Showing posts sorted by date for query HMS Excellent. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query HMS Excellent. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Monday, 10 November 2025

James Henry Tubb and Susannah Bussey

HMNB Portsmouth and HMS Victory
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Dixon - geograph.org.uk/p/4091430

James Henry Tubb (b. 1 Apr 1834), son of William Tubb and Sarah Ruff, married Susannah Bussey, daughter of Benjamin Bussey and Elizabeth Bowen, on 10 Nov 1857, at the second, St. Mary's Church, Portsea.

James and Susannah had six children:
  1. Sarah Elizabeth Tubb b. 1858 S Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Volume 02B Page 337, bap. 6 Feb 1859 at St Mary's Church, Portsea. 
  2. James Alfred Tubb b. 24 Dec 1861 (1862 M Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Page 424), bap. 23 Feb 1862 at St Mary's, Portsea. 
  3. William Henry Tubb b. 1863 D Quarter in SOUTHAMPTON Volume 02C Page 8, bap. 1 Jan 1865 at All Saints' Church, Southampton (regularly attended by author Jane Austen while she lived in Southampton and Pre-Raphaelite painter Sir John Everett Millais was baptised there.) 
  4. George Ernest Tubb b. 1866 J Qtr in SOUTH STONEHAM Vol 02C 65, bap. 8 Jul 1866, as George Emett Tubb, in Freemantle. 
  5. Nelly Tubb b. 1868 M Quarter in PORTSEA ISLAND Vol 02B Page 471. 
  6. Minnie Beatrice Tubb b. 1877 in Australia. 
James Tubb, from Landport, Hants, born 1 Apr 1834, 5ft 8in tall, with fair complexion, brown hair and grey eyes, had enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Boy First Class at 16, in 1850. James Tubb (16), Sailor was listed on the 1851 census in his parent's house, in Marylebone Street, Portsea.

James Henry Tubb's Naval Career:
The Russian (Crimean War) War of 1854 - 1856:
This is the second of my relatives to have served in the Baltic during the Crimean War and also the second to have taken part in the 1856 Royal Fleet Review, Spithead. At the review, HMS Duke of Wellington was at the head of the Port line, while, according to the report in the The Illustrated London News, 26 April 1856, "Abreast of the Port line the Royal George led the Starboard [...] Then came the Nile ..." So not only were both sides of my family represented at the 1856 Royal Fleet Review, they were on both sides of the line and their ships were almost side-by-side. Incredible.
HMS Marlborough in Valletta harbour, sometime between 1858 and 1864.

  • From 9 Feb 1858 until 22 Mar 1861, HMS Marlborough (1855) which will have taken him back to the Mediterranean. Feb 1858 Commissioned, Delayed sailing 128 days due to a lack of men. 1860 Flag Ship, Mediterranean. 22 Mar 1861 Paid off.
In 1861, James Tubb (27) Seaman RN, was listed as living in Landport View, Portsea, with wife Susan Tubb (26) and daughter, Sarah Tubb (2).
  • From 23 Mar 1861 to 14 Apr 1862 back at HMS Excellent.
  • From 15 Apr 1862 through to 7 Aug 1866, James was with HMS Boscawen (1844), which from Feb/Mar of 1862 had been hulked as a Boys training ship in Southampton Water. (This explains son William Henry Tubb's baptism taking place in Southampton, in 1865.)
  • A third stint at HMS Excellent from 8 Aug 1866 to 5 Oct 1867.

Taken at Williamstown, Victoria,
between 1870 and 1879.
Port broadside view of the wooden
steam battleship HMVS Nelson.
Then from 6 Oct 1867 to 14 Feb 1868, James was with HMS Nelson (1814). Given his history, I'd first thought they'd mean the shore establishment of the same name, but it was, in fact, an actual ship. Nelson was given to the colony of Victoria, and sailed for Australia in October 1867, thus James was on that handover voyage. Clearly, this also gave him the opportunity to see that part of Australia that the family would later make their home.

Back in Portsmouth between 15 Feb 1868 and 1 Mar 1869, James was, once more, assigned to HMS Victory shore establishment. 

James' final assignment, from 2 Mar 1869 until his retirement from the Royal Navy on 31 Dec 1870, was with HMS Duke of Wellington (1852), at which time she replaced HMS Victory as flagship of the Port Admiral at Portsmouth (with Victory becoming her tender), her duties consisting of firing salutes to passing dignitaries, such as Queen Victoria on her way to Osborne House. As a Gunner's Mate since 6 Sep 1860, James may even have helped fire those salutes.

In 1871, Susan Tubb (37) Seaman's wife, was living at 11 Besant Terrace, Portsea with Sarah (12), James (9), William (7), Ernest (5) and 'Millie' (Nelly) (3).

''Queen of Nations'' by Richard Ball Spencer

On 19 Mar 1873, Susan Tubb (38), Sarah E (14), James A (10), Wm Hy (9), George E (6) and Nelly (4), departed from Plymouth, Devon, England, on the clipper, Queen of Nations. They arrived in Melbourne after a journey of around 140 days. (I've [so far] not seen a record of how James Henry got back to Australia, but I wouldn't mind betting he worked his passage.)

Susan Tubb (née Bussey) died on 20 Aug 1912 and is buried in Williamstown Cemetery, Williamstown, Victoria, Australia. She will have been 80.

James Henry Tubb died on 8 Nov 1922, and is also buried in Williamstown Cemetery, Williamstown, Victoria, Australia. He will have been 88.

The Family Grave of J H Tubb at Williamstown Cemetery, Victoria, Australia Photo: Suzy & Rob

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Sunday, 21 September 2025

William Henry Middleton and Alice Maud Osmond

Admiralty Mews, Deal
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Philip Halling - geograph.org.uk/p/1407334

William Henry Middleton (b. 4 Nov 1888), son of Emma Middleton, married Alice Maud Osmond, in Tiverton, on 21 Sep 1918. Alice Maud, known as Maud, (b. 2 Nov 1888, bap. 23 Dec 1888 at St. Mary, Willand), was daughter of cousins John Osmond (son of Henry Osmond from Halberton) and Annie Osmond (daughter of John Osmond of Willand).

William Henry "Bill" Middleton, giving his birth date as 10 Dec 1889, had enrolled in the Royal Marines on 4 Nov 1907, at Exeter (record says was underage between then and 9 Dec 1907), and was sent to Royal Marine Depot, Deal, until 2 Oct 1908, before Plymouth Division. William Henry was promoted to Corporal in 1911, and Sergeant in 1916 while serving on HMS Roxburgh (1904), which he was with from 4 Jun 1912 until 13 Aug 1916 - she was hit by a torpedo on 20 Jun 1915 but escaped with serious damage to her bow - latterly at the North America and West Indies Station.

From 13 Apr 1917 until 26 Nov 1918, Bill was with HMS Highflyer (1898), which means that he was present in Halifax, Nova Scotia during the Halifax Explosion on 6 Dec 1917. 

"Royal Navy cruisers in port sent some of the first organized rescue parties ashore. HMS Highflyer, along with the armed merchant cruisers HMS Changuinola, HMS Knight Templar and HMS Calgarian, sent boats ashore with rescue parties and medical personnel and soon began to take wounded aboard."

From 27 Nov 1918, Bill was transferred back to Plymouth Division, with a brief sojourn at HMS Excellent (shore establishment) near Portsmouth on 23 Dec 1918, but was Invalided on 25 Sep 1919. While I don't know the nature, can only surmise it may have been as a result of the Halifax blast.

Remarks on his marine's record say, "Has a good knowledge of semaphore ..."

In 1921, William Henry Middleton (32) Road Chargeman for Devon County Council, and Alice Maud Middleton (32) were living at Lower Trickey Cottage, Ash Thomas, Halberton, Devon.

In 1939, William H Middleton, Road Chargeman for Devon County Council, and wife Alice Maud were still at Trickey Cottage, Ash Thomas, Devon. Lodging with them was Frederick H Kerslake (20) Railway Clerk, nephew, son of Maud's sister Emily and her husband, Frederick James Kerslake.

Bill and Maud didn't have children, for what reason I'm unaware, but they had a cat named "Stripy" (a tabby, obviously), who, I was told, used to drink milk out of a jug on the windowsill, by dipping his paw in the jug (like Arthur from the Kattomeat ad). In our family, if you cleaned your plate at the end of a meal, someone would exclaim, "Poor old Stripy!", intimating that the poor cat, fed on scraps, would therefore go without. I only hope this was in jest!

Bill Middleton died on 23 Nov 1967. Alice Maud Middleton of Tidcombe Hall, Tiverton, died on 21 Sep 1982, just short of her 94th birthday. 

Tiverton : Tidcombe Hall
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Lewis Clarke - geograph.org.uk/p/6337380
Early 19th century house, shown as Tidcombe Rectory on late 19th century Ordnance Survey map. Much altered in late 20th century. The building was also once a Marie Curie daycare unit.
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Monday, 12 May 2025

Frederick William Penfold and Harriet Mary Tubb

Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda SeanMD80 (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0

Frederick William Penfold (b. 20 Jul 1863 in Hartfield, Sussex), son of William Penfold and Mary Ann Charlotte Gunn, married Harriet Mary Tubb (b. 21 May 1867 in Sheppey), daughter of Edward Tubb and Sarah Elizabeth Joy at the Wesleyan Chapel, Tottenham on 12 May 1888.

Frederick and Harriet had five children:

  1. Harriet Mary Penfold Tubb b. 1884 Q4 in CHELSEA Vol 01A Page 338
  2. George Edward Penfold b. 7 Mar 1889 in SHEPPEY Vol 02A Page 892
  3. Grace Joy Penfold b. 27 Aug 1892 in DOVER Volume 02A Page 982
  4. Frederick William Penfold b. 8 Oct 1896 in FULHAM Vol 01A Page 305
  5. Bert Penfold b. 14 Aug 1898 in ISLE OF WIGHT Vol 02B Page 599
Looking at this succession of birth locations: i. Frederick's mother, Mary Ann Penfold (55) died in in Chelsea, in 1886, so it may well have been to her that Harriet had gone; ii. Sheppey makes sense that Harriet was able to return to her own mother for the birth of her first legitimate child; iii. this is the year after Frederick left the navy, so unsure why Dover (Harriet's mother's family, perhaps); iv. Fulham is where Frederick's younger brother Charles lived and makes sense to go to his family for this birth, her own mother having died in 1895 and v. the Isle of Wight is where they'd moved in 1898.

Frederick William Penfold, had enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1878, at 15, as a Boy 2nd Class. His father had died in 1873, which may well have been motivation for going to sea. At that time he was 5ft tall, had dark brown hair, brown eyes and fair skin. He'd previously worked as a Gardener. Later, he grew to the lofty height of 5ft 5in and his complexion became ruddy. On 20 Jul 1881, his 18th birthday, Frederick signed up for a further 10 years.

Frederick William Penfold's Naval Career:

In 1881, Frederick William Penfold (18), Signal boy from Hartfield, Sussex, was listed under Royal Navy At Sea, Ships and Overseas Establishments with HMS Northampton, in Camber, Bermuda (Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda)

  • 16 Dec 1882-2 Apr 1884 HMS Duncan (1859) which had been flag ship at Sheerness since 1879. (Exactly the right time and place for Frederick to meet Harriet, who was born and lived in Sheerness. Harriet's father, Edward Tubb, died in Jan 1884. We might conclude that Harriet, 16, sought solace in Frederick.)
  • 3 Apr 1884-30 Jun 1886 HMS Carysfort (1878), which in 1884 and 1885, landed men for the naval brigade at Sudan (during the Mahdist War, which claimed the life of Gordon of Khartoum). During this time, there is a note on Frederick's service record saying "Mily Gaol Alexandria 42 days" (Gabbari military prison, Alexandria, Egypt). Doesn't give the exact dates or what for, but 42 days is unlikely to be too serious. Drunk maybe? Apr 1886 Mediterranean. 8 May 1886 Serving in Greek Waters. 19 Jun 1886 Malta.

Crossing Malta's Grand Harbour by Water Taxi


In 1891, Frederick W Penfold (27), Qualified signalman, married, was a 'Member of crew' of HMS Excellent in Portsmouth Harbour. Harriet Mary Penfold (26), Harriet M Penfold (6) and George E Penfold (2) were visiting Harriet's mother, Sarah E Tubb (61) in Trinity Road, Minster in Sheppey.

In 1898, George Edward Penfold, son of Frederick William Penfold, Commercial Agent, of 22 West Street, Newport, was enrolled at the Newport Board School in Newport, Isle of Wight. His previous school was Board School Southsea. But the next record we find, is on 22 Sep 1899, when George Penfold, aged 9, from Barnardo Homes, sails to Toronto, Canada on the vessel Arawa. We also read that, "According to the Barnardo records [Grace Joy] was admitted to the Barnardo's Homes in England on July 22, 1899 at the age of 7 with her brother George." [Source]

In 1901, Harriet M Penfold (32) listed as married, was at 49, Trafalgar Road, Newport, Isle of Wight, with Frederick W Penfold (4). George E Penfold (12) was listed as a Domestic in the household of a David White from Scotland, in Assiniboia East, Northwest Territories, Canada.

Frederick William Penfold, house painter (journeyman) of 2 Seagrave Rd, Fulham, died, aged 37, on 7 Apr 1901, of a cerebral hemorrhage (stroke) in Fulham Infirmary. His elder brother, John Robert Penfold of 52, Hogarth Buildings, Westminster is listed as the informant and was in attendance.

We read here that, "According to family hearsay Fredrick left the family at some stage prior to his death and Harriett could not keep the family together and it seems that her son George was put into a Barnardo’s Home and sent to Canada in 1899 at the age of 10." Sadly, the records do bear this out.

On 31 July 1904, G J Penfold (11) Female (Grace Joy) from Barnardo Homes sailed to Toronto, Canada on the vessel RMS Southwark.

Then on 3 May 1907, the youngest, Bert Penfold (8) from Barnardo Homes sailed to Toronto, Canada on the vessel SS Dominion.

So it wasn't just George who was sent to Barnardo Homes, but George, Grace and Bert, who became Home Children sent to Canada: "​From the late 1860s right up to 1948, over 100,000 children of all ages were emigrated right across Canada, from the United Kingdom, to be used as indentured farm workers and domestics. Believed by Canadians to be orphans, only approximately 12 percent truly were". "For the most part, these children were not picked up from the streets but came from intact families, who, through sickness or even death of one of their parents, had fallen on hard times."

In Oct 1910, Harriet Mary Penfold (40) Domestic and Frederick William Penfold (13) at School, made their way to Quebec, Canada (and apparently on to Bracebridge, Ontario) on the vessel Lake Manitoba, travelling steerage from Liverpool. Next to Harriet's name is the stamp, British Bonus Allowed, which was a commission paid by the Canadian government's Immigration Branch to steamship booking agents (not to the immigrants themselves).

In 1911, Fred Penfold (listed as born 1897 and immigration year 1910) was in Guelph, Wellington South, Ontario, Canada in a household with two English ladies: Letia Camocott (b. 1865) and Alice Merridon (b. 1873) Lodger. It doesn't say in what capacity, but as he would then be 15, presumably Fred was either working for them or elsewhere and boarding there. Meanwhile Bert Penfold (12) that year was a Boarder in the household of Canadian couple, George Gilbert (b. 1873) and his wife, Etta, in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada.

All three boys: George Edward, Frederick William Jr and Bert, it seems served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, during World War I.

Grace Penfold (23) married Benjamin Folie (24), son of George Folie, on 10 Aug 1914 in Toronto, Canada. On the marriage record however, in the space where her parents names should be, it has 'unknown' written across the space, so I think we have to assume that her mother had not reencountered her.

In 1916, H M Penfold (48) Female (Harriet Mary) - immigration year 1910 - was in the household of Englishman, Charles M C Westaway (32) in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, seemingly employed as Housekeeper.

Harriet Mary Penfold (née Tubb) died, aged 67, on 27 Aug 1934 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, Saskatoon.

Their name liveth forever

Chiswick High Road
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © N Chadwick - geograph.org.uk/p/6619235

Harriet Mary Penfold Tubb, as she was registered upon her birth in 1884, daughter of Frederick William Penfold and Harriet Mary Tubb, it was reported, "...  did not go to Canada [as her siblings did] as she was 15 years old and had gone into service." Indeed, in 1901, we find Harriet M Penfold (16), as a General domestic servant in the employ of Joseph Wain (41) Draper and shopkeeper at 288, High Road, Chiswick, Middlesex. (Harriet's late paternal grandmother, Mary Ann Charlotte Gunn, was originally from Chiswick, so perhaps this had some bearing on the location?)

In 1903, we find Harriet in Hackney, for the birth of her first child. Then in the first quarter of 1906, Harriet, apparently known as Hetty, married Walter Ward, in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. Unfortunately, it's been impossible to locate Walter on previous census returns, to be able to pinpoint where they coincided. We have to take it on trust that Gladys Grace is Walter's daughter, as she's later listed with the surname Ward, but there is no guarantee of this.

Walter and Harriet had at least seven children:
  1. Gladys Grace Penfold b. 1903 S Qtr in HACKNEY Vol 01B Page 539
  2. Walter Ernest Ward b. 1907 M Qtr in BRIDGEND Vol 11A Page 903
  3. William George Ward b. 1908 J Qtr in BRIDGEND Vol 11A Page 945
  4. Herbert Edward Ward b. 1910 J Qtr in BELPER Vol 07B Page 732
  5. Frederick John Ward b. 1912 M Qtr in BELPER Vol 07B Page 1346
  6. Alma Mary Ward b. 1914 M Qtr in ASHBY DE LA ZOUCH Vol 07A 159, died age 6 in 1920 S Qtr in ASHBY DE LA ZOUCH Vol 07A  Page 91 and buried on 17 Aug 1920 in Blackfordby, Leicestershire
  7. Mabel Joy Ward b. 10 Dec 1919 in ASHBY DE LA ZOUCH Vol 07A 162
Walter Ward, 32 in 1914, will have been of an age to have served during World War I and although it would be difficult to isolate his service record, I think the evidence for this is the gap in children between 1914 and 1919. 

In 1911, at 24 Sleetmoor Lane, Somercotes, Derbyshire, were Walter Ward (29) 'Night repairer under ground', born in Costock, Nottinghamshire (a birth registered in Loughborough, in 1882, may relate); Harriet Mary (26) born in Chelsea; William Ward (34) 'Coal contractor under ground', Brother, born in Clay Cross, Derbyshire; Gladys Grace Ward (7), Walter Ernest Ward (4) born Nantymoel, Wales, William George Ward (3), born Caerau, Bridgend and Herbert Edward Ward (1) born Swanwick, Derbyshire.

So far, I've been unable to identify further records for this family, except Mabel Joy, who married Douglas A Clayton in Mansfield, Nottingham in 1939 and reportedly died, in Guelph, Wellington South, Ontario, Canada, in 1998.

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