GRANDADS FAMILY ANECDOTE 3: Great Grandad George also leaves a widow.

[Grandad]

Just another little story from my ancestry, still tracing back my mothers line.

On back tracing my maternal line I was beginning to find a trail of disasters at sea or maritime related.
My Grandmother Albertas father, Great Grandad George Madams, was born in Whitstable in 1856. He was one of 7 children, two boys and five girls. As was customary in this small Kentish town, George went to sea at a young age on coastal vessels carrying wares to and from ports around the south of England.
In 1877 he married Eliza who was born in a small Kentish village a few miles inland from the coast. By 1904 after 26 years of marriage, George and Eliza had produced 11 children, 6 boys and 5 girls, one of whom was my grandmother Alberta. By strange coincidence I now find that my daughter and her family live in that same village and no more than 100 yards from where her Great Great Grandmother was born.
This is an old postcard of the village c1900

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And this is the nearest representation today from Google.

Herne Village.jpg

By the age of 47 George was skipper of his own vessel, the Thames Barge 'Mary and Ann'.
This is a picture of a typical Thames Barge.

Thames Sailing Barge.jpg

On 22 January 1904 the vessel was moored at Greenwich, London where, unfortunately, George met his death. This newspaper cutting tells the story of his demise and the post mortem findings.

19040130 Record of George Madams death on Friday 22 Jan.jpg

So, a second marine related incident that resulted in yet another death of a Grandfather leaving a widow with dependent children. Can these stories get any worse?
Watch this space........

[Mad Dilys]

Very chilling words "The deceased leaves a Widow and three children who are totally unprovided for."

On a lighter note we had a Drascombe Lugger which we kept at Rye Harbour in Sussex. It had Red Sails and was called The Mariner Anne. I've noticed the name Ann, Anne or Annie seems very popular with the sailing fraternity.

[Grandad]

Very chilling words "The deceased leaves a Widow and three children who are totally unprovided for."

I've noticed the name Ann, Anne or Annie seems very popular with the sailing fraternity.

Yes MD, chilling indeed and no state benefits. I have found examples where women in sbimilar situations take in washing and ironing, and needlework/dressmaking etc. I have also found examples of charitable societies that make awards to families in difficulty. Probably a better option than the work house.

As you say 'Ann' in variou forms is common in boats names. Usually with another female name preceding it eg. Sally Ann, Julie Ann, Mary Ann etc......

[Ruby Slippers]

Grandad, what a huge coincidence! We had friends who lived at Chapel Cottage, School Lane, Herne back in the late 70's / early 80's! We used to spend a lot of time down there with them.

[Grandad]

Grandad, what a huge coincidence! We had friends who lived at Chapel Cottage, School Lane, Herne back in the late 70's / early 80's! We used to spend a lot of time down there with them.

@Ruby Slippers
I don't know Chapel Cottage RS but I certainly know School Lane. My son lives in a turning off the top of School Lane, my daughter in the next turning towards Canterbury. Is your family from Kent?

[Grandad]

@Mad Dilys
I didn't know the Drascombe Lugger, MD, so Googled it. Looks a genuine family fun sailing boat and with the drop keel can navigate the shallower waterways. Did you have an outboard on yours?

[Mad Dilys]

Hi Grandad, My husband the Vet was the sailing enthusiast. He had the Lugger before I met him and as far as I can remember we had an outboard on that but not sure. It was over 50 years ago and though he loved casually cruising aimlessly up and down the coast it didn't suit me or his dog - for the same reason, no not sea sickness but boredom! I'm far to competitive so the dog and I used to go off for adventures of our own.
Soon after we got married he changed to a Trimaran so that his sister who had MS could get on board complete with her wheelchair.

Thee boat was nearly 30 ft long and very wide but floated in 8" of water. It was capable of going very fast but my brother-in -law Phil who usually skippered her said it was like steering a floating tabletop.

One very blustery day we went out and I was sitting near the rudder with the dog inside my jacket idly looking at the three lines of foaming trail we left behind in the water when suddenly there was only one!
I shouted "Hey Phil! What are you doing!" a grey-faced Phil was clinging to the rudder and croaked "Over 20 knots!"

To be honest I can't remember the exact speed but it was fast enough to lift the boat out of the water so that was why only the rudder was leaving a trail. We didn't flip, nothing so dramatic though smaller boats can and have. So we made our way back to harbour without any damage but saw several catamarans lose their masts that day.

Very safe boat that - it wasn't handling properly one day - sluggish and not responding to the rudder. They found one of the sponsons which float either side of central hull was absolutely full of water yet it made no dramatic difference to the handling nor was there a chance it would sink.

[Grandad]

Lovely story MD. Thanks

[Ruby Slippers]

Grandad, my immediate family (mother and father) weren't from Kent, although I and all my brothers and sisters were born here. Originally, my mother came from Hoxton in London, and my father was a coal miner from Aberdare, which was a little village near to Aberfan.

[Mad Dilys]

I still get a chill at the mention of Aberfan. I remember the shock of realising coal mining waste tips weren't stable and could collapse on the villages below.

Over 100 people lost their lives that day about 50years ago when a huge tip destroyed the village of Aberfan. May they rest in peace.

[Grandad]

@Mad Dilys @Ruby Slippers
Such a horrible disaster and very well reprised in Netflix, The Crown. My father in law came from Tredegar. He was one of 4 brothers. His father and two of his brothers worked in the pit but he and another brother came to England. I remember him referring to the huge slag heap at the rear of their house as 'The Mountain'. Aneurin Bevan was a neighbour and a few years older but could well have influenced my father in law who was an active socialist in his early years. Lovely bloke who I was very fond of.
This is a portrait of him that I made in 1959.

image40.jpg

[Mad Dilys]

Wonderful photograph Grandad!
It is the kind of picture that inspires me to get the modelling clay out.I've just spent a happy five minutes gazing and analysing the play of light and shade on his bone structure which is so clearly shown that I can imagine how he looked as a young man. Thank you.

[LovelyLadyLux]

All super interesting. Am enjoying reading it all