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 Alfred Robbins Dunnycove and Baltimore
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| beryltheperil |
Posted on 10/10/2011 18:14
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 New Member  Posts: 4 Joined: 10/10/2011 |
I am trying to find out about my great-grandfather Alfred Robbins. He was Commisioned Boatman at Dunnycove , Co Cork in the 1901 census and Chief Officer at Baltimore in the 1911 census. His daughter Caroline Daisy ( my grandmother) was born in 1898 in Cork - so presumably he was at Dunnymore then. Any information either about the stations or Alfred Robbins would be wonderful. We are trying to find out about him for my father , who is now 91 and was brought up by his adored grandfather for the first 17 yeasrs of his life. Edited by beryltheperil on 11/10/2011 18:58 |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 10/10/2011 19:35
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 Administrator  Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Beryl, and welcome to the Forum. Given his age on the 1911 census, I think the link below will take you to his service record available to be downloaded from the National Archives (for a small fee). http://www.nationalarchi...ultcount=8 Martin |
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| beryltheperil |
Posted on 10/10/2011 21:54
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New Member Posts: 4 Joined: 10/10/2011 |
Thank you very much ! I shall order that straight away |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 10/10/2011 23:07
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Beryl I hope I had the right record. I've done a little more digging and believe he was awarded the British War Medal for his service during WW1, this was sent to HM CG Portsmouth. I also think I found him living with his older brother Harry and his family on the 1891 census, at this time he was rated Yeoman of Signals. What was interesting is that his brother Harry was also in the RN as a Ships Coporal. Following up on his career I found that he had died on the hospital ship HMSH Rohilla in 1914. The loss of the Rohilla is well worth reading up, since she struck the Whitby Rock with the loss of 85 lives, one of who was Harry, although 144 were saved by the Tynemouth Lifeboat in a fifty hour rescue. Amongst those saved was Mary Roberts, who had survived the sinking of the Titanic. The following is information taken from the War Graves Commission website regarding Harry: Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Egyptian Medal (Suakin 1885) and Khedive's Bronze Star. Son of George and Caroline Robbins, of Bayswater, London; husband of Kezia Robbins, of 10, Brodia Rd., Stoke Newington, London. Martin Edited by crimea1854 on 10/10/2011 23:33 |
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| beryltheperil |
Posted on 11/10/2011 00:08
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New Member Posts: 4 Joined: 10/10/2011 |
That sounds really promising, my grandmother, his only daughter was called Caroline. Thank you for all your help. Merged on 11/10/2011 00:13:05: He later went to Bembridge and is in the Kelly Directory for 1915, from there to St Ann's Dale and back to Hampshire where my father was born in Lymington September 1920. He was awarded the medal and it being sent to Portsmouth would fit in with being in Bembridge in 1915. Merged on 11/10/2011 09:11:13: That link was perfect! We had been quite confused about the Royal Navy/coastguard careers, but the record of service has explained a lot. At the bottom it says Transferred to Coastguard (NF) in 1919, although he was in coastguard from 1896. Was this to do with the change in role of the Coastguard after 1919? I can;t thank you enough for your help with this Merged on 11/10/2011 10:00:44: from looking at the records and your info from 1891 census it seems as though he trained as a signaller and then transferred to coastguard. My father says that he was always interested in radio and did some work with Marconi(?) St Ann's head is listed as being one of the stations where wireless was introduced early on, so his experience in signals would have been important.  We have so much to show Dad already!
Edited by beryltheperil on 11/10/2011 10:00 |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 11/10/2011 15:12
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi Beryl, I'm pleased the information was of interest. The 'NF' indicates that he was transferred into the New Force. Following WW1 the CG were slimmed down, with many men leaving the service, but it looks as if Alfred remained post. There are a number of records in the ADM 175 series that are available as free downloads off the NA website, which include men in the New Force. Unfortunately I don't know my way around the records for this period so cannot suggest where more info might be found. Re Harry, it could be worth downloading his service record, if you have not done so already: http://www.nation...ultcount=7 I say this because I believe that he first earned the Egypt Medal onboard HMS Inconstant in 1882, during the Egyptian Rebellion, returning again to these waters in 1884-85 where he received the clasp 'Saukin 1885' for his service onboard HMS Carysfort. The clasp would have been added to his earlier 1882 dated medal. Martin |
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| beryltheperil |
Posted on 11/10/2011 18:56
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New Member Posts: 4 Joined: 10/10/2011 |
Thank you once again, I've downloaded Harry's record. Now googling New Force to see what I can find out. We have printed off the Service record for Alfred and my sister is taking it over to my father tomorrow. He is thrilled with what we have found out so far. The more we find out , teh more I think that this signals experience is the key, possibly why he was kept on in the New Force? Alfred was always fascinated by new technology apparently, I think he would be so proud to know it helped us find out about him! |
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