cont ....
George and Alice Ford and Family Part 2
Some might think George Ford escaped from East Meon. It is not certain what was going on in George and William’s minds when William scrawled the following on George’s enlistment papers.
“… he has never been the inmate of a reformatory.”
 |
| One of the papers signed when George enlistedin 1868. |
At this point there seems to be a misunderstanding and George Wilks becomes George Ford.
Perhaps the threat of living off the Poor Law handouts for years to come is more than he can bear. Get me out of here….
George born George Wilks on 1st April 1851 lives in the small villiage of East Meon with his mother Harriett who has married William Wilks the previous year. He has two older brothers Charles and William both born illegitimately. His mother, Harriet died when he is 8 and he continues to live with his father, William Wilkes. By the time of the 1861 census he has left school, lives with his father and works as a carter at Drayton cottages.
In 1866 his brother, William joined as a Gunner in the Royal Artillery and two years later perhaps after hearing his brother’s stories of life in the Army George is filled with with the spirit of adventure. In 1868 William signs his brother George for 10 years service in the Royal Navy and so begins the family’s nautical history. This decision gives him prospects of more pay, stable work and a pension. Besides it is a fairly respectable profession.
 |
| 1871 Census |
On 15 January 1868 George begins his enlistment with the Royal Navy at Portsmouth as Boy Class 2. He starts on HMS Vincent and the documents state he has grey eyes and he is 5 feet 2 and1/4inches with a ruddy complexion. 12 months later he is promoted to Boy Class 1 in 1870 is posted to HMS Bellerophon. After signing on for a further ten years he saw service on HMS Belleraphon, Triumph, Royal Adelaide, Britannia, Renard and Wolverine and had been promoted first to Ordinary Seaman, then Able Bodied Seaman followed by Leading Seaman. This took him to 1880 and his marriage to Alice Barter.
 |
| Alice Barter born 1856 |
As the Birth Certificate shows Alice is Alice Barter-Alice’s mother is Susan Barter living in Fish Market Lane St Saviours Dartmouth at the time of her birth. Father is unknown. Susan married William Ackrill in 1858. Originally it was assumed Alice was Susan’s sister and not her daughter. In fact she may well be her sister and her daughter if the William Barter named on her marriage certificate as her father was indeed her Grandfather. The 1861 census shows she lives with mother and father -Susan Ackrell nee Barter and William Ackrell. William calls her his daughter on the census. As a 15 year old in the 1871 census she lives at Townstal with the Hughes family as a domestic servant . Note the transcription errors- Alice is down as Alice Ukrill.
This photo has turned up of Alice from the grandchildren of Edith Ford. It appears Alice was a Governess before her marriage. Extensive checking shows no link to these children in the photograph with the Caroline Hughes family in the above census. This family does not have a matching set of children to those in the photo and poor old Caroline ends up a widow living as a pauper in the poorhouse! Walter Bradnee was a photographer in Newton Abbott and Torquay 1873-1880s so Alice was working for another family.
 |
| Alice as Governess |
After 12 years service on 29 April 1880 George married Alice Barter (not Ackrell) of 11 King Street Plymouth in a registry office in Plymonth, Devon. George was a resident at Royal Naval Hospital, East Stonehouse at the time. Witnesses at the wedding are William Flowers and E Mitchill. Alice is aged 24 and George is 28.
The Marriage Certificate below has led the Ford family researchers on a merry chase. Alice states on her marriage certificate that her father is William Barter, a Blacksmith. William Barter is indeed a blacksmith and her grandfather. Interestingly she has reverted to the surname Barter- her birth name. Either her father is William- her grandfather or perhaps Susan’s eventual husband William Ackrell who incidentally was in a spot of bother with the courts on a Larceny charge at the time of her birth. He was later found not guilty. Working on board a ship William may not have known of the impending birth and then he was detained.
The certificate also states father is deceased. William Barter was indeed deceased but William Ackrell wasn’t. Another question mark. In addition George Ford is in reality George Wilks but that’s another story. George states that his father is William Ford when in fact it is William Wilks. William Wilks was still alive at the time of marriage. Must have been an awkward moment filling out the official forms!
It
was inevitable that when Alice Barter fell for a young sailor by the name of
George Ford, her life would take a turn for the better. After all, a sailor had
a stable job and a regular income.
George Ford had enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1868. So is it was that
she was destined for a life lived on or near the sea.
George and Alice’s Marriage Certificate 1880
Later that year in November 1880 after 12 years continuous service George signs up for a further 10 year re-engagement on HMS Royal Adelaide. The records show he has grown. He is now 5 feet 5 inches with a fresh complexion, light-brown hair and blue eyes. He has tattoos on both hands. George signed his own name.
George and Alice are shown on the 1881 census living at Higher St Totnes, Dartmouth. George’s occupation- seaman Royal Navy. Their ages at last birthday are listed as George, 28 and Alice, 24.
George and Alice Ford in the 1881 census
Soon after their marriage in April 1880 Alice fell pregnant with her first child. Alice Maud Mary Ford was born at Dartmouth on 20 April 1881 almost 12 months later.
In November 1880 George signed up to another 10 years in the Navy and was engaged on HMS Warrior followed by service on the Royal Adelaide, Northumberland and Valiant.
6 June 1881 HMS Warrior
20 July 1881 HMS Royal Adelaide
12 January 1882 HMS Northumberland
5 December 1882 HMS Valiant
In January 1883 George was transferred to the Coastguard in the rank of Boatsman while attached to the HMS Valiant . HMS Valiant was a Hector class Armoured Frigate ordered by the Navy in 1861. Upon being commissioned in 1868 the ship was assigned as the First Reserve guard ship for Southern Ireland, where she remained until she was decommissioned in 1885.
Our Ford Family visit to the “Warrior” in 2008
Members of the Coastguard Service were normally recruited from the Royal Navy. Early retirement was also the norm. Coastguards were transferred quite frequently before they became too well acquainted with the locals. This meant that men often moved their families around and ended up retiring in locations far away from their place of birth, marriage and children’s paces of birth. A nightmare for family history!
Working for the Irish Coastguard
This was followed by another transfer in August 1885 to Ball Hill, Donegal, Ireland to the Ball Hill Coast Guard Station.
George’s posting was in the North West of Ireland in County Donegal. It was difficult to get Irish staff so the Navy generally posted English or Scottish Boatsmen. George was to be working as part of the coastguard which was primarily concerned with the control of smuggling. Whilst in the 21st century coastguard is related to ship and coastline safety, in the 1880s and in the centuries before smuggling was a huge problem and the coastguard service was mainly aimed at quelling the huge smuggling activities that existed off the British coastal areas. Yes, customs officers were employed at ports but the huge and rugged coastlines of England and Ireland meant that taxes on imports and exports could be avoided by anchoring at remote coastal areas and colluding with local landowners to unload and store goods in caves and coves.
The Navy in conjunction with the Office of Custom tried to counter this through shore patrols, inshore water patrols and offshore cruiser activity. As the Coastguard service was a reserve force for the Royal Navy by 1856 , after the Crimean War, control of the coastguard became transferred to the Admiralty. By 1883 there would have been several thousand men as working as Coastguards all over Britain.
Ball Hill Coastguard,
Donegal was one of the many that in that service.Boatman received pay of A.B. continuous service. Commissioned boatmen
received pay of leading seamen continuous service, Chief boatmen received pay of first class
petty officers continuous service.
They will be allowed 1s. 4d. per day in lieu of their provisions, and lodgings
will be provided for themselves and families free of rent.
All the men will have the benefit of medical attendance.
Payment of wages, and allowance in lieu of provisions all
over County Donegal in Ireland built to cover the north-western side of Ireland
which was a popular departure and arrival point for imports and exports across
the Atlantic to America and a popular spot for smugglers.
Merchant Navy rates of pay and conditions might have been higher but there were perks with the Coastguard jobs which might have appealed to George and Alice. As ex-Navy George’s conditions of engagement were according to this Naval directive.
“They
will be rated in the first instance as boatmen, and may be promoted, if
deserving, to be commissioned boatmen, and from commissioned boatmen to be
chief boatmen.
Boatmen will receive the pay of A.B. continuous will be made monthly.
When a chief boatman shall have charge, and is performing the duty of a chief
officer of a station, he will receive, as heretofore, 1s. per diem in addition
to his pay as chief boatman.
In the event of war or emergency, any men whose services maybe required will be
sent to serve on board any of Her Majesty's ships for such time as
circumstances may render necessary, with the pay to which they may be entitled
in the Coastguard, or of such ratings as they may be qualified to fill and may
hold. They will be victualed as seamen of the fleet.
In such cases their families, during good behaviour, will be allowed to remain
in their lodgings so long as the men are in the service.
These men will be subject in all respects to the same laws, regulations, and
discipline, and enjoy all the same privileges and advantages, including good
conduct badges, pay, pensions, &c., as other seamen serving in the fleet,
and time served by them in the Coastguard will count for pensions as time
served afloat.
Men pensioned from the Coastguard will be in the same position in all respects
as other naval pensioners.”
Each member of the Coastguard was entitled to three weeks leave a year and could get free railway vouchers.
The two storey Coastguard station at Ball Hill shown in the pictures below was erected by the British in 1867. It is elevated on a grassy hill 62m above sea level overlooking Donegal Bay and a little way from Donegal old town. The boathouse had 39 steps down the hillside.
Photographs from the http://www.coastguardsofyesteryear.org/
We met Malachy Sweeny by chance at his residence adjacent to the old Coastguard station at Ball Hill. Malachy Sweeney includes a detailed description of the Ball Hill Coastguard from the 1901 census in his book “The Sands of Time”
“Watchtower 12ft-12ft, storeroom ditto. Chief Btn. House contains kitchen scullery room, dining room and 4 bedrooms, 4 cottages containing 5 rooms each. Boat House 30ft 6 inches by 14 ft. Hose erected by the Crown in 1867.” Thus the station was capable of up to 5 Coastguard men and their families usually consisting of a Chief Officer, two Commissioned Boatsmen and Boatsmen.
At both Ball Hill and Arran the Coastguard men were expected to apply the signalling skills learnt in the Royal Navy.
The Coastguard had always performed some kind of duty in wrecks, salvage and lifesaving apparatus. In 1866, they were finally authorised, by an Instruction to 'take an active part in the workings of a lifeboat.' Another duty became the reporting on movements of buoys, beacons and light vessels - and the list continues to grow through the years.
William Webb describes the use of signalling in his book"COASTGUARD! An
Official History Of HM Coastguard.".
“From its earliest days signalling was the forte of the Coastguard Service, and
it was this skill that was the greatest value to the naval Reserve. Signal
exercises were constantly conducted - twice daily - using semaphore flags and
telegraphy, and flashing lamps at night. There were many exercises and
manoeuvres involving the Royal Navy and the Coastguards which, through practice
were completely successful.”
Signalling was an important part of the Coastguard’s proficiency as often messages had to be passed along the coast to the next patrol along the shore. Training records were kept on these daily exercises and the Coastguard was highly praised for the men’s skills when WWI broke out and their signalling skills were displayed.
Even as smuggling patrols reduced there was plenty of work for the Coastguard when they assisted with launching of lifeboats or performing rescues in their own boats. Life was never routine and dull for the men of the Coastguard.
Coastguards were required to carry out rifle drill twice a week and cutlass drill once a week. One of the duties was to keep the stations clean and in good repair. Stations were renowned for clean and smart buildings dotted all around the coast lines. In addition, there was the task of compiling weekly, monthly and quarterly returns for operations, stores, ammunition and personnel.
Among the other expectations of the Coastguard were to be Receivers of the Wreck. That is, they took charge of everything wash on shore much to the dismay of those civilians who felt that anything washed up should belong to them.
Any rare fish had to be carefully examined and sent to the National History Museum. Similarly they were responsible for the wild birds in the area which were protected under the Wild Birds Protection Act. The British Association for the Advancement of Science was advised of any changes occurring in the coastline. Testing of telephone and telegraphic communications as well as checking of navigational markers and lighthouses was done for Trinity House. An added bonus of 50p was received for every able recruit enrolled for the Royal Navy.
Location of the Ball Hill Coast Guard
William George Albert Ford, George and Alice’s first son was born whilst the George served at the at Ball Hill Coastguard station in 1883.
The area around Ball Hill is idyllic. The waterways stretching out from Donegal Port have several green islands with farmers grazing sheep on a gently hilly grass covered islands still to this day. Back in the 1880s the area would have been busy with passing trade. In fact immigrants especially during the great famine from 1845 and 1852 were known to have purchased their tickets from the White Line shipping company and departed to Britain and America not too far from where the Coastguard station is situated.
Later, the Fords expanded their family. Alfred Samuel Ford, Joseph Arthur Ford and Sidney Edward Ford were born in 1885, 1886, 1887 respectively. Sidney was my husband’s grandfather. Their naval records all show their place of birth as Ball Hill, Donegal. Imagine young Alice, William, Joseph and Alfred running over the hills with local children amongst the local farming land, exploring the shoreline and running down the steps to the boat shed. Sidney of course would have been there to but he was merely a toddler by the time they were transferred. The area is very tranquil today with the use of other means of transport but in the 1880s there would have been much shipping and fishing happening in this lively sea port.
When Ruth Churchill aged 12 won the weekly prize for writing in a newspaper of the time she was telling of a time when she and the Ford children lived at the Coastguard station.
Steve Ford outside Ball Hill Coastguard Station and accommodation
After the eventual departure of the Coastguards following “the Troubles” buildings passed into the control of the Irish Provisional Government. Later, this building was used as a Youth Hostel until its sale in 2004. Today the disused Coastguard is vandalized and awaiting development.
Overlooking the Bay at the Oyster leases.
One thing that would have been awkward for the Fords and their Coastguard neighbours would have been the fact that they were British. This caused problems on two fronts. One was their Church of England religion in a largely Catholic country. This may have caused a bit of a dilemma when it came to Sunday worship and christening the children. It is known from evidence on their naval records that the children were Church of England. Sidney it is known was actually christened in the Church of Ireland at Killymead which was a little way out of Donegal town.
Hopefully Alice and George and the family were accepted by the locals despite their religion and being British. Most of the Coastguard employees were English or Scottish and were often resented by the Catholic Irish as a whole who resented another arm of the law watching over the Irish by the British Government.
For this reason very few Irish elected to join the Coastguard. Another of George’s tasks may have been to assist the local police in search of illicit “mountain dew” stills. No wonder the coastguard folk were constantly moved around to avoid being befriended by smugglers and to avoid the threat of collusion with locals eager to reduce their alcohol costs! Thus the other Coastguard family units would have been important friendships.
The Fords attended this Church of Ireland at Killymead where Sidney was Christened
In 1889 George transferred to HMS Shannon. Since May 1883 when she briefly became a tender to Warrior she was relegated to being a Coastguard ship. During a war scare in 1885 she was briefly readied for operations. From May 1895 she was in reserve but was sold for breaking up in December 1899.
Portnoo Coastguard Station
The family transferred to Portnoo Coastguard in November 1889. Edith May Ford b June 1890, George and Alice’s second daughter was born during the early days at Portnoo. Her birth is registered at Glentie is which is a town not far from Portnoo or Newport.
Reportedly the original building was blown up by the IRA in the 1920s. It was much further up the hill than these cottages below. At the original site of Portnoo coastguard there is left except a couple of stairs leading from the road and a boatshed built c 1830.
 |
| Newer Coastguard cottages at Portnoo and old Boathouse below |
George’s appointment to Portnoo in 1889 is quickly followed by a promotion to Commissioned Boatman in early 1891 and transfer to North Arran 12 days later. Life in the Arran Islands Galway begins.
North Aran Coastguard Galway Bay
There is a cluster of islands off Galway Bay, called the Aran Islands also known as Inishmore, Inishmaan and Inisheer located 8km from the west coast.
The records of birth for Beatrice Harriet 1892, Cecil Frederick 1893 and Archibald Ernest 1896 show the County Galway or the township of Kilronen on the birth registrations. The coastguard station in the village of Kilronen is known as North Arran Station.
 |
| Coastguard Cottages where Beatrice, Cecil and Archibald were born |
It’s situated in the most northerly “big” island of the three Aran Islands in the mouth of Galway Bay- Keep going west and you’ll reach America. It looks over the sparkling stretch of Atlantic waters. Innishmore although the largest is only 12 km long and 3 km wide. The other islands in Galway Bay Inishmaan the second-largest; and Inisheer the smallest.
The official Irish name for the large island is Árainn However, the British Ordnance Survey when surveying the landscape of west Ireland, invented the name Inishmore for the largest island probably to avoid confusion with Aran Island in County Donegal.
Kilronen (Cill Ronain) today is the Island’s largest town , has a population of 297 living in the village. It’s a bustling fishing and tourist village. It boasts restaurants pubs and a pier and is home to Festivals. In George’s day the islands had a larger population of a combined 2890 people with their isolation meaning that the people were subsistence or near subsistence farmers and fishermen. Perhaps this is where the boys developed their gardening skills by growing the family vegetables. With no natural topsoil locals mixed sand and seaweed to make their garden beds.
On a good day Alice could gaze out over the sparkling Atlantic and its crashing waves with its Gulfstream winds spreading out before her. It had a fairly pleasant climate of little rain and lots of sun. Just as quickly it could be a cold, bleak and very windy expanse. Alice would have been heartened by the brightly coloured wild flowers, the diverse flora and fauna, complimented by butterflies and moths, nesting bird life and the sightings of seals off the coast. Despite the worry of the children being washed into the Atlantic Ocean they had plenty of fresh air and space to run around. I’m sure they explored the ancient stone forts and churches.
 |
| Ruined church on Aran used by the Coastguard |
Around that time a new method of communication was used. The coastguards were trained in the General Post Office (G.P.O.) telegraphic system. In 1892 a System of Coast Communications was built under the G.P.O, with nearly all Coastguard Stations to which Life saving Apparatus (L.S.A.) were situated or where lifeboats were stationed. Soon a line was installed right around the Irish coast.
The Aran Islands are “home of the Aran Sweater”. These sweaters with uniquely textured patterns in their knit and intertwined columns had natural heat retention and water resisting properties. Fishermen and farmers on the Island wore these sheeps wool garments. No doubt George acquired one- they had the added bonus of unique patterns which helped to identify people being pulled out of the water after boating accidents!
It should also be noted that North Aran has always been a Gaeltacht Island meaning that everyone speaks Gaelic. Ford children in their formative years would have acquired their Irish accent at this time. Sidney was always called "Paddy" and presumed Irish and the family was quite surprised to find that besides being born in Ireland he had English parents.
The most commonly encountered medal awarded to a member of the Coastguard service is the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. George became eligible for his in 1896 during his North Aran Island service having met the requirement of 15 years service. In order to receive the medal the necessary years had to be completed plus his record must show that throughout this period his character was ‘good’ or better; and that at no point had he ‘run’ e.g. deserted.
George remained at North Aran until March 1896 when he was appointed to Portobello and the Portobello Coastguard Station. This was a return to Sussex, England. At that stage he was almost 45 and Alice was 40. The children were aged as follows: Alice 15 years, William nearly 13 years, Alfred 11 years, Joseph 10 years, Sidney 9 years, Edith nearly 6 years, Beatrice 4 years ,Cecil nearly 3 years, Archibald 1 month.
Portobello Coastguard Station
With their Irish service over and they returned to England on 12 March 1896, transferring to Portobello, Badgers Watch - a Coast Guard Station George’s last and final posting. Chris Ford has visited the location. “Portobello Coast Guard Station is now the Smugglers Rest pub, formerly the Badger's Watch Inn and before that the Lifeboat Inn on the Telscombe Cliffs at Peacehaven, which is just down the road from Newhaven. The Telscombe were a famous smugglers haunt and the cliff is riddled with smugglers tunnels, or so it is said. The Station is where the famous unsinkable lifeboat was first used and a picture of it is on one wall in the pub.”
 |
| Badgers Watch, South Coast Road, Telscombe Cliffs © Copyright Paul Gillett |
 |
| Coastguard Cottages photo by Kathy Maguire |
The Portobello Coastguard station is in the western corner of the parish of Telscombe. Telscombe is a small village lying at the head of a coombe which rises from the right bank of the River Ouse about 2 miles above Newhaven. Before George’s day it was pretty isolated with the old Dover road running along the cliff top and the only buildings being the Lifeboat Inn and the coastguard cottages. Eventually in the 20th century developments of Peacehaven and Saltdean were built along the cliffs and now the South Coast Road at Telscombe Cliffs is a busy tourist road.
This area was the quintessential spot for both Smugglers and shipwrecks. In 1834 the authorities had built coastguard cottages at Saltdean Gap and 11 at Portobello.
The Coastguards patrolled the cliffs night and day, often in strong winds with chalk markings to guide them from the cliff edge. The coastline around the cliffs was desolate and isolated and provided direct access to the beach – a major attraction for smugglers. It was common and safe to land cargoes and people could have direct beach access. Smugglers took horses down to the sands to load up. From Europe and nearby France lace, brandy, tobacco and other luxury items were imported trading English goods in return. Everyone wanted to avoid the duties. Locals provided the necessary lookout and goods were hidden from those patrolling the cliffs etc.
Eventually smuggling was less of a problem and the role of the Coastguard switched to search and rescue. Presumably, when a wreck took place the Coast Guard was responsible for taking all possible action to save lives, taking charge of the vessel and protecting property.
The Portobello Coastguard Station was built on the site of a former 18th century farmhouse that became the Lifeboat Inn. The inn was so named because a small three person vessel would be lowered down the nearby cliff when a ship was in distress. It was known as the Brewers Arms during the 1830s. Its link with the local smuggling trade were indicated by the many tunnels and passages that were reputedly discovered beneath when the Coastguard was renovated in the 1990s to become the Badgers Watch Hotel and today renamed as the Smugglers Rest .
Early on it seemed to revert to being a pub as it was known as the Brewers Arms during the 1830s and was heavily linked with the local smuggling trade, many tunnels and passages were discovered beneath when it was renovated in the 1990s.
In 1841 11 cottages on the left were built as Coastguard living quarters and the old building was a Coastguard station which it remained until the Second World War. It remained unused and derelict until the 1990s conversion back into a pub
George remained at Portobello for just over a year until he died on duty on 5th March 1897 of Haematemesis (vomiting of blood) at nearly 46 years of age. This is not to be confused with tuberculosis. It is bleeding from somewhere in the stomach or upper bowel a gastric ulcer- and death is pretty rapid . He was just 45 and 4 years short of a well earned retirement.
 |
| George Ford Death Certificate 1897 |
 |
| St Laurence Church Telscombe where George is buried |
The end of the Coastguard era
This story highlights the changing times ..... smuggling was no longer the issue and sea rescue became the important focus. Technology was changing the role and the isolation with the introduction of telegraphic services. Britain’s role in Irish Coastguard was resented and diminishing. Unrest would soon see the withdrawal of British Coastguards with the Irish “Troubles”.
George’s transfer back to England was probably partly in preparation for his naval retirement and partly because of the educational needs of his children. One wouldn’t like to think that he had merely done his time and was getting his well earned return to England.
He had seen his children grow up in a healthy countryside environment with the best views County Donegal and County Galway had to offer. The quiet rural environment experienced by his family was not unlike his own rural upbringing in East Meon. Along the way his children acquired their Irish accents and were infused with the sea water which would run through their veins for the rest of their lives. Certainly the boys loved the sea and the outside life for they played out their careers on the water and tended their vegetable gardens on the weekends.
Old records and historical accounts help retell the stories of Coastguard families of yesteryear. Visits to see the relics of the buildings and photograph the views help to put the whole “adventure” in context.... difficulties of childbirth and raising a growing family in isolation, living with a different culture and of course the Irish coastal weather. Oh to sit and have a conversation with the whole Ford family as they reminisce, remember and recall George’s service in the Coastguard. I’d like to have done that.
Life in Newhaven
Newhaven Harbour c 1900 H Hills Collection
Newhaven Harbour as it is today
After his death Alice took her family to live in nearby Newhaven. Five years later the 1901 census shows that Alice and her children ranging in age from 20 to 5 had been separated by circumstances and work.
Alice was living in 74 Lewes Ave Newhaven with her youngest children Sidney, Cecil and Archibald who attended a local school. Alfred who was also living at home was working as a messenger boy at the quay. Albert Higgin (age 20), timekeeper on Harbour Works is recorded as a boarder. Albert Higgin later married Alice’s oldest daughter, Maud (Alice) Ford.
 |
| The family lived here in 1901 74 Lawes Ave Newhaven |
 |
| View from Lawes Ave to the Harbour |
Edith May and Beatrice were living in Hampstead and attending a Sailors’ Orphans Girls school -a charity school which provides education, clothing and assistance set up for the benefit of sailors’ wives and children. Alice Maud was working nearby as a domestic servant. Joseph was attending a school at Greenwich Royal Hospital School. Her oldest son William, was a crew boy First Class aged 17 on board the Royal Navy Ship Prince George at Gibraltar Bay.
The London and
Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) had constructed their own wharf
and facilities on the east side of the river, and opened the Harbour railway
Station. The railway also funded the dredging of the channel and other improvements
to the harbour and by 1878 cross channel ferries were used for
passenger and imports of farm products, timber, granite and slate. The harbour
was officially recognised as 'The Port of Newhaven' in 1882. Hence the
need for Coast guard services.
On 2 April 1911 when the 1911 Census was taken in Newhaven, Sussex, Alice and William Mockford resided at William's house - 65 Lawes Avenue Newhaven. He is now a foreman stevedore. Beatrice Ford (drapers assistant) and Archibald (unemployed) resides there also.
Her daughter Maud Ford, in 1911 census is living at 60 Kyunston Rd Thornton Heath Surrey having married. Alfred is at Alma Cottage, Newhaven. At 26 years he is a single boarder.
Alice’s marriage to William Mockford is not a long one ending on 3 October 1915 with the death of William Mockford age 62 following complications from a serious leg injury at work in October 1914.
Interestingly it was his obituary which unlocked the names of the Ford children and also gives their nicknames.
Obituary W A Mockford
Funeral of Mr W A Mockford- the funeral took place on Wednesday afternoon at Newhaven Cemetery of Mr W A Mockford who for nearly 30 years had been employed by the LB & SCR at Newhaven Harbour during the latter 14 years of which he held the responsible position of Foreman Stevedore. In October last he met with a serious accident while in the execution of his duty, and sustained a bad fracture of the left leg. He was removed to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, from which institution he was discharged at the end of January last. He was unable to resume work however, but was able to get about on crutches until about three months ago, when complications set in and he had to take to his bed. His death occurred on Sunday last at his residence, 32 Lewes Road. The chief mourners at the funeral were the widow, Mr and Mrs William Mockford of Eastbourne (son and daughter-in-law), Mr J Mockford, of Rottingdean (brother) Private A Ford 13th Service Battalion on Royal Sussex Regiment and Mr A Ford (stepsons) Mr and Mrs A Higgins of London (son-in-law and stepdaughter) and Mr Frank Mockford of Rottingdean (nephew). Amongst deceased's old comrades who followed to pay their last respects were noticed Inspectors H Hawkins, W Horsee, F Barber and M Earl, Foreman Stevedore T Heathfield, and Foreman Crane Driver G Knight and Leading Hands J Keep and E Gearing; whilst Leading Hands W Steedman, H Stevens, C Dean and A Crambe acted as bearers.
The local branch of the order of the Sons of Temperance of which deceased was a member was represented by Mrs G Stoner (Asst Sec), Mr RJ Hedges, Mr H Martin and Mr and Mrs Swadling. The Rev J Morris Ham officiated. The coffin which was of polished elm with brass furniture bore the inscription: "William Mockford, died 3rd October 1915 aged 62 years." The floral tributes were as follows:
With deepest sympathy from his sorrowing wife.
In loving memory from brother Jim and Martha (Rottingdean).
From Beet, Bert, Joe, Cecil and Arch, in loving remembrance.
With deepest sympathy from a friend.
A token of remembrance from the staff at Newhaven Harbour.
With deepest sympathy from the Continental staff at Littlehampton.
A token of respect and esteem, from the members of the Sons of Temperance (Newhaven)
 |
| The Newhaven House where Alice lived with William Mockford and her sons. 32 Lewes Ave |
The Probate calendar for 1915 shows Alice Mockford receiving William’s effects - £135 18s 7d .
A photo confirmed to be Alice
Alice lived until a ripe old age with her son Joseph, daughter in law Charlotte and granddaughter Peggy. She died in 1950 at Surrey at the age of 94-Still at the same address having outlived two husbands and her first one, George, by more than 50 years!
Richard Harvey remembers a really old lady by the name of Alice at a function at his grandmother Beatrice’s when he was a young boy- probably only 4 or 5. This was probably her.
Refer to Joseph and Archibald’s stories for more news of Alice during WWII.
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment