Robyn and the Genies : Archibald Ernest Ford (1896-1957) Found!!

Cont... The George and Alice Ford Family Story Part 11

Dedicated to Mark Medford (1954-12/2/2021) who was so excited to be reunited with his UK/USA/ Irish family. RIP Mark

The last time I wrote this story I concluded that Archibald was childless and buried at sea. Only weeks before I had stalked Ancestry and found a likely person who listed a person who could be our Archibald, Sidney's youngest brother.

As we know tracking Alice and George through time with their changes of name and incorrect fathers' names was hard enough but relocation to Ireland had complicated things. Long story short I sent my evidence of a match to Archibald's grandson who disbelieving sent it to his mother who sent it to her sister and niece. Yes they believed me, agreed with the conclusions and revealed that Archibald had also relocated to Ireland for a short time. Good grief.

Along comes Mark Medford who had just done his DNA and contacted my husband saying his Grandfather was Archibald Ford. Did I have good news for him. My recent contacts meant he was reunited with his English and American family. He bought tickets to England and Ireland and visited the Southern States of America before you could say "Jack Robinson". Sadly this year Mark was diagnosed with a quick growing tumor and died shortly after. I'm glad DNA testing allowed him to meet his cousins and family and I was privileged to be caught up in his travels and excitement via emails and Facebook.

Archibald's family:

Archibald Ernest Ford 19 February 1896- 1957

+ Annie Josephine Thompson 1899 m 28 Mar 1920 d 30 Sept 1952

Eileen Alice Ford 1922- 2019

Phyllis Clare Ford 1924-2019

Veronica Mary Ford 1926-

Mary Patricia Ford 1929-1993

Margaret Teresa Ford 1935

+ Maude Davenport m 1955 d 1981

Archibald was the last child of Alice and George Ford born 19 February 1896 in Kilronan, Aran Island. He spent a fairly short time there as his father died while they lived at Telscombe Coastguard Station just a year later.

At five in the 1901 census, he lived with his widowed mother and was attending school in Newhaven. A little later He was in the Seaman's Orphanage together with his brother Cecil. The Orphanage was the Royal Hospital School at Greenwich. His older brother, Joseph, was there in the 1901 Census.

At the time the 1911 census was taken he was living with his step father, William Mockford and mother Alice having left school but not working. From there it seems he went into the Merchant Navy.

Archibald from his Merchant Navy record

A 30/12/1915 Newspaper article shows him receiving a bravery award as Seaman AB Merchant Navy vessel SS Plessa France aged 19 years. A newspaper clipping of this event was held by Sid's family in Australia.

Archibald Ford -- Merchant Navy 30 December 1915

A Newhaven Man's Reward for Bravery

A distinguished company assembled in the cabin of SS Ploussa on Saturday morning for the purpose of presenting Archibald Ford A.B. on that vessel, with the Royal Humane Society's testimonial in vellum, "for having on 30th of December 1915 gone to the rescue of Frank James, who was in imminent danger of drowning in the river at Rouen, and whose life be gallantly saved." The full details of Ford's prompt and gallant action are as follows: the Ploussa was lying in the river at Rouen on the date named and a four knot tide was running at the time of the accident. James, who could not swim was painting the vessel's side from a staging lowered over the side, when by some unaccountable means the staging canted causing James to fall into the river. Ford saw James falling and knowing James could not swim, Ford jumped overboard immediately without divesting himself of any clothing, and was in the water a few seconds after James. James grabbed and got hold of Ford's legs and held on, preventing Ford from treading water, Ford managed to keep afloat, although drifting rapidly. Luckily throw lines were kept handy and a line was thrown to Ford, who, of course as he held up his hands to catch it sank as James was still holding onto his legs. He managed to grasp the line, however, and then reached down and got hold of James, and both were quickly hauled aboard, the whole time from commencement to finish not occupying more than five minutes. Had,however, throw lines not been handy at the moment, both Ford and James must have been swept away by the strong current and probably drowned. Both Ford and James are Newhaven men. The presentation proceedings were presided over by Cmdr Garrett,RN and others present included Brigadier General Matthews, Cmdr Matthews RN., Lt Cmdr Spray.RNR., Captain Bremner (SSPloussa Captain), Capt Lee (SS Ouse) and the whole of the ship's company of the SS Ploussa. Cmdr Garrett in making the presentation on behalf of the Royal Humane Society, spoke in eulogistic terms of Ford's gallant and prompt action. It was his promptitude he said which saved James' life. Capt Bremer should be proud to have such a man as one of his crew. Brigadier General Matthews said, on behalf of the military, he was pleased to be associated with the proceedings that morning. Ford had undoubtedly performed a brave act and one worthy of recognition it had received. Such acts were characteristic of the mercantile marine. Capt Bremner said he was pleased such a gallant and prompt action had received recognition. At the time of the accident everything went off with out a hitch or both men would have lost their lives on account of the strong tide running.

One of his daughters holds the Humane Society Award.

His daughter Margaret writes. “During shore leave in Dublin, Archie met my mother, Annie Josephine Thompson, and they were married at City Quay Church on 28.3.1920. My eldest sister, Eileen Alice, was born in 1922 in Dublin. Sometime between 1922 and 1924, the family moved to Liverpool and requiring a stable environment for the growing family, Archie took a shore-based job and in 1926 was appointed Mate on the m.v.'Perso' (a Shell Mex vessel) thus enabling the family to settle in Liverpool where the rest of his five daughters were born. "

These were Phyllis Clare, 1924; Veronica Mary, 1926; Mary (Pat) Patricia, 1929; Margaret Teresa, 1935.

Archie was promoted to Captain of the Perso in 1937.He plied the Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal refuelling the liners and troop ships using the port throughout the wartime years when Liverpool and its docks in particular were under constant attack.


m.v. Perso

At the beginning of the war, it was thought that Newhaven and the South Coast would be a target for heavy bombing so Archie brought his mother to Liverpool and she lived with the Liverpool Fords for some time. However, Liverpool copped a lot more attention from the enemy and Alice refused to leave her bed for the Anderson shelter in the garden. Eventually she was returned to Newhaven to live with Joe and Lottie. Mark Medford told me of his mother picking up shrapnel on the way to school after the bombings and blackouts.

Annie and Archie with Michael Stevens c 1947

In later life Archie named his bungalow 'Kilronan' after his birthplace. Margaret added "Archie was a keen gardener - a family trait - and also loved his car which he used to take my mother and myself to visit his mother Alice when I was a child. I well remember going to stay with Uncle Joe and Auntie Lottie in Lewes Road who were looking after Alice at that time. "

Eileen's wedding L to R: Margaret Ford, friend, Vera Ford, John Greenham, Eileen Greenham, friend, Phyllis Stevens (nee Ford) 1948

In time his daughters married and had families of their own. Two are still alive today. Eileen married John Price Greenham in 1948 and had 5 children. Phyllis married William Stevens and then James Ireland after his death. All up she had three children. Margaret married John Maguire in 1954 and had 4 children.

Ford sisters

Back left to right Phyllis, Vera, Pat, Margaret 1949

Veronica (Vera) and Patricia both married US servicemen and emigrated to the US. Mark said of his mother. "My mother was working at a local hospital in Warrington when she met my father, an American stationed at Burtonwood RAF Air Base. She broke off her engagement to another gentleman to marry Lester Medford. From what I recall, her father wasn't thrilled about that. I was born at the base hospital in April 1954 and shortly after mom came to New Jersey, USA." Unable to nurse she nurtured her creative side and excelled at Bowling.

Vera married William Lomax and went to live in El Paso, relocating to Ocean Springs Mississippi with Bill after the Korean War. She and Bill had 4 children. It must have taken an enormous amount of courage for a young woman to leave behind her country and her family, to begin life in a new country full of strangers and not much chance of returning home.

Archie and his dog c 1940

Archie stayed in command of the 'Perso' until his retirement. His wife Annie sadly died, in 1952, after suffering a severe stroke which had left her paralyzed down one side and unable to speak for the last two years of her life.

Gwernymynydd, Holywell in North Wales.

The Fords love their cars

Archie re-married in 1955 to Maude Davenport and soon after went to live in Gwernymynydd, Holywell in North Wales. However, he became ill and died at Wrexham. The death certificate shows that he died of the same cause as his mother, Alice - carcinoma of head of pancreas on 22nd Nov 1957. He was 61 years old.

He was the subject of a photo taken by a famous photographer, E. Chambre Hardman, which was exhibited at the National Photographic Exhibition in Manchester in 1934. It was captioned 'Man of the Sea' and subsequently won many prizes and was exhibited around the world and in newspapers and journals! Archie was photographed in his working overalls while bunkering or refuelling the fuel containers of a ship.

"A Man of the Sea" by E. Chambre Hardman 1934

Interesting the "Sydney" Fords held a copy of a newspaper shot of this photo but after Sid's death we couldn't attribute it to the correct seafaring brother.