Category Archives: Young family

My family history discovery

Last night I was very excited to email my mum to tell her about my latest family history discovery. Although I am supposed to be concentrating on downloading all my certificates and documents from Ancestry for some reason I have gone completely off track this week.

I signed up to a 7-day free trial of Find My Past in the hope I could find the marriage of my paternal great-grandparents, Mansel Young and Catherine Carroll. The site has changed a lot since I last logged in, and it feels more like Ancestry.

Anyway, I filled in a basic tree and it gave me a hint for my grandfather Henry Young during the First World War. I had always assumed that he was too young to serve in the War and I assumed that the ‘On War Service’ badge which came to me on the death of my grandmother may have belonged to him.

Henry Harper Young

Henry Young was a common name at the time but I thought I would click through the suggested First World War service records. Imagine my surprise when I saw a record for Henry Young living in Woodland Street, Portsmouth, the very same street the family were living in at the time of the 1901 census! The records were from the Burnt Records series, so very few survived – they give a great deal of information which I would dearly love to know about his brother, Alfred Young.

I carried on reading through the documents but found the age was a year out (age 19 in 1915). However, the occupation was given as outfitter at Read & Co, Osborne Road, Portsmouth which seemed familiar to me.

I did a little more digging and fact checking:

  • I checked his date of birth against the birth certificate I have – he was born 8th June 1897 so would have been 18 when he enlisted on 23rd October 1915. On 16th October the Derby scheme had come into effect, giving men their last chance to enlist voluntarily. He signed up a week later.
  • I checked the address he gave as 4 Woodland Street Portsmouth. In the 1901 census the family lived at 2 Woodland Cottage, Woodland Street at the time of the 1901 census,  13 Woodland Street on the 1911 census, 4 Woodland Street is listed in the 1921 Rate Book for Portsmouth. It seems the family moved around the same street over a period of at least 20 years.
  • I checked his occupation and found his occupation at the time of the 1911 census was errand boy for a milliners,  by the time of the 1921 census he put his occupation as tailor’s assistant at Read & Company, Portsmouth (out of work).
  • For some reason he had completed the 1911 census return and signed it, so I was also able to check his signature on the census return matched the one on the Statement to Disability form.

 

Then I dug out the few photos I have of my grandfather as a young man and noticed he was wearing uniform. There are only 2 photos of him, and one of his brother, I assumed they were of the same person. Although the uniform is standard now I can see that the cap badges look different.

Anyway I wrote and told my mum this and she pinged me straight back as she already knew this, and thought I knew it too!

We don’t have anything about his war service, his medals are no longer around and my mum thinks my grandmother may have given these away at some point.

So, I guess my point is never to assume anything because you are probably wrong, and also use as many documents as you have to cross check facts.

Royal School for Naval and Marine Officers’ Daughters

I did a little more digging into The Royal Naval Female School  which was founded in 1840 on Richmond Green as a boarding school for the orphaned daughters of Navy officers. In 1857 it moved to St Margaret’s House, between the Thames and Kilmorey Road, which was then part of Isleworth. In 1941, St Margaret’s House was damaged by bombing and the school moved to Haslemere. In 1995 it merged with the Grove School and became the Royal School, catering for girls and boys.

I found Blanche Young was a scholar there from the 1871 census. The school was founded to educate the daughters of Naval officers to earn a living. Blanche Youngs’ father had died in 1861 when she was only 5 years old. She had an older brother and sister as well as a younger sister. I wonder how her mother felt at sending her away from home?

At the time of the 1871 census The Royal Naval Female School was based at St Margaret’s House, between the Thames and Kilmorey Road. I had a look on Google Streetview but today there are only modern buildings there now.

I checked to see if her perhaps brother had been sent to The Naval School for Boys as I have been unable to find him on the 1871 census, but sadly he wasn’t there.

Hounslow Local Studies Service holds a register of subscriptions and fees (1868-1875), as well as other information relating to the school. Something else added to my do list for a rainy day 🙂

Matthew Young RN

I was able to find some more records relating to Matthew Young from the British Royal Navy & Royal Marines Service And Pension Records, 1704-1919, currently free to access at Find My Past.

His name appears in the list of examinations on 26th March 1817

His name appears in the list of examinations on 18th December 1827

His name appears in the list of examinations on 24th November 1834

His name also appears in a list with the word ‘pensioned’ in November 1834 at the age of 42 after 20 years service (meaning he joined the Royal Navy around 1814.

These records don’t quite tie up with his career as published in the British Naval Biographical Dictionary, 1849, so I will need to do more research.

 

Memorandum of the Services of Matthew Young

I recently received a couple of documents I paid to be scanned at the National Archives. I had actually completely forgotten I had ordered them so was pleasantly surprised to find the scans in my TNA account.

Memorandum of the Services of Matthew Young

The first document was a Memorandum of the Services of Matthew Young. This is a really interesting document detailing the career of Matthew Young, from June 1798. The cursive writing is beautiful but a little hard to decipher – it may have been submitted by him.

I think he started as a supernumerary, before becoming midshipman and lieutenant. “Captured in 1807 when in charge of a Danish East India ship and detained as a prisoner of war until 1814. From the severe treatment I received when captured, the loss of every thing I possessed, my journals, certificates and has rendered me incapable of giving a proper correct statement of my services.”

Official warrant and commission documents from the Admiralty

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I have discovered some records relating to my ancestors held by the Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. I was able to pay for these records to be scanned and they were sent to me last week.

Within ADL/2/19 there were four records – two relating to Henry Harper who I am related to by marriage, one for Thomas Mansel and one for Alfred Young. I have transcribed the ones relating to my ancestors and they are official warrant and commission documents from the Admiralty.

ADL/2/19 Thomas Mansel

By the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

To Thomas Mansel Esq. hereby appointed Captain of His Majesty’s Ship Royal William

By virtue of the power and authority to us given we do hereby constitute and appoint you Captain of His Majesty’s Ship the Royal William willing and requiring you forthwith to go on board and take upon you the charge and command of Captain in her accordingly, Strictly Charging and Commanding all the Officers and Company of the said ship to behave themselves jointly and severally in their respective Employments, with all due Respect and Obedience unto you their said Captain and you likewise to observe and execute the General Printed Instructions and such Orders and Directions as you shall from time to time receive from us or any other your Superior Officers for His Majesty’s Service.

Hereof nor you nor any of you may fail as you will answer the Contrary at your Peril. And for so doing this shall be your Warrant. Given under our hands and the Seal of the Office of Admiralty this twelfth day of February 1834. In the Fourth Year of His Majesty’s Reign.

By Command of their Lordships ….

ADL/2/19 Alfred Young

By the Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

To Lieutenant Alfred Young hereby appointed Lieutenant of Her Majesty’s Ship the St Vincent

By virtue of the Power and Authority to us given We do hereby constitute and appoint you Lieutenant of Her Majesty’s Ship St Vincent Willing and requiring you forthwith to go on board and take upon you the Charge and Command of Lieutenant in her accordingly, Strictly Charging and Commanding all the Officers and Company belonging to the said ship subordinate to you to behave themselves jointly and severally in their respective Employments with all due Respect and Obedience unto you their said Lieutenant. And you likewise to observe and execute as well the General printed Instructions and such Orders and Directions you shall from time to time receive from your Captain or any other your superior Officers for Her Majesty’s service.

Hereof nor you nor any of you may fail as you will answer the contrary at your peril. And for so doing this shall be your Commission. Given under our hands and the Seal of the Office of Admiralty this First day of July 1858 in the Twenty Second Year of Her Majesty’s Reign.

By Command of their Lordships ….

Seniority 7 March 1842

For Service in Ordinary [illegible]

 

Coastguards of Ireland 1850s

I have a few ancestors who were in the Royal Navy, and joined the Coastguard towards the end of their careers. Perhaps this kind of job was more compatible to family life?

My grand father was called Henry Harper and I was always intrigued what inspired this name. Sometimes a mothers maiden name was used as a middle name and I thought this might be the case.

Coastguards of Ireland 1850s

However I recently came across a Henry Harper who was a coastguard in Ireland in the 1850’s and he is connected to a branch of my family via his second wife, Julia Young, who he married on 5th February 1850. Julia Young was the daughter of Matthew Young, Commander RN. At the time Julia young was living in Dunmore.

Henry Harper was the Chief Officer at Ballymacaw Coastguard Station from 1848-1850. Henry died 16th Jan 1870 at Heath Mount, Castletown, Co Cork, a Staff Commander RN, aged 56 (buried at St Andrews Dunmore East).  Julia died 23rd May 1877 at Toureen Terrace, Passage West, County Cork aged 63.

This makes Henry Harper the great-uncle (step-uncle?) of Henry Harper Young. As he was only born in 1895 it seems strange that he was possibly named after him. Perhaps he met his father Mansel Young who was born around 1855 and made a big impression on him?