Information for Ancestor Donald Gunn

[diamondgunn]

My GGG grandfather Donald Gunn was a master carpenter. His marriage certificate dated 1831 states he was on the revenue cruiser HMS Stork. I think he was born in Scotland. His Wifes name was Alexandrina Mcdonald. His children were christen in newhaven susex. I guess this was where he was posted at one time. Donald Gunns parents are never listed. So my search is stalled and can not proceed further.

Do the official coastguard records list detailed information such has parents names???

Any help would be appreciated..

Thanks so much

Terry Gunn

[Pam Downes]

Hi Terry,
Welcome to Brit-Gen.

I think I've found Donald and family on the 1841 census.
HO107/286/19 folio 45 page 31
Civil parish of Wyke Regis, Dorset.

Donald Gunn, 35, carpenter, born Scotland
Alexandrina, 35, born Scotland
Thomas, 7, not born in the county of Dorset
Margaret, 5, born in the county of Dorset
Isabella, 2, not born in the county of Dorset

In the 1841 census, people over the age of 15 had their ages rounded down to the nearest 5, so Donald and Alexandrina could have been aged between 35 and 39.
The 1841 census was also unhelpful in that it didn't give very much information about people's birthplaces.

I can't seem to find the family in later census.
Can you confirm that I have the correct family, and do you know if they had further children?
Was the family likely to still be in the UK in 1851, 1861, etc?

Pam

[pennydog]

This could be Alexdrina and children in 1851 HO107-1666-81-24 living at Quay, Lymington, Hampshire

Alexandria (sic) Gunn married Mariner's wife b 1805 Scotland
Margaret b1836 Weymouth Dorset
Isabella b1839 Plymouth Devon

[diamondgunn]

Thankyou so much for getting back Pam.

I believe you have the correct family. The little boy Thomas (Thomas Alexander Gunn born 1834) was my GG grandfather. He followed in his fathers footsteps and was also in the coastguard. And I was aware of the little girl Margaret born 1836. Isabella is new. I am not aware of further children.. I do know that Thomas the son married on Jan 6th 1864 in Portpatrick Scotland. The marriage certificate has the father Donald as deceased.. I dont know what year he died. Also i have the death certificate of Donalds wife Alexandrina. She died Jan 22 1880 in Glengarry parrish of Stornaway in the county of Ross.

Terry

[diamondgunn]

I think its the same family.
So is the husband Donald Gunn still alive in 1851.?? Yet not listed on the census.

The husband Donald could be listed under Vessels. I have a similar cituation with my GG grandfather. His wife was list as Coastguards wife with her children. And the husband was listed under Vessels in the census..I read that in that era Coastguards were often separated from wifes and children.

Thanks

Terry

[olliecat]

As a place to start, records of the Coastguard are in document series ADM 175 and digitial microfilms of the series are free to download as PDF files from the National Archives. Please be aware that the files can be very large. Also, they are not indexed and you would have to scroll through the PDF's looking for your man. See the Digital Microfilm page here and scroll down until you see link to ADM 175 Records of service of the Coastguard 1816-1947.

Also, for more detailed information on the records, see the Your Archives article here.

[crimea1854]

Terry

I appreciate that this thread is almost a year old, but just in case you have not been able to progress your search the following may help. FMP have recently added Merchant Seamans Tickets to their available data sources, but despite the title these records also include men serving in the Navy and Coastguard Service. One such record is for Donald Gunn, born 5 January 1795, Stornaway, Inverness. At the time his ticket was issued (1845) he was serving as a Carpenter on the Revenue Cruiser Peteral.

To confirm I had the right man I refered to the CG Record ADM 175/24, this list all the substantive rated men i.e. not ordinary Mariners, and from this it was possible to trace Donalds career from the RC Stork on 9 Sept 1834 to the Royal George and then on 25 Jan 1842 to Peteral, so I'm confident I have the right man.

On the ticket (No.144,465) he is described as being 5' 8 1/4'' tall, fresh complexion, brown hair, blue eyes, first went to sea as a carpenter in 1815, when not working resides at Weymouth.

It might also interest you that I believe Thomas Gunn served in the RN on HMS Gladiator during the Crimean War, being awarded the Baltic Medal. In Gladiator's description book he is described as a Revenue Cruiser Man, born Sussex, 1834, so he seems to fit your ancestor.

I hope there is something new in this for you.

Regards Martin
Coastguards of Yesteryear.