Boatman family Deptord

[watchaboaty]

I, trying to find out about the Boatman family, Edwards St. Deptford late 1800s to 1940s or so. Particularly a James William Boatman who I think was a submariner and may have died at Zeebrugge Raid. Any help would be appreciated. thanks Viv

[Megan Roberts]

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists all known Commonwealth casualties from WW1 onwards. There is one James Boatman listed but no James William Boatman. This one was in the Mercantile Marine Reserve and died in 1915.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/ca...ATMAN,%20JAMES

[Peter Goodey]

George Wilson BOATMAN, widower of 190 Edward Street married Ethel PAYNE on 22 Apr 1916.

There were nobody called BOATMAN at 190 Edward Street in 1911. George Wilson BOATMAN and family were at 190 Edward Street in the twenties and into the thirties. There would presumably also have been several children from his first marriage.

I didn't look any further because I didn't know what you're looking for or what you already know.

[janbooth]

Don't know if this is connected to your BOATMAN family, but Ancestry London Parish Registers show the marriage on 10 October 1898 at St Luke Deptford of a John Edward MUSSON to a Rosina Emma BOATMAN, 25, spinster, 26 Alloa Road, father John BOATMAN, Engine Driver. However, Rosina looks to have been born in Newington and is living in Bermondsey in the 1891 census record.

As to the marriage Peter found, George Wilson BOATMAN's father is shown as William BOATMAN (deceased), Coachman. Incidentally, George's daughter Louisa BOATMAN married on the same day at the same church (St James, Hatcham) to Stephen SCADDING, a Motor Bus Driver.

Janet

[Pam Downes]

Watchaboaty,

If would be helpful if you could be more specific about the information you require about the Boatmans.

There's nothing more frustrating for us than to spend time looking for details only for you to say ' I've got that'. And repeated details add nothing to your knowledge.

I did have a quick look in the census just to try and establish the family you're looking for, and actually couldn't find any Boatmans in Deptford in 1891/1901/1911.
In the electoral rolls for 1922 I did find four Boatmans living in Edward Street, but as there's no ages or relationships given it's a little difficult to trace them back.
Ethel, George Wilson, George Charles, William John.
William John is listed as a naval or military voter, and absent. Is he the James William who you think died in WW1? (Though see later.)

Searching FreeBMD for births to 'fit' any of those people, I found a George Charles, registered December quarter 1891 and a William John registered September quarter 1896 both in Poplar registration district. But that's north of the river.

It gets sort-of worse, but also sort-of better, because I can find baptisms for them - George Charles in January 1892 and William John in 1896 - but in All Hallows Southwark. [Added - NOT Southwark - see posts #7 and #8] Which, like Deptford, is south of the river. They have the same parents -George (Wilson) and Louisa (Mary Ann) and the same address - 18 Blackthorn Street.
There's a marriage of a George Wilson Boatman with a Louisa Mary Ann MINAL on the same page, March quarter 1888, in Bethnal Green registration district.

Census references for George, Louisa and the various children are
1891 - RG12/323 folio 71 page 35 living in Bromley by Bow
1901 - RG13/350 folio 6 page 3 living in Bromley by Bow
1911 - RG14/1681 SN274 living Bromley by Bow (apart from the child who died, there's one not living at home. Haven't checked which one.)

Checking through the baptisms on Ancestry, there's a Thomas James Boatman born 1898.
He was killed in WW1, 19 April 1918, but he was in the North Staffordshire Regiment. However, it does confirm that my efforts to make the 1922 voters 'fit' was correct, as Thomas is given as 'Son of George Wilson Boatman, of 190, Edward St., Clifton Hill, New Cross, London'.
cwgc.org

Ethel in 1922 may be George Wilson's second wife. Louisa's death was registered in Poplar registration district June quarter 1914. There's a George W Boatman and an Ethel Payne marrying in Greenwich registration district in 1916.

Pam

[Pam Downes]

Have just realised why I couldn't find either of George Wilson Boatman's marriages on Ancestry. I put the marriage year in the birth year box.

Pam

[Peter Goodey]

but in All Hallows Southwark. Which, like Deptford, is south of the river

I think there's an all too familiar Ancestry problem there. The church is actually All Hallows, Bromley by Bow (P88/ALH2). I believe they were north of the river until his second marriage.

[Pam Downes]

Peter, you little star.

Or should that be - you clever little star?

Quite weird that, because a lot of the time I do check what the vicar has written at the top of the page for the parish/church name. And of course, the one time I should have done, I didn't. Memo to self - check every time.

Agree with you about the family being north of the river until George senior's second marriage, or shortly before.

Pam

[Peter Goodey]

James William Boatman

FreeBMD has only two mentions of a James William (or W.) Boatman (marriage in 1902, death in 1951) but the census shows that this guy was born in Essex and married and died in Suffolk.

One of George and Louisa's children - William John Boatman - does appear to have been in the Royal Navy (see ADM188)

[watchaboaty]

Thank you - George Wilson Boatman and Ethel Payne were my Gandparents. My dad was Leonard Wilson Boatman b 3 April 1917. He was the eldest of that second family. I have a cousin David Boatman who has previously done a lot of research into the family but I don't have a family tree really. Would love to know more - if you can help would be really grateful.