Category Archives: Mansel family

Form of Certificate and Declaration for the Navy Pension List

Posted on September 19, 2022 | 1 comment

I recently discovered a collection of paperwork relating to an application for a Navy pension written by Captain Thomas Mansel RN to the Secretary of the Admiralty on the 20th March 1846. I can’t believe these survived, tucked away at The National Archives and were catalogued. I was able to pay for the records to be scanned.

There was a Form of Certificate and Declaration required for placing the widow of an Officer of the Royal Navy on the Pension List. This was completed for Elizabeth Leigh, wife of Benjamin Leigh who had been a Retired Commander in the Royal Navy. The certificate was signed by Captain Mansel RN, William Harrison Vicar of Fareham and James xxx, Church Warden.

Captain Mansel was related to Elizabeth Leigh by marriage, he married their daughter Selina Fleming Leigh in 1828.

As well as the certificate were two pages of hand-written letter. It is always exciting to discover a hand-written letter and this one contained something else, a new address! I wasn’t aware that Captain Mansel ever lived in Devonport but he wrote the letter from 19 Tamar Terrace, Stoke, Devonport. I think the address still exists although it has been re-named. The paperwork also refers to his address in Fareham so this must have been a temporary residence.

I am looking forward to transcribing the letter when I have a moment. The signature matches that on the signed photo I have of him.

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Posted in Leigh family, Mansel family, Royal Navy

Official warrant and commission documents from the Admiralty

Posted on August 7, 2022 | Leave a comment

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]

 

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Posted in Mansel family, Royal Navy, Young family

Searching the collections of Royal Museums Greenwich

Posted on July 24, 2022 | Leave a comment

A few days ago I decided to google some names I was researching. Years ago I found a record of Alfred Young’s marriage in Ireland. Stupidly I failed to take a copy of the record and cannot find it online any more. I am trying to be more careful and make copies and scans of all my records to keep them safe.

I love the fact there are still so many records to be found! I was lucky and found more records by searching the collections of Royal Museums Greenwich. There I found ADL/Z/19:

Commissions of Staff Cdr Henry Harper, Capt Thomas Mansel and Lt Alfred Young, and other documents.

Commissions and appointments of Staff Cdr Henry Harper, 4 Dec 1843-16 Feb 1865; Commission of Capt Thomas Mansel (1783-1869), 12 Feb 1834; Commission of Lt Alfred Young, 1 Jul 1858; Letter from Henry Elliott, War Office, to Mrs Macdermott of Fitzroy Square regarding a compassionate allowance, 14 Aug 1815; Printed programme and poem relating to the Spithead Naval Review in honour of the Sultan of Turkey, 17 Jul 1867; ‘The Military and Naval Medal Magazine’, Vol 1 No 1, Oct 1895.
I am interested in the records relating to Thomas Mansel and Alfred Young, whom I’m directly related to. I’m also intrigued by the name Henry Harper, as this is the name given to my grandfather, the grandson of Alfred Young. I always wondered where it came from and it looks like I might find out.
I have contacted the Royal Museums Greenwich and am hoping I can purchase a scan of the records they hold, or try and visit in person. You can search their collections by archive, objects or their library.

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Posted in Mansel family, Young family

Thomas Mansel – Naval General Service Medal

Posted on July 20, 2022 | 1 comment

I only have one photograph of Thomas Mansel but in it he wears a medal. He had a good naval career so I was interested in exploring what the medal was issued for.

I searched the Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972 on Ancestry and discovered a record of him:

(ADM 171) Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840
First Lieutenants or Commanders promoted; other claims for the Algiers, Navarino and Acre clasps.

Copenhagen 1801
Name of claimant Thomas Mansel
Name of ship Elephant
Date ” ”
Result ” ”
Captain’s name Sir J.B. Thompson
Rating at time of action Midshipman

The Battle of Copenhagen was a naval battle in which a British fleet fought and defeated a smaller force of the Dano-Norwegian Navy anchored near Copenhagen on 2nd April 1801. The battle came about over British fears that the powerful Danish fleet would ally with France, and a breakdown in diplomatic communications on both sides.

HMS Elephant was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy.  In 1801 Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson chose Elephant as his flagship during the Battle of Copenhagen due to its suitability for the shallow waters there.

Thomas Mansel was on board the Elephant which was badly damaged in the battle and ran aground.

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Posted in Mansel family

Admiral Mansel (photograph)

Posted on November 7, 2012 | 4 comments

My creative writing course is going really well although I am struggling to fit in the work around normal life. One of our latest exercises has been writing captions for photographs. I thought this would make great posts as I love sharing my family photographs.

Description 

Black and white portrait card of Admiral Mansel seated at a chair holding a walking stick in his right hand and papers in his left. He wears a suit, is white haired with a beard and ancient. The card is signed in ink.

Caption for picture

Black and white portrait card of Admiral Mansel in old age. Thomas Mansel (1783-1869) was the 7th of 11 children of Sir William Mansel, Baronet. He entered the Navy in 1798, he served under Lord Nelson at the battle of Copenhagen, and travelled to every quarter of the globe.

Comments

I adore this photograph as I have many of this type but all un-named except this one and one of his son. I like to think he was a very grand man as this photograph is so serious but I’ll never know!

 

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Posted in Mansel family, Royal Navy

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How googling is great for family history

Posted on June 23, 2012 | 1 comment

Although I started my family history research years ago I’m amazed how often I find new results from a quick google of an evening. Sometimes I’ll look at my MacFamilyTree programme to spot any missing entries for marriages or deaths.

Sometimes I think I have all the facts  when there are actually glaring omissions I really should have established at the beginning of my research.

I have a son of a Baronet who was also a member of the Royal Navy in my tree who I can often find information about – Thomas Mansel (1783-1869). However I just realised I had never discovered the date of his marriage to Selina Fleming Leigh.

I turned to google this evening and after trawling through a couple of pages of results I found an entry for Thomas Mansel and Selina Leigh at St James, Birdham, Sussex on the 28th June 1827. I never knew they had a connection to Birdham so that was interesting to discover. The information came from a transcription of the Birdham St James Marriage Register (page 17, entry 49). There weren’t as many details as usually found on a marriage certificate but there was the following:

Thomas Mansel bachelor living in Birdham

Selena Flemming Leigh spinster living in Birdham

Conducted by William Miller

Type Licence

no details for name or occupation of either father

Witnesses William Lush and Catherine Elizabeth Mansel

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Posted in Leigh family, MacFamilyTree, Mansel family, Royal Navy, wedding

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