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 Cornelius Driscoll
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| SIMON BRYANT |
Posted on 12/12/2009 19:41
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 New Member  Posts: 8 Joined: 18/07/2009 |
My grandfather John Stevens was a coastguard in Ireland He served first at Rock island/Crookhaven,later at Castletownbere and Lawrence Cove and later still at Kilcredane He married in 1869 a coastguards daughter called Mary Driscoll ,father's name was Cornelius Driscoll and I believe he served at Crookhaven. He could have been born about 1823 as I found a Cornelius Driscoll in the 1841 census at Woolwich, born Ireland. There seems to have been a strong link between the port of Passage at Cork and the RN Dockyard at Woolwich. Has anyone any info please. Simon Bryant |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 12/12/2009 21:42
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 Administrator  Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Simon welcome to the Forum. We start with a slight problem, in 1841 there were two Cornelius Driscolls', both CGs, and both stationed in England! However, one does not appear to have left England during his entire career, so I'm inclined to discount him - although he did have a daughter named Mary, but she appears to have married a man named Donovan (source GENUKI CG website). So if we assume the second is your Cornelius, below is his career path: Nominated to the CG service from the Brig-sloop HMS Trinculo on 7 Sept 1836, with a first posting to Selsea Bill from where he was removed on 2 March 1837 to Thorney. He did not remain at this station long, because on 20 July he was transferred to Littlehampton. On the 18 March 1839 he was again transferred, this time to St Albans Head, and then on 3 September 1840 to Stokes Bay, Hampshire. On the 21 April 1843 he was removed from Stokes Bay to his first posting in Ireland, and the CG Station at Castletownsend, from where he was again removed, on 19 March 1849, to Baltimore. He remained at this station for some time, but on 9 Sept 1854 he was transferred back to Castletownsend. His next move was on 9 Sept 1859, and a transfer to Glendore (Union Hall) - then on 27 September it was back to Castletownsend, but this time with a promotion to Commissioned Boatman. Unfortunately due to a 'Neglect of Duty' he was removed to Lettermore, Galway on 7 April 1862. However, I need a little longer to trace is career further. I am not entirely sure, because the medal roll is rather difficult to read and I have not yet researched this particular ship, but I think Cornelius re entered the Navy during the Crimean War, serving on HMS Duke of Wellington. If I'm right, he would have received the Baltic Medal. Regards Martin |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 13/12/2009 08:49
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Simon There appears to be a gap in the records, because I have been unable to establish CD's movements between 1862 and 1868. However, the CG Station at Lettermore was abolished in early Sept 1867, so he must have moved prior to this date. I next found him at Crookhaven on 31 August 1868, which ties in nicely with the information you have. It was from here on the 15 Oct 1869 that he was pensioned. He was still rated a Commissioned Boatman, with 3 Good Conduct Badges, and was a 'Trained Man'. What is good about the later CG records is that they provide a place and date of birth. DC gave his birthday as 17 June 1811, an as having been born in Kinsale. Regards Martin |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 14/12/2009 08:56
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Simon I was niggled as to why I could note find Cornelius on the 1841 Census. I know that people were missed, but I felt a CG official should be recorded somewhere. Knowing that Driscoll was stationed in Hampshire in 1841, I searched the census for anyone with the christian name 'Cornelius', then living in Hampshire. From this I found a Drisde/Drisdale, Coast Guard born Ireland around 1811, at Alverstoke; this man was serving with an Edward Pilcher a CG at the same station. So by going back to the Stokes Bay CG Establishment Book I found that Cornelius and Pilcher both served together in 1841, and that no man with a similar name was stationed there. I am therefore inclined to think that Drisde/Drisdale and Driscoll are one and the same man. From the census Driscoll's wife was Mary (1821), with the following children John (1837), Ann (1839) & Cornelius (1840), none of whom were born in Hampshire. Now if you were prepared to take a small gamble, the birth of a Cornelius Driskoll was registered in Alverstoke, April-June 1841, Vol 7, page 271. I believe this to be the youngest son, and if you were to order this Birth Certificate my hunch may be confirmed. Regards Martin |
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| SIMON BRYANT |
Posted on 14/12/2009 14:19
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 18/07/2009 |
Hi Martin Thanks you have been busy! I am not sure that we are on the right track yet as I have a death cert for Cornelius as follows Cornelius O'Driscoll died at Kinsale May 30th 1893, married, age 70 yrs.,Coast Guard Pensioner Mary Stevens daughter present at death That makes a birth date around 1823 The name Driscoll and O'Driscoll seem to be inter changeable in the family. Perhaps there is a third man? |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 14/12/2009 17:44
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Simon I have to say that I always treat ages with a pinch of salt. In a time when it was still common for a man/woman not to be able to read or write, the chances of getting an age right remains slim. If your John Stevens was born on 1 May 1842, in Glasgow, then I believe I have the right man. I say this because a John Stevens joined the CG Station at Crookhaven as a Boatman on 13 October 1868, exactly when Cornelius was stationed there as Commissioned Boatman. This could be the occasion when Stevens met his future wife! This was also Stevens first posting, having previously served on HMS Duke of Wellington. Regards Martin |
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| aussienoel |
Posted on 15/12/2009 09:33
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Member  Posts: 30 Joined: 31/08/2009 |
It may help that my interpretation of the 1841 census entry for Cornelius of Alverstoke is that the surname is written "DRISCLE." I also found the birth of an Anne DRISKALL registered in the December qtr of 1838 in the Worthing registration district, which covers Littlehampton, and this corresponds to the Ann DRISCLE aged 2 shown in the census. So this does appear to be the family of the man Martin found as entering the CG in 1836. The age of Cornelius senior is shown as 30, which means he was between 30 and 34 i.e. born between 1806 and 1810 or thereabouts. Even given the somewhat rubbery ages that family historians encounter, this seems to me to be almost too far away from a birth year of c. 1823 indicated by the death certificate. However, it is close to the age given by Cornelius born 1811 in Kinsale. My guess is that Cornelius' wife Mary was English, possibly from Sussex. The sixth member of the houshold, Ann, aged 40, transcribed by both ancestry and findmypast as Ann REEVE, was (edit) possibly (end edit) Cornelius' sister-in-law (edit) there to assist with the new-born Cornelius junior, who I suspect was aged 1 month and not one year. Either of the birth certificates for Anne DRISKALL or Cornelius junior would confirm their mother's maiden name. (end edit) Noel Edited by aussienoel on 15/12/2009 22:30 |
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| SIMON BRYANT |
Posted on 15/12/2009 16:40
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 18/07/2009 |
Thanks both It seems that CD was born in 1811 in Kinsale Co. Cork. I suspect he joined the RN at about the age of 15 or 16 and served for 10yrs. He joined the Coastguard in 1836 in Hampshire where he likely married Mary around 1836. Children John b1837,Ann b1839,Cornelius b1841 . In 1843 transferred to CG in Ireland Further children Ellen b about 1847 and Mary b 1851 By 1868 CD was at Crookhaven where Mary then 18 married John Stevens. It seems that when CD was pensioned that John Stevens took his place. I should like to update my file on this part of the family and send it to you as an email attachment.How can I do this? Simon |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 15/12/2009 18:22
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Simon The simplest thing would be to send any file to my private email address, this can be accessed by clicking-on my user name on any post. You may already have this information, but John Stevens signed on for Continuious Service in the RN, with the Service Number CS38183. These early service records are not yet available online, but can be ordered via the National Archives from the ADM 139 series of Documents. I'm glad we finally managed to convince you that this Cornelius was your man  , and perhaps have now opened up other avenues of research.Regards Martin |
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| aussienoel |
Posted on 16/12/2009 06:25
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Member Posts: 30 Joined: 31/08/2009 |
Simon, be aware that before 1853 the Royal Navy employed ratings on a hire-and-fire basis and that continuous service was not introduced until 1853. A rating would volunteer for the navy; if accepted he would be taken into a "receiving ship" to await drafting to his first ship, and once he had "entered" this ship he would normally serve on her until she was "paid off" at the end of her commission. A rating then had to look for another ship, either in the RN or in the merchant fleet (the latter offered better pay and conditions!). See if you can access a copy of "Tracing Your Naval Ancestors" by Bruno Papparlardo. Have a look at the following: http://www.pdavis.nl/Background.htm#BIO and http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pbtyc/18-1900/A/A.html The latter site has a good description of what HMS Trinculo had been up to when Cornelius served on her - anti-slaving operations - here: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pbtyc/18-1900/T/04884.html I looked The National Archives web-site. There is a surving muster book for Trinculo for 1835-1836, cataloge reference ADM 37/9984. This ought to tell you how old Cornelius was, whether his first entry, and if he had previous RN service, the name of his last ship and the date of discharge from her. With luck, you will then be able to follow his RN career backwards. By the look of one of the references above, Trinculo was a proud ship, taking prizes and bringing home gold dust and ivory. Good sources of information about particular ships are "The Times On-line" and the British Library's Collection of 19th Century Newspapers; your local library ought to be able to get you on-line to look at both these sources. Noel Edited by aussienoel on 16/12/2009 06:26 |
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