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 Edmund Russell - 1881 and family
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| Cecelia |
Posted on 10/01/2009 17:01
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 New Member  Posts: 3 Joined: 13/11/2008 |
I am interested in Edmund Russell who was my great grandfather. I knew nothing about him until late last year - not even that he had been a Coastguard, just a vague childish memory that he was something to do with lighthouses. I had started out in October trying to find out where my paternal grandfather James Russell had been born. His last surviving child and my uncle Charles, thought he had been born in Dawlish, Devon in about 1881. I searched the 1881 Census returns for that place and to my great surprise came across Edmund Russell aged 37 and his wife Catherine aged 34 and three children, Edmund aged 7, William aged 5, Mary-Ellen aged 3 and John aged just one. This was definitely my grandfather's sister and brothers. There were other children namely James (my grandfather|) Charles, Hannah, Francis and either Petula or Margaret (known in the family as Aunty Pet - I met her when I was 18, many years ago now). I knew Mary-Ellen very well and visited her weekly as a child. Francis and Hannah and Charles also). We all lived in Cobh, (formerly Queenstown) . The 1881`Census showed their father Edmund as being a Coastguard. I finally came across this wonderful site and through one of the articles was able to trawl through some of the ADM numbers for various years and found Edmund and his wife and children (the children born in Budleigh Salterton, although there was no record obviously of the other children. Both Edmund and his wife Catherine were both born in Ireland as were the two older children. I have never heard of John and he has never been mentioned . Did he die in childhood maybe. Also I am wondering if William born in 1876 also entered the Coastguard Service - I have a vague memory of being told that Mary-Ellen may have acted as his housekeeper, or it may have been he was in the Royal Navy . This also brings to mind a uniform kept in a trunk in the loft of the family home complete with what I believe might have been a sword - perhaps it was a dress uniform - which belonged to either Edmund the father or William the son. I wonder whether among your many members, someone might have the information I am looking for. I was in England at the beginning of December having intended to go to the National Archives, unfortunately I was taken ill and had to return home to Aberdeen immediately. Any information at all would be most welcome. |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 10/01/2009 19:09
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 Administrator  Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Cecelia and welcome to the Forum. You mention that you have trawled through some of the ADM series, but I was wondering if you had downloaded Edmund's service record from the NA website (link below). http://www.nation...ultcount=1 There is also a service record for a William Russell, born 17 May 1876 Queenstown, could this be your man? http://www.nation...tcount=152 Perhaps you could detail what additional information you are after from the ADM series, as I might be able to help. Since he appears to have served in England have you also tried the 1891 & 1901 census's? Regards Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 10/01/2009 19:19 |
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| Cecelia |
Posted on 10/01/2009 23:17
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New Member Posts: 3 Joined: 13/11/2008 |
Hello Martin, Thank you so much for your prompt message. I am so impressed by your knowledge! Any information I had was really sketchy, you have, however, confirmed what I had thought about the son of Edmund. I started out with the information that my Great grandfather was called Charles. My mother's eldest brother was called Edmund and somehow I had a feeling that that name was a family name. I really am very new to the modern world of computers and am somewhat frightened of it. However, here goes. I haven't trawled through all the ADM series, although I did look at the 1891 Census to see if I could track them down, but unfortunately there was no sign of him or his family. I assumed therefore that he had been posted elsewhere. I had hoped, as I said in my message, to have visited the Archives in Kew but I had only the information from the 1881 Census to go with. I saw that Edmund Russell was listed as a "commissioned boatman" - what was this? Where did he go after East Devon? Did he go back to Ireland with his family. Where were the other children born, i.e. James, Charles, Hannah, Margaret or Petula and Francis? As far as William is concerned, it was purely a hunch that he had been in the Coastguard Service - my memory is not as good as it used to be,however, I remember my mother telling me that Mary-Ellen had travelled around with him and was his housekeeper by all accounts. I recall many childhood conversations with my Aunt Mary-Ellen, she was a very clever lady who together with her husband ran a Post Office in Cobh (formerly Queenstown), she often helped me with my homework - she was a whizz at maths for sure. I have in the last few days spoken to Charles, my mother's brother who doesn't remember his grandparents Edmund and Catherine at all. He is 79 and was away at boarding school for most of his school years and he can't remember - they are just shadowy figures to him. Is it possible to look at his records online. My final question relates to my Grandfather James, to whom I was very close, he died in 1956, I spent many hours with him in his latter years and we spoke about many things but for some reason I never asked about family or what he did when he was a young man, perhaps I thought to question him would be considered impertinent in those days , more especially in Ireland! I hope in the not too distant future to find out more about him it will take time and infinite patience I have no doubt.l Thanks again, regards. |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 11/01/2009 08:18
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Cecelia I'm pleased that the information provided was of some help. Unless these two service records provided details of the CG Stations both men served at, I'm afraid you will have a problem using the ADM 175 series of documents. The CG Establishment Books and Service Records for roughly the period 1876-1900 are missing, which makes the RN service records about the only way I know of to find where a man was stationed during this period. I am aware from the CG Research Guide from the NA that there are details of CG Pensions Records that cover this period. However, these are only available at the NA, and I've never tried using them, so do not know how helpful they are. If you have been unable to find Edmund in the 1891 Census, it is possible that he returned to Ireland. Tony might be able to advise what census data is available for Ireland and how this can be accessed. On the question of 'Commissioned Boatman', this was the rank above 'Boatman' and was equivalent to a 'Petty Officer' in the Royal Navy. All the very best. Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 11/01/2009 08:25 |
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| Cecelia |
Posted on 14/01/2009 21:54
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New Member Posts: 3 Joined: 13/11/2008 |
Hello Martin, Thanks for your last message (11th Jan).I will contact Tony as you suggest - by the way William born Queenstown 1876 is the man I was looking for. Regards, Cecelia |
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| Angelaritchie |
Posted on 03/07/2011 03:30
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New Member Posts: 1 Joined: 03/07/2011 |
I have read your thread and I believe my grandmother is related to the Russell's you are researching. My grandmother Kathleen is living in Canada, and is the daughter of Bridget Russell. Bridget was the daughter of Edmund Russell and Catherine McGowan of county Cork. Bridget was born in 1886. I am hoping we are researching the same family. I look forward to hearing from you. Angela Merged on 26/07/2011 20:18:50: I am still hoping to contact Cecelia through this forum. I have come to learn that Auntie Pet was Bridget Russell. Apparently she did not like her name and called herself that instead. Please contact me. Looking forward to connecting. Edited by Angelaritchie on 26/07/2011 20:18 |
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| Shiv |
Posted on 02/03/2012 17:41
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New Member Posts: 1 Joined: 02/03/2012 |
Hi, Angela, I too am researching my family history Ellen Russell was my grandmother. Cecilia spoke about Edmund Russell - he was Ellen's father and he was a coastguard based in Budleigh Salterton in Devon, where Ellen was born - they did return to Cobh (Queenstown) where Ellen married David Twomey. Hope to hear from you with any info about your relatives. Shiv Siobhan Charles
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