Harrison of Staithes N Yorkshire

[fletch001]

Spelk,
My unknown at the time, distant relative got in touch due to seeing the same people in my family tree as his. He is stuck and this is his brick wall also. He had Mary's death down as 1835 in Whitby. This is a small break through, although we are still stuck on William Goodwill especially when his record shows his occupation as "single woman".
Regards
Mike

[Roobarb]

I'm finding this rather intriguing, particularly in relation to the elusive William Goodwill. The only record I can find in the local area is for a burial in 1825 at Sneaton which is 12 miles from Staithes. The William Goodwill who died was aged 55 so would have been a lot older than Mary but not impossible. He lived at Goathland Bank, about 18 miles from Staithes.

This could be a complete red herring of course but Staithes is such a small place (and even smaller in those days) that it makes me think it would be someone local.

[fletch001]

Roobarb,
Yes, i agree, intriging indeed. Your William Goodwill could be the one we are looking for, because the only other William we have found lived Scarborough way. I will have to research into your William Goodwill to see what i can find, many thanks for your help.
Regards
Mike Fletcher

[Roobarb]

Glad I have been able to help Mike, do let us know how you get on.

[Spelk]

The burial at Sneaton mentioned by Roobarb fits with a William GOODWILL I was looking at yesterday. Baptised at Whitby 15 April 1770 (born 3 Apr 1770) father Henry (occupation Roper) mother Elizabeth.
Next seems to appear (though age iffy) on Royal Navy Musters for HMS Porpoise (Armed Vessel) in 1800 to 1803 as W’m GOODWILL Ab born Whitby, age 35 when he joined the ship. For some of the time on that ship he was “Bo Mte” which I take to be a Bos’ns Mate”, before reverting to Ab.
I’m not sure what “Armed Vessel” means but suspect it refers to a merchant ship which has been given additional guns as distinct from a purpose built warship. Newspaper reports may help.

The burial at Sneaton (7 Aug 1825) is not unusual. I have come across quite a few people buried there who did not seem to have any connection with the place. Though a few miles from the sea one can see the Abbey at Whitby from the churchyard. The recorded MIs for Sneaton do not include one for any GOODWILL.

It is possible that there may be a MI for Elizabeth ABRAM (nee HARRISON) in Hinderwell. I have the MIs for the church and churchyard but not for the cemetery across the road which is where most graves are. The Cleveland FHS may have done the cemetery as well as the church / churchyard.
The churchwardens accounts for Hinderwell may well include mention of the birth of the the illegitimate child as they generally (when they could) ensured that the father paid for the care of the child either by a lump sum or a regular payment. I guess Northallerton would be the first place to check.

[fletch001]

Hello Spelk,
Thank you for your reply, if this is the same William Goodwill and was in the RN then you are correct in saying possible Bosun's Mate then Able Seaman. HMS Porpoise was possibly a Q Ship, armed vessel disguised as a merchant ship. The only HMS Porpoise i can find does not fit into these dates of 1800 to 1803. This is definitely looking good but needs more research, many thanks again.
Regards
Mike

[Spelk]

Hi Mike.
Searching newspapers yesterday for HMS Porpoise did not help but when I looked for “vessel Porpoise” I got lots of mentions of Armed Vessel Porpoise. Mostly same story repeated.
The Porpoise was with three other ships surveying the west coast of Australia to fill in the gaps left by James Cook. The Porpoise and Cato? were wrecked in mid 1803 about 700 miles north of Sidney. Most of the crews managed to get off onto a sandbank with stores enough for three months.
A ships boat sailed down to Sidney to tell the tale and arrange for ships to be sent to rescue the rest of the crew.
The expeditions findings and events were written up some years later by the captain of the fleet. I guess the book is rare and expensive but may be available online in internet archives. If I remember right the captain was called Findlay.

Edit The other ship wrecked was the Cato. A third ship, the Bridgewater managed to avoid being wrecked but was lost sight of. Captain Flinders, not Findlay, was a passenger on the Porpoise having previously been of the Investigator which ship I think may have also been lost previously.
The wreck of the Porpoise was on Wreck Reef which was Latitude about 22 South.

[fletch001]

Spelk,
Found the ship which fits your dates, HMS Porpoise was captured from the Spanish in 1799, it was named Infanta Amelia. It was renamed HMS Porpoise by capture and sailed 6 Aug 1799, it was a 12 gun sloop-of-war. Wrecked off the coast of New South Wales Australia on 17 Aug 1803.

If William Goodwill was a sailor on HMS Porpoise, he may have been paid off before they set sail for Australia.
Mike

[Spelk]

No he was on the muster lists for May And July 1803 so would have been among those shipwrecked. The captain in charge of the fleet is reported to have been taken by the French on the way home and kept prisoner for about six years. William Goodwill may have been with him.