval Hospital in Greenwich, England. Jane Collingwood was the daughter of Edward Collingwood by his second wife, Jane Carlton.

Admiral Sir William Parker was the eldest. His sister Sarah, was christened March 11, 1744 at Queenborough, Kent. She died unmarried December 4, 1791. A brother Augustine was christened Feb 9,1746 at Queenborough. A sister, Elizabeth Parker, was born October 11, 1748 at Queenborough, Kent, England. She married William Head on July 19, 1785 in Queenborough. A child named Elizabeth Head was born February 9, 1787 also at Queenborough, Kent, England. Another sister Susannah was born and died 1750. A younger brother, Capt. Robert Parker of HMS Intrepid was born April 8, 1753 and died Nov 23, 1797. He married and had 8 children

William and Jane Collingwood Parker had seven daughters and one son. The daughters were named Jane, Sarah, Susanna, Harriet, Ann, Mary and Elizabeth. Harriet is the only daughter who never married. The only son, William George, was born in 1787. He married August 29, 1808, Elizabeth Still, (born 1791)the daughter of James Charles Still of East Knoyle in County Wiltshire and Charlotte Wake. He left a large family and died a vice admiral March 24, 1848.( This information from the book "A Naval Biographical Dictionary" by W.R. O'Byrne published in 1849.) One of the daughters of William George Parker and Elizabeth Still was Fanny Catharine who married Charles Bligh in 1837 and died in 1894. One daughter was named Clara and another daughter, Elizabeth Charlotte was born in 1816 in England. Two of the sons married in Toronto. Melville Parker married Jesse Hector in 1847 and Albert Parker married Lucy Henrietta Jennings in 1851.

The second Admiral Sir William Parker lived from 1781 to 1866 and served as Admiral of the Fleet. He was born on December 1, 1781, the third son of George Parker of Almington, Staffordshire, England. George Parker, his father, was the second son of Sir Thomas Parker, who had been lord chief baron of the exchequer. Sir Thomas Parker's nephew was John Jervis, first earl of St. Vincent, who had married Martha Parker, George Parker's half-sister.

[Daniel Collingwood]

Full text of "Royal naval biography, or, Memoirs of the services of all the flag-officers, superannuated rear-admirals, retired-captains, post-captains and commanders [microform] : whose names appeared on the admiralty list of sea-officers at the commencement of the year 1823, or who have since been promoted : illustrated by a series of historical and explagenatory notes, which will be found to contain an account of all the naval actions, and other important events, from the commencement of the late reign, in 1760 to the present period : with copious addenda"

This is  a very old document and contains many transcribed mistakes, however to find Francis Edward Collingwood's  Naval biography scroll to page 257 then to 2d8 (which is page 258 ?) about halfway through...very interesting especially the account of him being washed overboard to a certain death in a violent storm...and guess what?.....a huge wave throws him back on board into the rigging!

https://archive.org/stream/cihm_37593/cihm_37593_djvu.txt

[Daniel Collingwood]

I have corrected the transcribed mistakes from the archive document of 1823. The wording is in the tense as written originally.

https://archive.org/stream/cihm_37593/cihm_37593_djvu.txt
page 258

*The Victory, 1744, here, is of course an earlier ship of the same name and not Nelson's flag-ship of which Francis Edward Joined at Spithead one month before Trafalgar......

FRANCIS EDWARD COLLINGWOOD, Esq.

Is descended from a very ancient family, the CoUingwoods,
of Eslington, co. Northumberland, led by their attachment to the House of Stuart, suffered a great reverse of fortune, in 1715. His grandfather, Edward, successively  master- attendant of the dock-yards at Plymouth, Portsmouth, Chatham, and Deptford, (the first person of the name  of Collingwood whom we find mentioned in our naval annals),  sailed round the world, as midshipman, with Anson, by whom  he was ever afterwards patronised, and was master of the  *Victory, first rate, flag- ship of Admiral Sir John Balchen, a  short time previous to her loss, in Oct. 1744 *.

 On the 3d Oct, 1744, the fleet under Sir John Balchen, then returning home from Gibraltar, encountered a violent storm, in which several  of the ships were much shattered. On the 4th, the "Victory separated  from her consorts, and was never more heard of. It is supposed that she  struck upon a ridge of rocks off the Caskets ; as from the testimony of  the men who attended the lights, and the inhabitants of the island of (GIBRALTA)
 
Mr. F. E, CoLLiNGWooD, only son of Francis Collngwood,  of Greenwich, Esq., by Sarah, sister to the hite Captain  Thomas Richbell, K. N., chief magistrate of the Thames  Police, was born at Milford, co. Pembroke 1785 and entered the royal navy, as midshipman on board the  America  commanded by his **uncle-in-law, the late Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker,  and subsequently served in the Pheasant sloop, Beaulieu and Alligator  frigates. Elephant and Victory of 100 guns, the latter  ship bearing the flag of the immortal Nelson, whose death he  avenged by shooting the French rifleman who had, after repeated attempts, succeeded in mortally wounding that illustrious hero at the ever memorable battle of Trafalgar. During  that tremendous conflict, he was sent from his quarters on  the poop, where the carnage was most dreadful, with a few  men, to assist in extinguishing a fire on board the French 74-  gun ship, le Redoubtable, which service he performed in a  manner highly satisfactory to his captain, the present Sir  Thomas M. Hardy. His promotion to the rank of lieutenant  took place on the 22d Jan. 1806.

After serving for some time in the Queen, flag-ship of  Lord Collingwood, and Bahama 74, one of the Spanish ships  captured off Trafalgar, this officer was appointed to the. Pallas  in which frigate we find him present, under the command of Captain (now Sir George F.)Seymour, at the destruction of five French men-of-war, in Aix Roads, April 12th, 1809  In the ensuing summer, he accompanied the  grand expedition sent against Antwerp, and was constantly  employed, in guard boats and on shore, during the occupation  of Walcheren. His next appointment was, Dec. 13th, 1809,  to be first lieutenant of the Iris 30, in M'hich ship he continued for a period of five years.

Alderney, many guns were heard on the nights of the 4th and 5th, but  the weather was too tempestuous to hazard boats out to their assistance. In this ship perished near one thousand men, besides fifty volunteers,  sons of the first nobility and gentry in the kingdom.
The Iris was principally employed in co-operation with the  patriots on the north coast of Spain, where Lieutenant Collingwood appears to have been a constant volunteer for boat  and shore service; and on many occasions obtained the particular approbation of Captain Sir George Collier, senior  officer of the squadron on that station.

 In  Nov. 1814, Mr. Coliingwood was appointed first lieutenant of the Niger, Captain Peter Rainier, under whom he served  for a short time on the Cape of Good Hope station. In December 1820, he obtained the command of the Kite revenue cruiser,  employed on the coast of Ireland, where he continued for the  usual period of three years.

During this time he had two  ribs and his breast bone fractured, was wounded by a pike
through the leg, and received two severe contusions on the  head, hie was also washed overboard in a heavy gale of  wind, and must have perished, all his boats having been previously lost, had not a following sea thrown him on the  square-sail brace, to which he clung until assisted in-board.

His promotion to the rank of commander took place January 15th, 1828.

This officer married, in May 1822, Ellen second daughter of the late Rev. Samuel Collis, of Fort William, co. Kerry, ly whom he has several children. His only surviving sister  was wife the of Dr. J. D. Burke, late surgeon of H. M. dockyard at Pembroke, and is now the widow of the Rev. Hugh
Taylor. .

[Daniel Collingwood]

Nelson's avenger
Pollard or Collingwood?.....
{ Nelson, whose death Collingwood  avenged by shooting the French rifleman who had, after repeated attempts, succeeded in mortally wounding that illustrious hero at the ever memorable battle of Trafalgar. During  that tremendous conflict, he was sent from his quarters on  the poop, where the carnage was most dreadful, with a few  men, to assist in extinguishing a fire on board the French 74-  gun ship, le Redoubtable, which service he performed in a  manner highly satisfactory to his captain, Sir  Thomas M. Hardy.}

Why was Collingwood named in the 1823 journals(above-previous) with no mention of Pollard? Surely these accounts closer to the time would be more accurate?



Why was Collingwood depicted in Arthur Devis' famous painting The Death of Nelson and not Pollard?
http://www.rmg.co.uk/discover/explore/death-nelson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Nelson,_21_October_1805

Persons depicted
Reverend Alexander Scott, Nelson's chaplain, rubbing his chest to help relieve the pain
Victory's purser Walter Burke, supporting the pillow.
Nelson’s steward, Chevalier, looking towards Beatty
William Beatty, ship's surgeon, who feels Nelson’s pulse and is about to pronounce him dead
Captain Thomas Hardy, standing behind Nelson
Midshipman Collingwood and Lieutenant Yule (rear left and left), with a pile of captured enemy flags being brought in by a seaman
Guitano, Nelson’s valet, standing in right profile in front of Collingwood, holding a glass from which Nelson took his last sips of water
Victory’s carpenter, Mr Bunce, stands on the far right above Bligh
Lieutenant George Miller Bligh, the dazed and wounded figure far right, below Bunce
Assistant Surgeon Neil Smith seated far right


Why did Pollard wait decades after Collingwood died to question his part in shooting Nelsons killer?

http://www.aboutnelson.co.uk/19avenger.htm

It was not long before there were only two Frenchmen left alive in the mizen-top of the Redoutable. One of them was the man who had given the fatal wound: he did not live to boast of what he had done. An old quarter-master had seen him fire; and easily recognized him, because he wore a glazed cocked hat and a white frock. This quarter-master, and two midshipmen, Mr Collingwood and Mr Pollard, were the only persons left on the Victory's poop; - the two midshipmen kept firing at the top, and he supplied them with cartridges. One of the Frenchmen attempting to make his escape down the rigging, was shot by Mr Pollard, and fell on the poop. But the old quarter-master, as he cried out "That's he, that's he",  and poInted at the other, who was cornIng forward to fire agaIn, receIved a shot  in his mouth, and fell dead. Both the midshipmen then fired, at the same time, and the fellow dropped in the top. When they took possession of the prize, they went into the mizen-top and found him dead; with one ball through his head and another through his breast.

Thus, in the lifetime of the officers concerned, the credit of being the "Avenger of Nelson" was given jointly to John Pollard and Francis Edward Collingwood. Collingwood was promoted Lieutenant 22 January 1806, and Pollard 14 Novem ber 1806. Collingwood became a Commander in 1828, and in Marshall's notice it is stated that he was at Trafalgar with Nelson "whose death he avenged by shooting the French rifleman who had . . . mortally wounded that illustrious hero". Commander Collingwood was alive when Marshall's volume was published in 1835, but he died in the same year. Pollard was still a Lieutenant; after being invalided in 1814 whilst the war was still on, he remained on half-pay till 1828 when he received a three-year appointment in Chatham dockyard; and after another five years' half-pay, he was appointed a Lieutenant in the Coast Guard in 1836.