JOSLING: Coastguard: Brownsea Island

[Grace Helena]

Hi
My great great grandfather Thomas Josling was a coastguard on Brownsea Island according to 1851 census. By 1861 he was dead but I cannot find a record of his death in the register. If he drowned at sea where would he be registered? Where could I find a record of buriels in Dorset? Presumably Studland. How can I find out if he died "in service". His children were sent to an "industrial school" in CHARDSTOCK (which were not much better than workhouses I understand) so they were not well provided for. Any insights anybody I would be grateful.
Any information on the Chardstock school would be brilliant - I gather Chardstock used to be in Dorset?

Grace Helena

[busyglen]

Grace, I notice that he was born on the Isle of Wight.....I suppose there is nothing to be found there? Just a thought. I also checked a memorial site for Coastguards that died at sea, but nothing listed there.

Sorry, I misread some information..it was young Thomas that was born on the Isle of Wight.


Glenys

[Geoffers]

Hi
My great great grandfather Thomas Josling was a coastguard on Brownsea Island according to 1851 census. By 1861 he was dead but I cannot find a record of his death in the register. If he drowned at sea where would he be registered? Where could I find a record of buriels in Dorset? Presumably Studland. How can I find out if he died "in service".

Have a look at this research guide (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/rdleaflet.asp?sLeafletID=54)on TNA's web-site for ideas on researching Coastguards.

Have you tried searching for a death with the name spelt JOSLIN? - and other variants?? Several Thomas JOSLINs who died in coastal districts between the years you mention.

[Grace Helena]

Thanks for your help but I've tried Joslin, Joselin, Joslyn, Joscelyne, Josslyn, Josselyn, Jocelyn and Gosling (as one transcriber has it!). He had another child in 1853 so narrows field a bit. I will try just ONCE more....

[Grace Helena]

Many thanks. The search goes on...

[Grace Helena]

I've been in touch with the National Archives but they say a search would take more than 20 minutes (I'll bet!) so suggest I visit and search myself. Not easy from deepest darkest Devon.
Many thanks again.

[Andrew Woodcock]

Grace Helena
If you can get a copy of " A HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN CHARDSTOCK" 1712 -1979 by P J Wood. ISNB 0-86114-298-5 you may find it helpful. My late Great Great Grand Father, Rev. Canon Charles Francis Woodcock, onetime Vicar of Chardstock, founded the Industrial School, largley from his own money. He was concerned that people were going onto the land as labourers or into service with no education. The school was run as a charity. My Great Great Grand Father also founded St. Andrew's School, rebuilt the church and vicarage and much more besides. In family papers there is a note that the family outlay for the benefit of Chardstock amounted to about £70,000. My Great Great Grand Father was of the opinion that if divine providence posses you of wealth you should spend that wealth for the benifit of others.
Andrew Woodcock

[Grace Helena]

Andrew
Many thanks for your post re Chardstock School. That's really interesting. My great grandfather was at the school aged 10 in 1861 and went on to become a bell hanger, a whitesmith and finally ran a pub in Salisbury - so he was indeed kept off the land! £70,000 must have been an enormous amount of money then, goodness knows what today's value would be. Whilst I admire his benevolence do you ever wish that perhaps some had come down the line to you? (sorry, I do not wish to sound impertinent!). Many thanks again for your help and I will indeed try to get a sight of the book you mention.

[Dorset Girl]

With reference to Brownsea Island it might be an idea to find a book on Smuggling in Dorset as I believe the coastguard station on Brownsea was founded to try and stop the smuggling on the Dorset coastline.
Marion

[Grace Helena]

Ages ago I asked whether anybody could help with a missing Thomas JOSLING a coastguard on Brownsea Island who apparently died without being in the records.

Well.... I finally made it up to the National Archives and had great success.
It seems that Thomas was "lent to Fleet" meaning he joined the Navy (about the time of the Crimean war in 1853/54 and a note says "letter received confirming death July 1854". So he died at sea in the Navy which explains why he is not in the normal death register. Unfortunately the only records we could find stating causes of death on which ship, started in October 1854... frustrating so if I can just fine out which ship he joined...... !

A bit daunting at the Archives at first but once you find your way round its brill! And the people are so helpful.

[busyglen]

Glad you finally found out what happened at last. :)

Glenys

[crimea1854]

Grace

In answer to your question 'which ship?', it was HMS Nile, and he died on the 11 July 1854.

I would suggest that when next at the NA you consult ADM 141/7, which is the register of seamen's effects papers that cover surnames G-N for the period 1849-61. You will then need to consult the papers themselves in ADM 44. These may provide a cause of death, always assuming your man had unpaid wages and effects that were claimed by his widow.

Martin

[Grace Helena]

Dear Martin

Brilliant! Thank you. But how do you know he was on the Nile?

I'm guessing your speciality is the Crimean War about which i know next to nothing. Was HMS Nile in any action in July 1854? Though being one of my relatives he probably died of disease or fell overboard!

I think we were working towards the ADM files you mentioned but ran out of time as they were not on microfilm if I remember rightly. But we were happy enough to have at least found where he had gone from Brownsea Island.

I wonder why he left what must have been a fairly easy living on Brownsea as a coastguard to join the Fleet. Did he have a choice I wonder.

I shall drop a line to the Archivist on Brownsea as they seemed quite interested when I did a bit of research there.

Many, many thanks again.

Yours

"Grace"

[crimea1854]

Grace

The reason I know that Thomas was on HMS Nile, is that some 2500-3000 Coastguards were called up for service in the Royal Navy during the Crimean War, the majority serving in the Baltic Fleet. After the war they returned to their normal CG duties.

I am in the process of identifying all these men from the various ships' description books, muster rolls, and medal roll, entering their names, ages, ships and medal details on to a database. As part of this study I had previously recorded Thomas, and had entered him on the database, which now consists of some 2700 men.

As to his cause of death it is more likely to have been through accident or illness, because the Baltic Fleet saw very little action that involved the loss of life. However, even though Thomas died, he was issued with a Baltic Medal, which I assume was sent to his wife, on the 21st April 1857. Unfortunately, the majority of Crimea and Baltic medals to the navy were issued unnamed.

If you do go to Kew again you might want to look at the ships description book and log for HMS Nile. The first is likely to have a physical description of Thomas, and the second may record his death or burial. To save you a little time his ships number was 30 in the 'Coastguard Men' List, in the Ships Description Book.

Finally, can I ask if you have traced his CG career, which can be done online, for FREE, using the records in the ADM 175 series of documents on the NA's website?

Regards

Martin

[crimea1854]

Grace

Just out of interest I checked the records in ADM 175, only to discover that you must have read what ship he was serving on when he died when you found he was 'lent to the fleet', because it is noted on the same record. I think this is a case in point where it is always good to get a copy of the document, and then review your findings when you get home and have more time!!

I see that on the 8th October 1845 he was transferred from Ryde CG Station to Studland, the reason given was basically because he had married a local girl, and could no longer be relied on to be impartial.

He was nominated to the CG Service on 21st July 1845 from the Revenue Cruiser Stag , his first posting being to Ryde. If at the NA I would also order ADM 119/119. This is the Muster Book for Stag, and starting from July 1845 it should be possible to trace back his time on this ship, and also establish if he served on any other Revenue Cruisers.

Regards

Martin