Category Archives: Stoker

Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, illness, London, Ordinary Seaman, photography, Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 1st Class Joseph Hawke

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Stoker 1st Class Joseph Hawke

Joseph Hawke was born in Paignton, Devon, on 8th January 1887. Details of his early life are lost to time, although the 1891 census suggests that he was one of five children to Maria Hawke, who had been widowed by that point. The family had taken rooms at 104 Pembroke Street in Devonport.

When he finished his schooling, Joseph initially found work as a packer. However, possibly driven by his proximity to the Devon dockyards, he soon stepped up to take a job in the Royal Navy. Joining the training cruiser HMS Northampton, he was given the rank of Boy 2nd Class, as he was under the age to enlist.

Over the next few years, Joseph proved his mettle. In May 1904 he was promoted to Boy 1st Class and, when he came of age on 8th January 1895, he was formally inducted into the Royal Navy, taking the rank of Ordinary Seaman. His service papers show that he was 5ft 3ins (1.6m) tall, with fair hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion. It was also noted that he a mole on his right shoulder and abdomen, a scar on his chin, and tattoo marks on the back of his left hand and on his right forearm.

Ordinary Seaman Hawke would serve on three ships in total. On 26th February 1906 he became a Stoker 2nd Class, a role change that might be seen as a semotion, although his records suggest he was of very good character. By November 1906 Joseph had become Stoker 1st Class, but within twelve months, he gave up his life at see, buying himself out of the Royal Navy.

This change of heart may have been driven by love as, on Christmas Day 1908, he married Ellen Saunders, in Tower Hamlets, London. Their wedding certificate gives Joseph’s father’s name as cabinet maker George Hawke, but doesn’t suggest that he is deceased.

The document also gives Joseph’s job as a stoker, later confirmation suggesting that he was employed by the electrical works in Paignton, Devon. Joseph and Ellen would go on to have five children – Marie, Joseph, Albert, Harry and Ellen – between 1909 and 1917.

When war broke out, Joseph was called upon to play his part once more and, as part of the Royal Naval Reserve, he was assigned to HMS Gibraltar in November 1914. Over the next four years, he would serve as a Stoker 1st Class on four more ships, each time returning to HMS Vivid, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Devonport, in between voyages.

By the spring of 1918, Joseph’s health was struggling. He was medically dismissed from active service on 22nd May, and returned home to Paignton. His condition was to worsen, however, and on 17th October 1918 he passed away froma combination of dysentery and influenza. He was 31 year of age.

Joseph Hawke was laid to rest in Paignton’s sweeping cemetery, not far from his family home in Laura Terrace.

Chief Stoker, Commonwealth War Graves, Essex, Great War, history, illness, Kent, Leading Stoker, Malta, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Chief Stoker William Beadle

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Chief Stoker William Beadle

William Henry Beadle was born in Heybridge, Essex, on 23rd April 1870. The youngest of three children his parents were William and Sophia Beadle. William Sr was a waterman-turned-labourer, and the young family lived with Sophia’s parents.

When Sophia died in 1875, her widow and their children remained with his in-laws. William Sr died in 1887, and by the time of the 1891 census, his son was living with his now widowed grandmother. The document notes that she was a pauper, but he was a moulder in the local iron works.

William sought bigger and better things and, on 13th August 1891, he enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class. His service records show that, as 21 years of age, he was 5ft 8ins (1.72m) tall, with brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion.

Stoker Beadle was initially sent to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, for his training. He would spend the next six months split between there and HMS Wildfire, a shore establishment downriver at Sheerness.

In 1892, William spent six months on board the troop ship HMS Tyne. He returned to Chatham in July of that year, and was promoted to Stoker 1st Class. Over the course of the next eleven years, he would go on to serve on four ships, each time returning to his base port, HMS Pembroke.

William’s service record is pretty much mark free. He was confined to cells for seven days in October 1895, although his offence s unclear. In April 1896 he was promoted to Leading Stoker 2nd Class, and made Leading Stoker 1st Class three years later. In December 1902, while on board the cruiser HMS Diana, William was promoted again, to Acting Chief Stoker, and the following August, his initial contract of service came to an end.

By this point William was a married man. He married Clara Walford in Rochford, Essex, and, while the couple did not go on to have children, there is little additional information about her.

William re-enlisted as soon as his initial twelve-year contract came to an end. In December 1903 he was promoted to Chief Stoker, and he remained at this rank until he war formally retired on 16th August 1913. He had spent more than two decades in the Royal Navy ,and travelled the world: the 1911 census recorded him as one of the crew of HMS Lancaster, moored in Malta.

Chief Stoker Beadle’s time away from the Royal Navy was not to be lengthy and, when war broke out less than a year later, he was called upon once more. He spent nine months back at HMS Pembroke, before being assigned to the new cruiser HMS Calliope. She would be William’s home for the nearly three years, and it was not until March 1918 that he came back to shore.

William’s return to Chatham seemed to coincide with a downturn in his health. He was admitted to the town’s Royal Naval Hospital with nephritis, and this is what would take his life. He died on 8th March 1918: he was 47 years of age.

William Henry Beadle was laid to rest in the military section of Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, not far from the naval base he had called home for so long.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, illness, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 2nd Class Herbert Andrews

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Stoker 2nd Class Herbert Andrews

Herbert Andrews was born on 9th December 1890 in the Devon village of Buckfastleigh. One of nine children, his parents were William and Elizabeth Andrews. William worked at a local woollen factory, and the family initially lived on Silver Street in the village before moving to Market Street by the turn of the century.

Herbert does not appear on the 1911 census, and at this point William and Elizabeth, both in their 60s, were living on their own. Interestingly, the census inadvertently reveals neither may have been able to write: the return was completed by James Dyer, who lived at 5 Plymouth Road in the village.

The next document available for Herbert relates to his military service. When war broke out, he seems to have quickly stepped up to play his part, giving up his job as a gardener to enlist in the Royal Navy on 7th January 1915. His records confirm that he was 5ft 11ins (1.8m) tall, with black hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion. He was also noted as having an operation scar for appendicitis.

Stoker 2nd Class Andrews was initially sent to HMS Vivid, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Devonport, for training. This did not seem to go smoothly, and on 9th May he was detained for 21 days for disobeying orders and being insolent.

On 6th June, Herbert was assigned to the battleship HMS Marlborough. Again, however, this posting did not last for long, and mental health issues may have come to the surface. By 1st July 1915, Stoker Andrews was back ashore in the Royal Naval Hospital in Plymouth, Devon. Within a matter of weeks, he was medically discharged from the navy, and was “discharged to Exminster Asylum on 1.9.15 as a dangerous lunatic.”

At this point, Herbert’s trail goes cold. He passed away on 21st August 1916, at the age of 25 years old. It seems likely that he was still admitted to the mental institution when he died, as his death was registered in Exeter.

Herbert Andrew’s body was taken back to Buckfastleigh for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of the town’s Holy Trinity Churchyard, alongside his brother, Henry, who had died fifteen years before.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, photography, Royal Navy, Staffordshire, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 1st Class Joseph Ward

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Stoker 1st Class Joseph Ward

Joseph Ward was born in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, on 13th January 1890. The four of five children – all boys – his parents were William and Caroline. William was a coal miner-turned-weighman, but Joseph found work as a riveter when he completed his schooling.

It seems that Joseph sought any employment to avoid going down the mines, and, on 26th August 1910, he enlisted in the Royal Navy. His service records show that he was 5ft 3ins (1,6m) tall, with brown hair, grey eyes and a sallow complexion. He was also noted as having a dot or mole on the back of this left forearm and another on the back of his left hand.

Joseph was given the rank of Stoker 2nd Class, and was sent to HMS Vivid, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Devonport, Devon, for training. This would be his base of operations, and he would return there a number of times in the coming years.

On 4th January 1911, Stoker Ward was given his first posting, on board the armoured cruiser HMS Cumberland. he remained on board for more than two-and-a-half years, and gained a promotion to Stoker 1st Class during this time.

In October 1913, Joseph returned to Devonport, remaining on shore for more than three months. His service record notes he was confined to the Dockyard Sick Quarters for three days, although the cause is not given. In January 1914, he returned to sea again, on board another cruiser, HMS Highflyer. This would prove another lengthy assignment, and Stoker Ward would not return to HMS Vivid for more than three years.

During his short spell ashore, Joseph returned to Staffordshire. He married Lily Wright, a tailoress from Wednesbury. Their honeymoon was brief, however, and he was given a new assignment.

Stoker Ward was attached to HMS Valkyrie, a newly commissioned destroyer attached to the Harwich Force. On 22nd December 1917, she was escorting a convoy to the Netherlands when she struck a mine. Twelve of the crew – including Joseph – were killed, while a further seven subsequently succumbed to their injuries. The Valkyrie was towed to the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, for repairs.

Joseph Ward was 27 years of age when he was killed. He was laid to rest in the naval section of Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, not far from the Kent naval base.

Tragically, Lily was pregnant when her husband was killed. On 25th February 1918, she gave birth to their child, Flora, the daughter Joseph would never know.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, Sussex, unknown, war

Stoker 1st Class Thomas Ellis

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Stoker 1st Class Thomas Ellis

Thomas Ellis was born in 1896 in St Leonard’s, Sussex. The third of twelve children, his parents were George and Ellen Ellis. George was a general labourer, but when he finished his schooling, Thomas found work as a golf caddy. The 1911 census recorded the Ellis family living in four rooms at 7 Caves Road to the east of the town centre.

There is little additional information about Thomas, sadly. He joined the Royal Navy when war broke out, and was working as a Stoker 1st Class by the closing months of the conflict. He passed away, through causes unknown, on 7th July 1918, at the age of just 23 years old.

Thomas Ellis was laid to rest in the naval section of the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent, not far from the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham – HMS Pembroke – at which he was based.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, Leading Stoker, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 1st Class Albert Willingham

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Stoker 1st Class Albert Willingham

Albert Willingham was born in Upchurch, Kent, on 4th January 1888. One of eleven children, his parents were George and Annie Willingham. George was a brickmaker and labourer, who moved his family to where the work was. By the time of the 1891 census, they had relocated to the nearby town of Gillingham, and were living on the waterfront at 5 Danes Hill.

As the family grew, so they kept moving. The census of 1901 found the ten Willinghams – George, Annie and eight children including 13-year-old Albert and his youngest sibling, 11-day-old Ada – residing at 5 Court Lodge Road. The small terraced house would still be crowded, however, and this may have been one of the factors pushing Albert to bigger and better things.

Having followed his older brothers into labouring work, Albert decided enough was enough. On 13th July 1908, he enlisted in the Royal Navy, joining up as a Stoker 2nd Class. His service records show that he had brown eyes, dark brown hair and a ruddy complexion. He was 5ft 8.5ins (1.73m) tall.

Stoker Willingham was first sent to HMS Acheron, the training frigate, for his induction. He remained on board for six months, before moving to the cruiser HMS Dido in January 1909. Over the next six years, Albert served on seven further ships, returning to what became his home base, HMS Pembroke in Kent, in between voyages.

Albert quickly became well-travelled, and he served in the Somaliland Expedition, and in the operations in the Persian Gulf between 1909 and 1914. The 1911 census recorded him as being a stoker on board HMS Hyacinth, which was then moored in Bombay (now Mumbai), India.

While on board Hyacinth, Albert was promoted to Stoker 1st Class, and in April 1915, with the war raging around him, he was promoted again, to Acting Leading Stoker. At the end of that month, he was transferred to what would be his final ship, HMS Princess Irene.

She was an ocean liner that had been requisitioned at the outbreak of war, and converted to a minelayer. On 27th May 1915, while moored off Sheerness, Kent, a series of explosions ripped through the ship, killing more than 350 crew. Acting Leading Stoker Willingham was among those who perished: he was 27 years of age.

The body of Albert Willingham was buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent, just a short walk from his family’s home.

Albert’s headstone records the permanent rank he held at the time of his passing, rather than acting one he had been temporarily given. He is therefore noted as Stoker 1st Class, instead of Acting Leading Stoker.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, Middlesex, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 1st Class Albert Knieriem

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Stoker 1st Class Albert Knieriem

Albert George Knieriem was born in Bromley-by-Bow, Middlesex, on 1st January 1892. The eighth of nine children, his parents were German-born Gottliept (anglicised to George) Knieriem, and his London-born wife, Caroline.

George was a labourer at the local gas works, and the family had rooms at 3 Hancock Road. Their home has long since gone, but the Knieriems shared the property with the Richard and Eliza Bone and their four children.

George passed away in March 1906, with Caroline dying less than eighteen months later. Albert found himself an orphan at just 15 years of age. It seems that his oldest brother, also called George, found him employment as a local iron foundry. By the time of the 1911 census, he was boarding with the Fryatt family, at 29 Hancock Road, not far from the old family home.

Albert sought bigger and better things for himself, however, and was drawn to a life at sea. On 14th July 1911 he enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class. His service records confirm that he was 5ft 5.5ins (1.66m) tall, and that he has light brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion.

Stoker Knieriem was initially sent to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, for his training. He remained there for four months, before being given his first posting, on board the cruiser HMS Intrepid. She would be his home for the best part of a year, during which time Albert was promoted to Stoker 1st Class.

In September 1912, Albert transferred to HMS Acteon. A former hulk, she was based at Sheerness, Kent, as was used as a torpedo school. Albert would remain there for more than two years, attached to the school’s tender, HMS Kestrel.

On 18th January 1915, Stoker 1st Class Knieriem’s service records note one word: “Run”. Albert had absconded, remaining at large for two months. He was apprehended on 23rd March, and sentenced to 28 days’ detention for going AWOL. Put back on duty on 28th April, he was reassigned, to the former cruise liner, HMS Princess Irene.

The Princess Irene had been requisitioned by the Royal Navy on the outbreak of war and converted into a minelayer. On the morning of 27th May 1915, she was moored in the Medway Estuary and was being loaded with mines. A faulty primer set off a series of explosions, destroying the ship and killing more than 250 crew, Stoker 1st Class Knieriem among them. He was 23 years of age.

Albert’s name comes up in a newspaper article about one of the subsequent enquiries. The Coroner’s inquest on 18th June focused on the bodies in coffins 29 to 34.

No. 32 body was very much shattered. It was dressed as a stoker. The name “A. G Knieriem” was no the band of the trousers.

The body was identified as that of Albert George Knieriem, aged 23, stoker, 1st class, of Bromley-by-Bow.

[Sheerness Guardian and East Kent Advertiser: Saturday 19th June 1915]

Albert’s body was laid to rest in the naval section of Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent. He was buried alongside some of the other crew whose bodies had been rescued and identified.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, Middlesex, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 1st Class William James

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Stoker 1st Class William James

William Charles James was born on 12th September 1893, the ninth of ten children to John and Isabella James. John was a sawyer from Shoreditch, Middlesex, and this is where he and his Surrey-born wife raised their family.

By the time of the 1911 census, John and Isabella were living in four rooms at 36 Falkirk Street, Hoxton, Middlesex with three of their children – including William – and Isabella’s brother, Charles. The building was inhabited by 17 people in total, four families renting out the nine rooms of the house.

The James family had three wages coming in. In addition to John’s work at the wood mill, his brother-in-law was employed as a casual winder cleaner. William was also in work, serving as an office boy a a draper’s warehouse. Isabella would have been running the household and looking after her youngest, schoolboy Thomas. William’s 27-year-old sister, Rachel, completed the household: she was not working, but was noted as having been suffering from a chest disease for at least four years.

Whether seeking a life away from London’s East End, or to bring in a more permanent wage for his family, William sought a more stable and financially lucrative career. On 8th January 1913, he enlisted in the Royal Navy for the standard twelve-year contract. His service records show that he had progressed from an office boy to a clerk, and confirm his physical features: he was 5ft 5.5ins (1.66m) tall, with dark brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion. His records also highlight a scar on his left forearm and another above his right eye.

William was given the rank of Stoker 2nd Class, and sent off to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, to be trained. After six months he was given his first assignment, on board the cruiser HMS Forward, which would remain his home for the next two years.

During his time on Forward, William, rising to Stoker 1st Class in January 1914. The ship was assigned to patrol the eastern coast of England, and, in December that year, bore witness – but was not directly involved in – the German bombardment of Hartlepool.

In April 1915 Stoker James was moved to HMS Princess Irene, an ocean liner requisitioned on the outbreak of war and converted to a minelayer. On the morning of 27th May 1915, she was moored in the Medway Estuary and was being loaded with mines in preparation for a mission. At 11:14am, a faulty primer on board set off a series of explosions, and she blew apart and sank. More than 250 crew – including Stoker 1st Class James – were killed. He was just 21 years of age.

The body of William Charles James was brought ashore and laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent. He was buried alongside some of the other crew whose bodies had been rescued and identified.

Commonwealth War Graves, Dorset, Great War, history, killed in action, Middlesex, photography, Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war, Yorkshire

Stoker Henry Souter

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Stoker Henry Souter

Henry Souter was born in Thornaby, Yorkshire, on 10th August 1887 and was the youngest of four children. His father, John, died when he was just a year old, leaving his mother, Jane to raise the family single-handedly. To do this she found piecemeal work as a charwoman, sharing their home – 3 Edward Street – with two other families.

Henry is absent from the 1901 census, but his mother had moved to Willesden, Middlesex. His sister, Isabella, had married the year before, and she and her husband had relocated to London, presumably for work, taking Jane with them.

By the 1911 return, Henry was boarding with his brother James and his family. The siblings were living at 44 Spring Street, and both were working at a local iron works, James as a pipe moulder, Henry as a rolling miller.

When war came to Europe in the summer of 1914, Henry was called upon to play his part. His service records are long since lost, but he was attached to the Royal Naval Reserve as a Stoker, suggesting previous employment in the navy.

By the end of the year Stoker Souter had been assigned to the battleship HMS Formidable. A key vessel in the Channel Fleet, her role was part of a convoy patrolling the seas of the southern coast of Britain.

Early on the morning of 1st January 1915, while off the Dorset coast, the battleship was torpedoed by a German submarine. Other ships in her convoy came to her aid, but it would prove fruitless. After a couple of hours – and another torpedo strike – she sank, taking more than 540 officer and crew – including Stoker Souter – were lost. He was 27 years of age.

Henry Souter’s body was recovered, and was able to be identified. He had been brought ashore in Lyme Regis, Dorset, and he was laid to rest in a communal grave in the town’s cemetery.

Henry’s next-of-kin were identified as his sister, Annie, who was living in Thornaby, and his mother, Jane. Her address was given as 25 Melville Road, Stonebridge Park, London: she was still living with Isabella and her family – husband George and their six children.

Commonwealth War Graves, County Durham, Dorset, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 1st Class William Fawkes

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Stoker 1st Class William Fawkes

William Fawkes was born on 31st July 1883 in South Shields, Country Durham. One of seven children, his parents were called William and Ann. William Sr was a steam crane operator in the local docks, and the 1891 census found the family living with Ann’s widowed husband Ralph in an apartment on Bedford Street.

Ralph died not long after the census was taken, and it seems that William and Ann took over the tenancy. The 1901 return found the family living at 8 Bedford Street, this noted as being a private home. William Jr had finished school and was employed as a labourer to a blacksmith; three of his sibling were also gainfully employed, the family managing to scratch together enough of a living to pay the rent.

By the start of 1903, William Jr was starting to get itchy feet, and sought out a career on the ocean wave. On 5th January he enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class, and was sent to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, for his training. His service records confirm that he was 5ft 3.5ins (1.61m) tall, with bark hair, brown eyes and a fair complexion. He was also noted as having his initials – WH – tattooed on the back of his right hand.

Stoker Fawkes completed his training in October 1903, and was sent to the battleship HMS Sans Pareil as his first posting. He only remained on board for a couple of months, before a move to another battleship, HMS Resolution. In June 1904, he was transferred again, to HMS Swiftsure, a third battleship that he would call home for the next three years.

During his time on board Swiftsure, William was promoted, gaining the rank of Stoker 1st Class for his work. Over the next decade, he served on a further seven ships, returning to his base in Kent between voyages.

In the spring of 1904, William married Mary Hornby. The daughter of a publican, she had continued to support her mother and siblings after his death in 1897. With William at sea, the 1911 census found her living in a one-roomed apartment on Commercial Road in South Shields, together with her mother, Euphemia, and her son, James. He was born a couple of years before she married William and bore her maiden name: it is unclear whether James was her husband’s son.

By the summer of 1914, war had been declared, and Stoker 1st Class Fawkes had been assigned to another battleship, HMS Formidable. She was part of the Channel Fleet, her role to patrol the seas of the southern coast of Britain.

Early on the morning of 1st January 1915, while off the Dorset coast, she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-24. Other ships in her convoy came to her aid, but it would prove fruitless. After a couple of hours she sank. 120 members of the crew were saved, but more than 540 officer and crew – including Stoker 1st Class Fawkes – were lost. He was 31 years of age.

William Fawkes’ body was one of those recovered and identified. It seems that Mary was unable to cover the cost of a funeral. Her husband was, instead, laid to rest in a communal grave in Lyme Regis Cemetery, in the hills above the Dorset town where he had been brought ashore.