William Semmens RN
This page is for the discussion of William Samuel Semmens b 1866 in Strood Kent or maybe 1862 in Southwark Surrey! He is interesting not only because of his naval career but also because he is believed to have married his cousin and we are trying to connect him back to the earlier Semmens families in Essex.
Parents and Birth
Up until recently it was thought that William was born in 1862 in Southwark as part of this family:
1861 census
39 Great Union Street, St George Southwark, Surrey
Samuel SEMMENS head mar 33 fire escape conductor b.Little Totham Essex
Marian wife 31 b.Little Totham Essex
James son 7? b.City of London
Ann dau 2 b.City of London
RG9/332 folio 37 page 26
and, possibly:
1871 census
34 Wellington Place, West Ham
Samuel SIMMONS head mar 45 carman b.(not known) Essex
Sarah wife 34 b.(not known) Surrey
Ann dau 12 b.Southwark St George
William son 9 b.Southwark St George
John WOOD visitor wid 61 painter b.(City) London Middlesex
RG10/1628 folio 79 page 97
There are records of Marian dying and thus Samuel re-marrying. I can't find in my notes the reasoning behind his attachment to this group. The birth of a William Semmens is on FreeBMD as plain William in the March (qtr) of 1862.
However is naval record records him as being born in 1866 in Strood in Kent. Strangely both sets of notes have his birthday as 3rd January. The Strood Parish Baptism records are on line, but we can't find william in them. This DoB matches the age on his marriage certificate and in the 1901 census.
I am trying to obtain copies of his Birth and Marriage certificates to check these dates.
An alternative, unproven, parentage is that he was the grandson of Samuel James Semmens b 1803 by his oldest son, James, born c 1827. Why James is calling himself Samuel (if indeed it is he) by 1850 I don't know, but there are others who seem to have changed their names at various times.
There is a record of a marriage between a Samuel James Simmonds and Maria Simmonds in the Maldon registry in the September quarter of 1850. We will need to get the Marriage certificate to check.
Naval Career
He joined the Royal Navy in 1881 and rose to the rank of CPO before retiring (for the first time) in 1909. He joined the RFR Portsmouth (Royal Fleet Reserve) and rejoined the service in 1914. He was finally demobed in 1919.
This is currently a place holder for the documents we have found, but I intend to add more notes as his details are uncovered.
Image of Original Naval Record in PDF format 232Kb
Transcription of Naval Record in Word 2003 format 103Kb
Transcription of Naval Record in Word 2007 format 23Kb
Helpful discussion on interpreting record
There is another very comprehensive interpretation of a naval record here
The Loch Loyal William's Minesweeper. There does not seem to be a photograph of this.