#Cardiff #Military #Wales #WWI
Alonzo Augustus GAVIN was the eighth of ten children born to Daniel1 O’Brien GAVIN (1822 – 1873) and Jane LAWRENCE (c1828 – 1874).
Daniel1 was born in Ireland but travelled with the military and met Jane when stationed in Kent. His father William M GAVIN (1775 – 1834) settled in County Clare after leaving the army himself. [They will both have their own reports along with more of the family.]
Jane was born in Sholden, Kent, baptised 19 April 1829, and her family were local to the Deal area. She married Daniel1 on 29 June 1846 at Holy Trinity Church, Gosport, Hampshire which is where he was then stationed. He was 23 and she around 18.
Alonzo had six brothers – William Chandler GAVIN (1847 – 1871), George Frederick Gorchiskcoff GAVIN (1854 – 1878), Daniel2 GAVIN (1856 – 1880), Rollo Gillespie GAVIN (1858 – 1912) Albert1 Edward GAVIN (1860 – 1892) and Charles Stuart GAVIN (1867 – 1869).
He had three sisters – Ellen Alicia GAVIN (1849 – 1881), Emily Harriet GAVIN (1852 – 1886) and Gwenllian Maud GAVIN (1866 – 1871). As you can see very sadly the youngest two children didn’t survive to adulthood. Only two of the ten children lived past the age of 34.
As Alonzo’s father will have a full record just focusing on the time of his birth onwards. By this time Daniel1 and Jane are settled in Cardiff with their seven children. He was born Q3 1862 in Glamorgan District. This is on 20 July 1862 at Cathays Cottages, Roath per Patti J Martin’s research. His Anglican baptism was on 16 November 1862 in the Parish of Roath.
Four years later he gets a little sister and then two years after that a baby brother who lived for just over 2 years. His eldest brother is 15 years older than him and so probably didn’t have much to do with his elder siblings as they were moving around. William got married in Clifton and then Ellen was off to Kent at the beginning of 1870 giving birth to Gordon Bedford GAVIN (1870 – 1950).
In the 1871 Census we find the family at Park Lodge, Cardiff. This seems to be on Park Place. Daniel1 is by now Superintendent of the Dock Police. Listed on night of 02 April 1871 are Ellen, Emily, George, Daniel2, Rollo, Albert1, Alonzo and Gwenllian. There is also a 20-year-old girl as their Domestic Servant.
Then on 29 June 1871 his eldest brother William dies, at father’s home, and 23 December 1871 his sister Gwenllian. His father died 10 January 1873 and his mother 02 May 1874. Presumably the older family members ended up having to look after the younger ones as he is now an orphan at 12.
His sister Ellen married 01 August 1874 and had three boys before the next census. His sister Emily married 05 August 1874 and had a girl and two boys before the next census. His brothers George and Daniel2 ended up in Ventnor, Isle of Wight with Emily and died on 31 January 1878 and Q2 1880 respectively. Both were 24 when they passed away.
However, the only specific news from the period for Alonzo was that on 16 May 1879, aged 17, he was indentured into the Merchant Navy for four years. He was bound to Valentine TRAYES (TBA – 1900), a timber merchant. It was cancelled in April 1881 though as presumably Indenture paid [notation not clear].
In the 1881 Census Alonzo is a Boarder, along with brothers Rollo and Albert1, with a young married couple. They are at 151 Castle Road, Cardiff. He is described as a Sailor and age given as 19.
The next decade doesn’t start much better for the family circumstances. Sister Ellen had given birth about December 1880 to a little girl who dies by 27 August 1881. Within two months Ellen has also died leaving three boys under the age of 6 without a mother.
Rollo1 did marry in 1883 and have a son Albert2 Alonzo GAVIN (1884 – 1952) [who has his own record] and presumably named after his Uncles. Sadly, though then Emily died 12 December 1886 leaving nine children including a young baby. His Uncle Albert1 married in 1887 but then passed away in 1892.
The good news though is that in June 1888 Alonzo was issued the Certificate of Competency of First Mate at the age of 26. We don’t seem to find him on the 1891 Census so quite possibly he was away at Sea. By 04 August 1891 he seems to be the Chief Officer of the Steamship Mary Anning. There’s a court case involving a Disobedient Ship’s Steward.
On August 30 1896 he got married to Winifred Reed ARSCOTT (c1855 – 1931) at the parish church in Roath. At the time he was living at 40 Strathnairn Street, home of Rollo1, and she at 188 Broadway. His profession given as Master Mariner. He was 34 and she about 41 although her age is possibly reduced in some records. Can’t find a birth record for her. There doesn’t appear to be any offspring of Alonzo and Winifred.
She was a widow, originally from Devon, and had previously married Thomas COOKE (1848 – 1895) in 1883 and had two boys – Rollo2 Albert Gustavus COOKE (1884 – 1952) and Charles Samuel COOKE (1886 – 1886) who died at 3 weeks old. It’s possible they knew the family well as Rollo isn’t very common and Alonzo’s brother was the only one born in Cardiff before this date with that name.
If he was still on the ship on 01 August 1898 then it was inspected in Rio de Janeiro for Yellow Fever 1 after a number of cases were occurring in the area. With a clean bill of health, the vessel went on to St Lucia.
Again, Alonzo is presumably at sea on the date of 1901 Census since we only find his wife and stepson. The address is 49 Clun Terrace, Cardiff which is in the Roath District. There are only houses on one side of the street now because the train line runs down next to it.
There was an incident involving the Mary Anning on 29 April 1904 where it seems to have sunk after a collision in fog 2. The report isn’t the clearest but the captain of the ship was last to leave and received fatal injuries. Unable to know if this involved Alonzo or if he was on another vessel by then.
They are still living at Clun Terrace in 1910 per the Kelly’s Directory for South Wales and he is actually listed in the 1911 Census. They are now living at Kildale, Westville Road, Cardiff and his age given as 48. He is a Master Mariner. His stepson Rollo2, at 26, is still single and working as an Assistant in Warehouse. It just looks like they’ve moved to a slightly better area of Roath – these properties are opposite a park.
The following year Rollo2 married a Gladys Elizabeth EVANS (1885 – 1962) and looks like they had three children between 1915 and 1922. Their first born Rollo3 G E COOKE (1915 – 1915) clearly didn’t survive long though.
Regarding Alonzo’s military career we have evidence that in the 1914 – 1918 war he was still working on the ships despite being in his 50s. He was issued the Campaign Medal for World War I Merchant Seamen and a couple of others it appears 3. Not sure of any specific movement but presumably just endeavouring to keep supply lines going and moving troops etc.
The next record found for him is a passenger list for 26 November 1920. He is sailing on the Adriatic which is part of the White Star Dominion Line. It is travelling from New York to Southampton. Travelling in third class, alone, with address given as 91 Westville Road, Cardiff. Maybe he had taken a vessel abroad and now returning home.
Following year we find he’s travelling again and this time on Cunard’s Imperator. Leaving Liverpool on 26 February 1921 for New York where it seems he arrives on 07 March 1921. States country of Intended Future Permanent Residence is USA but since every page is the same it’s presumably a blanket entry.
Another directory entry confirms same address for 1923. No idea about his life for the next decade but seems his wife died on 11 March 1931. He survives another 4 years and dies on 23 January 1935 aged 72. His address given as 32 Cottrell Road, Cardiff but he died at 30a Cowbridge Road, Cardiff. This place was a workhouse from 1839 to 1948 when it joined the NHS as St David’s Hospital. It’s possible that maybe they had started looking after the infirm for nursing care in the 1930s.
He is another member of the family that is buried, or at least remembered, at Cathays Cemetery 4 and seems to be in plot L, 1604. Probate granted on 26 February 1935 at Llandaff. This gives it all to his nephew Albert2, son of brother Rollo1, who was listed as a Coal Factor. His effects were £727 17s 1d which would be worth between £50,900 and £344,500 now.
Alonzo Augustus GAVIN was a 4x Great Uncle to me. The nearest shared ancestors are my 4x Great Grandparents Daniel O’Brien GAVIN (1822 – 1873) and Jane LAWRENCE (1829 – 1874).
Footnotes –
Most research undertaken using Ancestry, FreeBMD and Google Maps. Additional resources listed below if utilised.
- JSTOR – https://www.jstor.org/stable/41438754?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents ↩︎
- WRECK site – https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?149903 ↩︎
- National Archives – http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D801729 ↩︎
- Find A Grave – https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/289768604/alonzo-augustus-gavin ↩︎