HMS Captain 1870         

The Story of HMS Captain (cont)

(Photo thanks to Carole Hollow)

List of main party of Survivors

These survived together in a launch that floated free from Captain as she sank.

This photo is a copy of an original, but its appearance in publications is accompanied by variations in the actual names and sometimes their spelling. The following identification is taken from the copy of the photo reproduced in Arthur Hawkey's book ("Identified from named photographs in the National Maritime Museum"), and as the names tie up exactly with the list of actual survivors produced in James May's publication, this seems to be the most accurate identification.

Some of the survivors (May, Merriman, Gribble and Walker) wrote or had written for them their own stories of their ordeal, and this is indicated against their name. Others were quoted in the Guardian on 14th September, and these are collected on the linked page, again as indicated.

Back row - 

James Harvey - 2nd Captain of the Foretop - (aged 29)

Robert Herd* - Able Seaman - (24) (newspaper story); (Descendants Memories)

Thomas Kernan - Ordinary Seaman - (21)

Lewis Werry - Captain of the Foretop - (28) - according to Merryman, in 1896 was living in Plymouth; possibly the longest living survivor. (newspaper story)

George Bride - Coxwain of the pinnace - (34) (newspaper story)

Middle row - 

Francis Merryman - Boy 1st Class - (18) - served in the navy until December 1871; settled in Atherton, Greater Manchester (see story in this section)

Robert Tomlinson - Ordinary Seaman - (19) (newspaper story)

James Ellis - Gunner's mate - (29) - according to his great-grandson, never went to sea again; died c. 1925 (see under Descendants' Memories and story in this section)           

James May - Gunner - (aged 36) - according to Merryman, became Harbour Master at Gravesend under the Thames Conservancy. (see story in this section)                       

William Lawrence - Able Seaman - (20)

Henry Grange - Ordinary Seaman - (20) (newspaper story)

David Dryburgh - Able Seaman - (26) (newspaper story)

Front row -

James Saunders - Boy 1st Class - (17)

John Heard* - Able Seaman - (24) (newspaper story)

Charles Tregenna - Leading Seaman - (26) - according to Merryman, in 1896 was living in Bangor in North Wales. (newspaper story)

John Walker - Able Seaman - (26) - settled in New Zealand in the early 1870s, working in the logging industry (see story under this section)

James Freeman - Ordinary Seaman - (23) (newspaper story)

John Gribble - Boy 1st Class - (17) (see under Descendants' Memories, and story later in this section)

* The descendants of Robert Herd have suggested that the naming of Robert Herd and John Heard may be transposed. The information comes from Gaye Grieve (see Descendants Memories for Robert Herd) who confirms that the back of her copy of this photograph has an inscription written in 1953 by R J Herd, son of Robert, which says "(Able Seaman) the late Robert Herd, 2nd on right, front row, facing photo."

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