HMS Captain 1870         

Information and Memories from Descendants (cont)

Robert Herd, Able Seaman

Robert’s own story, given to a newspaper, is reprinted in the Survivors section. His great-great-granddaughter has researched his life and career, summarised as follows –

Robert Herd was born in Dunny Cove, Cork, Ireland in 1848, to Robert snr and Catherina O’Connell. Originally from Aberdeen, Scotland. Robert snr was a seaman himself, and known to have worked for many years in the Coast Guard service from several ports in Ireland, and eventually retiring from HMS Vanguard in 1873.

Robert jnr was the oldest of three brothers, all born in Ireland. As yet no record has been found indicating when his family moved to England. Naval records show an undated declaration by Robert’s parents stating “We hereby consent to our son Robert Herd entering HM Navy, and remaining in HM Royal Navy for ten years after he reaches the age of 10 years. Signed Robert Herd, Father (and) Catherine Herd, Mother” This clearly dates from before he was 10 years old, but we do not know whether this was signed as a pledge and he went to the navy when tuned 10 and did odd jobs, but only went aboard a ship only when he was 14 years old. After signing up in 1862 for ten years, by 1866 he had extended this to ten years (from 1866); a further ten years from 1876; and a further five years from 1886.

His naval record prior to the HMS Captain disaster was as follows -

Post-HMS Captain Naval career – just five weeks after the capsizing of HMS Captain, Robert was reassigned to another brand new ship, and in his subsequent career he served on many ships they being of all shapes and sizes and with various roles in the fleet.

Robert married Julia Geary (in 1872), a local widow; she and her late husband were also Irish, and had had three children. With Robert she produced three further children – Catherine, Mary, Robert and Richard.

He served on HMS Ruby for two months in the spring of 1889. HMS Ruby had just come back from three years serving on the east coast of America, so was possibly undertaking maintenance in Devonport. It may be that he was injured on this ship, because he was back for a very brief stay on HMS Royal Adelaide before being invalided out of the Royal Navy in April 1889.

The highest rank he had achieved was Chief Boatswain’s Mate, which I believe is just higher than Petty Officer; his naval records show his character as varying between “Very good” and “Exemplary”.

Second marriage – We do not yet know what happened to first wife Julia, but Robert re-married in 1889, to Annie Banks (or possibly MacDonald from her first marriage), originally born in Waltham Abbey, Essex, in 1858. Although not found in the 1891 census, they do appear in the 1901 census (at Liverpool Street, Canning Town/West Ham). In this census they have four children – Charles, born c. 1884 in London, not Devon (it is possible that he is the product of her earlier marriage, particularly bearing in mind the gap to the next child. Alternatively, it could have been Julia’s last child before she died.); Ellen, born 1890; Henry, born 1892; and Florence, born c. 1894.

Lock-keeping on the River Thames - before going back to sea, however, Robert spent a few years as a lock keeper on the River Thames at Oxford. He  was at Osney Lock, Oxford, at least as early as January 1892 when Henry was born at nearby Sunbury; in 1893 records show that he was awarded a Bronze Clasp when “At great personal risk (he) rescued Joseph Lee from drowning in the Thames at Osney Lock, on the 16^th July 1893”. He was still at Osney in 1894 when Florence was born.

Some confusion here at the moment, for Florence’s birth certificate shows her father as “Robert Herd, Instructor of Seamanship on HMS Conway, Birkenhead (shorebased), although born at Osney Lock.

Merchant Navy Service - I have seaman’s records which show, after being invalided out, that he was looking for a position thereafter, although the references he applied for early on may have been to get him the job as lock-keeper. One reference dated December 1889 is from a captain on the Nile Expedition, Captain Boardman, whilst another dated November 1889 is from Captain Henry Rawson, who had been captain of both HMS Alexandria and HMS Indus. Interestingly, Henry Rawson in an undated but much later reference (on State Government, Sidney, letterhead), refers to him being on the Morayshire for many years – Morayshire is not on his Royal Navy record and with no “HMS”, it suggests he went back to sea on a merchant ship. Later records in fact show him working on further merchant ships – Valetta (in 1894), Rome (1895) and Star of England (1900). His being in South Africa in 1903 when he died in his 50s could be that he was still employed and passing through.

Sad that he died without his family, though, despite his son living in the same country. I like to think they might have `caught up’ at some stage previously.

Gaye Grieve – great-great-granddaughter (New Zealand)