Random Thoughts from Commuterland: Walter Russell (1859

Another great grandfather:

Walter Russell was born on 21 September 1859 at The Grove, Portland[1] where his father, Thomas Russell, was a warder at the convict prison. He was the second child of Thomas and his wife, Sarah Warren. Walter was baptised on 27 November 1859 at the parish church in Stinsford[2], Thomas’s home village.

The family would appear to have remained on Portland for some time being recorded there in both the 1861[3] and 1871[4] censuses.

My uncle had told me that Walter was a cook in the Royal Navy, becoming a petty officer, prior to becoming a prison warder at Portland before it became a borstal[5]. There is, indeed, a record of a Walter Russell, born in Portland signing on to the Navy on about 17 April 1875[6]. His day of birth is given as 3 March 1857. The GRO indexes show that the birth of another Walter Russell was registered in the Weymouth district in the fourth quarter of 1858 so it is possible that this navy record is not that of ‘our’ Walter, but circumstantial evidence suggests otherwise. It seems likely, therefore that Walter falsified his age in order to enlist. It appears that he served on just two ships; first the Boscowen and then the Northumberland; leaving the service on 12 December 1882[7]. In the 1881 census he was recorded as being a gun room servant aboard the Northumberland, at anchor off Gibraltar[8].

His naval records provide some physical characteristics – 5ft 1in tall (perhaps more evidence of under-age enlistment), light brown hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion[9].

On 13 April 1886 he married Ellen Young at the parish church, Ryde, IoW[10]. Their marriage certificate states that he was an assistant warder and was resident in Portsea making it almost certain that his employment was in Portsea. On his daughter’s birth certificate of 1888[11], in the record of his son’s baptism in 1889[12] and in the 1891 census[13] his residence was given a 4 Unicorn Buildin gs, Landport. By 1889 he had become a full warder.

By the time of the 1901 census[14] he had been posted to Portland but is once again listed as an assistant warder. Ten years later he had moved again and was resident at 129 Hunnyhill, Newport, IoW[15]. His occupation is recorded as prison officer. I assume this was at Parkhurst, which is not far from Hunnyhill, and where Joan Holland recalled meeting him and his wife (Joan called her aunt Nell)[16].

Ellen died in 1928 and the next record I have found of Walter is his death at 9 Victoria Terrace, Weymouth on 7 February 1939[17]. I think this was probably some form of nursing home as his residence was recorded as 48, Old Castle Road where he had been living with my grandparents for several years[18]. His grandson, Neil Russell recalled a holiday in Weymouth in summer 1939 when his father and my grandmother agreed the final division of some of Walter Russell’s assets[19], his total estate amounting to just £476[20].

My father had fond memories of Walter and particularly recalled that he used to mend the family’s boots[21].

[1] Birth registration GRO reference 1859 Dec Weymouth 5A 332.

[2] Stinsford parish baptism records 1859, p93.

[3] 1861 England and wales census RG9/1351/1447/51.

[4] 1871 England and Wales census RG10/2006/57/49.

[5] Walter Harry Bawden letter 0008.

[6] Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services ADM/188/99/91941.

[7] Ibid.

[8] 1881 England and Wales census RG11/5635/13/24.

[9] Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services ADM/188/99/91941.

[10] Marriage registration 1886 Jun I Wight 2B 967.

[11] Birth registration GRO reference 1888 Mar Portsea 2b 453.

[12] Baptism register, Holy Trinity, Portsea 1889, p19.