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| Royal Navy Uniforms c1850 |
John Hardman is a bearer of the naval tradition in our family. During his career (1848 to 1875), he witnessed the transition from sail propulsion to steam-powered screw-driven ships, from wooden hulls to ironclads, and an increasing professionalization of the lower deck. This was an era of technological innovation and changes in naval tactics. He enlisted as a Boy 2nd Class, rose to the rank of Petty Officer, rated as Captain of the Mizzen Top, and ended his career as a Commissioned Boatman in the Coastguard, retiring with a pension.
By way of genealogical orientation, John Hardman is the father of Edith Simmonds Hardman, who married George William Parks, lighterman, killed in his tug by a V1 in 1944. And their daughter Edith Violet Parks is my great grandmother, known to me as Nan mum. I believe this was coined by my father, although she was in fact his mother's mother, but she was certainly my nan's mum. In any case, this makes John Hardman my 3xgreat grandfather.
We have already met John Hardman briefly. Rather than report all the details from there, here follows a summary of census information about him. However, I am still missing his whereabouts in 1841, and if anyone has found this, I would be pleased to know.
1851 Census at High Town, Weobley, Herefordshire.
Household of Elizabeth Maskell, Widow and Grocer
John Hardman U[nmarried] 19 Seaman Royal Navy (Ap[prentice])
Worcesters[hire] Worcester
1861 Census on board HMS Encounter, Yokohama, Japan.
Captain Roderick Dew commanding
John Hardman Captn Miz Top Single 30 Worcester[shire] Worcester
Between this and the next census, the marriage of John Hardman and Amelia Hatt is found at:
BMD Marriage Index Sep1865 Orsett 4a 160
1871 Census at 56 Clarance [sic] Street, Milton near Gravesend, Kent
John Hardman Head Mar 39 Coast Guard Worcester St Swithin
1881 Census at 2 Elliott Street, Milton near Gravesend, Kent
John Hardman Head Mar 49 Pensioner Worcester
1891 Census at 7 Range Road, Denton near Gravesend, Kent
John Hardman Head Mar 59 Labourer at Soap Works Worcester
It looks as though his pension was not going so far by 1891, and he was supplementing the family income with extra work. By 1901 Amelia Hardman is living at 56 Dixon Street, Limehouse, a Widow. There is a entry for a civil death registration for John Hardman, consistent with this location, and with his calculated year of birth:
BMD Death Index Jun1897 Stepney 1c 248 Age:65
The National Archives in Kew has a searchable index of records. The following two records are for our John Hardman. They are ADM139/308/30797, which details his service with the Royal Navy from 7 March 1848 through to Coast Guard service in 1875. This contains two sign-ons (1856 and 1866) for continuous service, plus a sheet accounting his time toward eligibility for a pension; and ADM188/64/75812 with a single sheet showing Coastguard service. His RN service number was 30797, while his Coastguard service number is 75812. All the documents show his place of birth as Worcester, and his date of birth as 13 August 1831. The latter document includes the curious detail of his tattoos for purposes of identification:
Ship, woman & flower vase on right: Crucifix with man & woman on left arm
He is described as 5 feet 4 inches, with black (1856), dark (1866) or brown (1875) hair, and eyes brown (1856) or blue (1866). The description of his complexion changes from "Fair" (1856), to "Ruddy" (1866) and "Dark" (1875) indicating a certain weathering during his time in service! In 1856 and 1866, the documents report no distinguishing marks, while the tattoos are mentioned in 1875, so they may be mementoes obtained toward the end of his service.
Between 1856 and 1866, John Hardman learned, at the very least, to sign his name. Under signature or mark, for his signing up for continuous service in 1856, there is an X. In 1866, he has signed his name.
Having deciphered the handwriting on ADM139/308/30797, and comparing the ships' names against their published records (they can all be found on wikipedia, as can many pictures of them), here is my account of his service. The sign-on sheets detail his past records to that point, and do not always agree on details with the timesheet.
HMS Illustrious (launched 1803 at Rotherhithe)
14 Feb 1848 to 24 Oct 1848 Boy 2nd Class
Launched 1803 at Rotherhothe, HMS Illustrious was a third-rate ship of 74 guns.
By third-rate is meant that she had two gun decks, and between 64 and 80 guns,
which was considered to be a good compromise between power and sailing ability.
After the Napoleonic Wars, HMS Illustrious was laid up in reserve, and although
recommissioned in 1832, was laid up again in 1845. At the time John Hardman
service, HMS Illustrious was a probably a receiving and training ship. She was
finally broken up in 1868.
.jpg) |
| HMS Illustrious (right) |
25 Oct 1848 to 12 Aug 1849 Boy 2nd Class
13 Aug 1849 to 8 Mar 1851 Boy 2nd Class
The service time is broken into two by Hardman's 18th birthday, which starts
the clock for his pension.
HMS Powerful, launched 1826 in Chatham, was an 84-gun Canopus-class
second-rate, with a complement of 635 men, 60 boys, (of which John Hardman
was one) and 150 marines, launched 1826 in Chatham. By the time of John
Hardman's service, she was stationed in the Mediterranean, commanded by
Captain Sir Richard Saunders Dundas. Used as a gunnery target in 1860,
HMS Powerful was finally broken up in 1864.
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| HMS Vengeance another Canopus-class ship |
HMS Prince Regent
9 Mar 1851 to 28 Feb 1852 Boy 1st Class
29 Feb 1852 to 1 Jan 1853 Ordinary Seaman 2nd Class
2 Jan 1853 to 6 Mar 1854 Ordinary Seaman
The service time is broken into three due to promotions. His 1851 Census in
Weobley was at the outset of this service when he was Boy 1st Class, which
the census enumerator recorded as Seaman Royal Navy (Ap).
HMS Prince Regent, launched 1823 in Chatham, was a 120-gun first-rate with
three gun decks of the Caledonia-class. By 1847, she was reduced to 92 guns
on two decks (razeed), and commenced service in the Channel squadron. John
Hardman left the service of this vessel immediately prior to its departure to the
Baltic and participation in the Crimean War. HMS Prince Regent underwent
conversion to screw propulsion in 1861, but never went to sea, and was broken
up in 1873.
HMS Neptune
7 Mar 1854 to 4 Apr 1855 Ordinary Seaman
HMS Neptune, launched 1832 in Portsmouth, was a 120-gun first rate ship, of the
Caledonia-class. John Hardman transferred from HMS Prince Regent to HMS
Neptune at the same time as his commanding officer Captain Frederick Hutton,
and the flag of Rear Admiral Lowry Corry. Until September 1854, HMS Neptune
was stationed in the Baltic. By November, she was off to Malta as a troop
transport, returning to Spithead with invalids from the siege of Sevastopol. John
Hardman left the service of HMS Neptune at Spithead.
She was refitted with screw propulsion in 1861 and sold out of the service in 1875.
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| HMS Neptune from Illustrated News 1854 |
5 Apr 1855 to 6 Mar 1856 Able Seaman
HMS Exmouth, launched 1854 in Devonport, was a 91-gun second-rate of the
Albion-class. She was converted to screw propulsion, retaining her sails, while
being built. John Hardman joined her as soon as she was commissioned under
the command of Captain William King Hall. After service in the Baltic and
Mediterranean, HMS Exmouth returned to Plymouth.
HMS Exmouth remained in service until 1905.
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| HMS Albion, the name-ship of this class |
7 Mar 1856 to 12 Aug 1859 Able Seaman
The first extant sign-on papers for ten-years continuous service begin on HMS
Calcutta, although John Hardman had several years of service behind him by
this time. Up to 1853, sailors signed on for a single engagement, being paid off
at the end the voyage. After 1853, sailors signed up for continuous service, ten
years at a time. This enabled the Royal Navy to retain trained seamen.
HMS Calcutta, launched 1831 in Bombay, was an 84-gun second-rate. For most
of the 1840s until the Crimean War, she was laid up in reserve. John Hardman
followed Captain William King Hall and the flag of Rear Admiral Michael
Seymour from HMS Exmouth. She saw action in the Second Opium War, and
in 1858 became the first ship of the line to visit Japan. In 1865, she was converted
to a gunnery ship in Devonport, and sold to be broken up in 1908.
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| HMS Calcutta and HMS Cambridge, no longer sailing |
HMS Impregnable
13 Aug 1859 to 30 Sep 1859 Able Seaman
HMS Impregnable, launched 1810 in Chatham, was a 98-gun second-rate. By
the 1850s, she was stationed in the reserve at Plymouth. John Hardman stayed
a few weeks before obtaining a foreign station. HMS Impregnable eventually
became a training ship for boys in Scotland, and was broken up in 1906 after
close to a century of service.
HMS Encounter
1 Oct 1859 to 3 Aug 1864 Captain Mizzen Top
His 1861 Census in Yokohama, Japan is from the time of this service.
HMS Encounter, launched 1846 at Pembroke, was a 14-gun sloop, the smallest
of the ships so far, that John Hardman served in. As with HMS Exmouth, HMS
Encounter was a sailing ship, converted to screw propulsion while being built.
From 1852 until 1864 she served in eastern stations off China and the East Indies.
John Hardman served under the command of Captain Roderick Dew, first as
escort for gunboats Bouncer and Snap, then in the Taiping Rebellion, and lastly
visiting Japan. She was broken up 1864 at Devonport.
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| HMS Encounter in China |
HMS Canopus
4 Aug 1864 to 29 Sep 1864 Captain Mizzen Top
HMS Canopus, launched by the French in 1798 as Franklin, and captured at
the Battle of the Nile shortly after, was an 84-gun third-rate of the Tonnant-class.
After a career in the Napoleonic Wars, HMS Canopus saw no action thereafter.
In 1864,when John Hardman joined her, she was being fitted out as a receiving
ship. She was finally broken up in 1887.
.jpg) |
| HMS Canopus |
30 Sep 1864 to 4 Jan 1870 Boatman Coastguard
His second extant sign-on papers are dated 1866 for service on HMS Pembroke.
HMS Pembroke, launched 1812 in Blackwall, was a 74-gun third-rate. By about
1855, she had been converted to a "blockship" or floating battery, with 60 guns,
and fitted with screw propulsion. In 1858, she was transferred to the Coastguard.
During John Hardman's service with her, HMS Pembroke was stationed at Harwich.
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| HMS Pembroke |
HMS Penelope
5 Jan 1870 to 8 Mar 1875 Commissioned Boatman
His 1871 Census in Milton near Gravesend, Kent confirms his occupation
as Coastguard.
HMS Penelope, launched 1867 in Pembroke, was the last small ironclad built
for the Royal Navy. Being armored with iron, she was able to carry only a few
big guns, arranged in a box battery along her main deck. At some point, and this
is where John Hardman may have served in her, HMS Penelope was stationed
in Harwich. His service dates with her are 1 Jan 1873 to 27 Aug 1875 on the
Coastguard record, which exceeds the date specified on his Royal Navy record.
But there is some additional scrawl which I have not yet deciphered.
.jpg) |
| HMS Penelope |
According to Admiralty accounting, up to the 8 March 1875, John Hardman had accrued 25 years 214 days of pensionable service. I haven't checked to see if they were correct. The maximum retirement age for Coastguard was 50 years old. At his retirement on 27 August 1875, he had recently (on the 13th) turned 46. By that time he had three Good Conduct Badges, which were awarded for years of service with exemplary character.
For some of these ships I noticed that there Admiralty records at the National Archive in Kew. These records may contain more information on John Hardman's career, so there is certainly more to find out about him. But for now, I think, this will suffice.
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ReplyDeleteExmouth Boat charters
Experience of Two Sailors
ReplyDeleteIn 1887, two sailors from HMS Penelope in Portsmouth named Robert Martin and Edward Blunden who had just spent money to get drunk come to Berkeley Square complex to rest.
At that time, 50 Berkeley Street has been uninhabited and empty.
Then they had found their way into the basement and broke into it. Upon their break-in they discovered moist ground conditions, so both decided to head upstairs to find a dryer place. Incidentally they chose the building No.50 and slept in the same room once occupied by Warboys.
When entering the room, Blunden who seemed more sober than Martin soon realized that the atmosphere in the room made him uneasy. He said if he felt the presence of “something”. But Martin immediately reassured by opening the bedroom window to let the night wind blows inside. About an hour later, around midnight, Blunden awakened by the sound of creaking door. As he rubbed his eyes, he saw the bedroom door was open and upon wandering to check around, suddenly saw something.
In dim conditions, Blunden saw a strange gray thing creeping slowly on the wooden floor. Along with the creature’s movement, Blunden could hear the friction across the floor, which made him shudder.
Gripped by fear, Blunden ran to wake Martin, who awoke immediately; realizing what was happening in the room. The creature was seen standing in front of them while behind it was the door that was their only hope of escape.
Blunden glanced at the rifle that lay near the window and when he tried to reach for it, the creature suddenly jumped up and extended itself or “landed on the neck” at Blunden. Blunden panicked and began to scream and struggle with the creature. Seeing the opportunity, Martin quickly ran out of the room, down the stairs, out of the building and immediately shouted for help, getting the attention of a policeman who was on patrol. When they returned to the building, they found the room empty, with no sign of Blunden. They began to search the entire building and when they reached the basement, they found Blunden. However, he was lifeless and had been dismembered. On his face was a similar expression of fright as seen at the death of Sir Robert Warboys; Blunden’s face showed an expression of profound fear.
In another version, Blunden was not killed in the basement, but was killed by a fall from the window due to fear.