Ion Williams wrote:
Hi Trevor,
Thanks for your response. I haven't got this exact year of birth,
through documents I have sumised it was 1873, the date was 10 June.
There is no reference to his grand division. So, what I do have is;
full name; Thomas Arnold Francis Williams - Generally known as Thomas
Williams
DOB; 10/6/circa 1873
DOD; 18/7/1929 Wynnum South, Queensland, Australia. I have the death
certificate so know this is correct.
Father; Francis Williams
Mother; Mary Williams nee Woolley
Place of birth; Could be Monmouth or Pwllheli, though I suspect
Monmouth. I have searched all lists I could get access too for a
marriage, birth or death but can't find any association of the three
people above. The legend had it that Thomas mother, Mary died in child
birth, so 10 June circa 1873. I can't find her death. The other part of
this legend is that he was subsequently raised by two spinster aunts
and ran away to sea around the age of 10. This is hard to
prove/disprove until I can establish his DOB parents details.
Date enlisted; unknown - before 1888 as the HMS Boadicea was
commissioned 1888.
Date discharged; unknown - after 1890, before 1898. ( He was employed
in the Melanesian Mission 1898-1903 and I have him fairly well
accounted for up to his death in 1929. Really everything prior 1898 is
a bit of a mystery)
Ship; HMS Boadicea
I'm becoming suspicious about his association in the RN or RM. I have a
1890 battle of Witu medal inscribed T.Williams, PTE. RMHMS Boadicea
however I'm feeling he may not have been the RM who received the medal
but perhaps a sailor who obtained the medal by some means. In a resume
he wrote in 1924 he stated he had served in the RN as a boy and a man,
suggesting he may have joined as a lad of 10 years or so but this is
speculation on my part.
The more I look into him the more I feel he is not the man he said he
was.
Are you still able to help?
kind regards
Dear Ion,
[Assume he was RM, not RN]
If born c.1873, then he would have been 10yo in 1883.
The date of commissioning of HMS Boadicea is irrelevant, as the
assigning of RM personnel to a ship is always 'temporary', in that they
can be re-posted at any time - assuming they can physically leave the
ship.
As he left the service (whichever it was) pre-1898 then he served a
*maximum* of 15 years (1898-1873) BUT, for pension purposes, service
pre-18yo was disregarded, so his length of pensionable service was
1898-1891 = 7 years. This is *far* too short a time to qualify for a
pension, unless he was invalided out by virtue of wounds (not illness)
contracted on active duty (as opposed to a bar-room brawl), so there are
unlikely to be RM pension records for him. He could have joined the RM
(Light Infantry or Artillery) as a boy bugler. 10yo is a bit young, but
possible.
The best news - for you - is his date of discharge (late 19th C.) as, in
the Search Room of TNA (The National Archives, Kew, previously known as
the PRO) there is a card index of RM personnel, alphabetically arranged
by surname. It's not exhaustive, but 'his' period is best served. I
appreciate that you're half the world away and will still need the
services of a competent military researcher.
The other option is to approach the Archivist at the Royal Marines
Museum, Southsea, PORTSMOUTH, Hants. to see if he can help. Please be
aware that it's a *very* good idea to cross his palm with silver, as all
UK military museums are as strapped for cash as their respective
services are.
Hope this helps,
Trevor