William Henry Seaman P/3879

[Roger Seaman]

My great grandfather was William Henry Seaman who was 39 when he enlisted on 14.01.1915 in the Military Foot Police. I am not aware that he left England during the war but I would like to know if there is any information on his activities?

 

Thanks

[corisande]

Welcome to the Forum

 

Presumably you have read his service record  on FmP - should be on Ancestry too

 

He joined Royal Fusiliers and was posted MFP in 1916

[corisande]

He appears to be born Norfolk 21 Jul 1875, and married on same day in Bury St Edmunds in 1917

 

A page on his service record shows tha he came from Cape Town to enlist. And that ties in with a W H Seaman arriving in UK from Cape Town 21 Oct 1914. He was a Publican.

 

The service record indicates what he had to do to get his fare paid to return to South Africa

[Roger Seaman]

Hi Corisande - Thanks for the info.  I struggled to read some areas of the record. I had not picked up he was a publican....it said he was a speculator?  How did you interpret the payment arrangement for the trip from Cape Town?  Thanks

[corisande]

He would appear to qualify for the cost of a ticket at £14-3-6 if he filfilled the necessary conditions, but it refers toa  War Dept letter that covered the payment to all men that returned to UK to enlist. I have no idea what the conditions were, but if it was important to you , then you would have to find the reference letter quoted below. Probably not worth the effort!

 

 

The shipping record gives him as a Publican - its on Ancestry

 

 

 

[corisande]

Roger

 

I am not sure whether you will want to hear this, but he was in fact married in South Africa on 1906. The record is on FamilySearch.org

 

I have no idea whether his wife died before he remarried, or they divorced or ...

 

[corisande]

I think that he probably died in Brentford in 1923 (you would need death cert to try to prove it)

 

There were a number of children by his 1917 marriage to Florence Trdugett. The last one was in Brentford in 1922

[corisande]

And his wife died in 1921 in South Africa. There is no indication that she was divorced from W H Seaman when she died. The death cert indicates that they did not have any children, but she did have a son William by her first marriage

 

[Roger Seaman]

Hi Corisande - Thanks for the info. 

[corisande]

...and I think finally, the Family Search site - click - has Augusta's Last Will (dated 1919) leaving everything to her son by her first marriage. There is also a legal agreement dated July 1914, of separation between Augusta and William Henry, in which he agrees to pay maintenance

 

There does appear to be a divorce. He left in Oct 1914 to return to UK and enlisted Jan 1915

[Roger Seaman]

Hi Corisande - Thanks again for the info.  You have found out more than we ever did about my grandfather! Had started to think he was a bigamist!   The last child was my father, born in 1922 from his marriage to Florence Trudgett.  To the best of my knowledge there were only two children from the marriage.  Best wishes

[PRC]

On 06/05/2021 at 00:49, corisande said:

He appears to be born Norfolk 21 Jul 1875, and married on same day in Bury St Edmunds in 1917

 

The baptism of a William Henry Seaman, born 21st July 1875, took place at St Mary, Whissonsett, Norfolk on the 8th September 1875. Parents were William, a farmer, and Martha.

https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818a763e93790eca38fb34a/william-henry-seaman-baptism-norfolk-whissonsett-1875-09-08?locale=en

 

 

Image of the parish register courtesy familysearch .

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JQCR-2HF

 

The birth of a William Henry Seaman, mothers’ maiden name Makins , was registered with the Civil Authorities in the Mitford District of Norfolk in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1875. Mitford Civil Registration District included the Civil Parish of Whissonsett.

 

On the 1881 Census of England & Wales the family are shown living on Bridge Street, Fakenham, Norfolk. Father William, 29, is a Coffee House manager, while mother Martha, (32), is an Apistan – I belive that is a Beekeeper!

 

The 15 year old William H, a Capenters apprentice, was recorded living with his maternal grandparents, John & Maria Makins, at Lancaster Terrace, Queens Road, Fakenham, on the 1891 Census of England & Wales. His parents were living at Froston Road, Stibbard, Norfolk. William is recorded as a Farmer again.

 

Martha, aged 52 and a widow, was recorded as the head of a household in the village of Kettlestone, Norfolk on the 1901 Census of England & Wales. She is recorded as a Farmer and employer. As well as her son William H, (26) who is recorded with what was then a traditional occupation, “Farmers Son”, she was living there with her widower brother John Makins, a Retired Farmer, a live in servant and a boarder.

 

On the 1911 Census of the England & Wales the 62 year old widow Martha Seaman was recorded living with three of ther nephews at Mill House, North Elmham, Norfolk – the address given for her by William Henry Seaman on his 1915 enlistment. William also gave it as his current address on enlistment.

 

In the church of St Mary, North Elham there is a hand written Roll of Honour of those from the village who served in the Great War. From memory I think only the nephews are potentially recorded there – unfortunately I only have a very blurry photograph and it is on my to do list to return to and take a better picture.

 

In answer to the question on the attestation, William stated he wasn’t married.

 

There is no obvious Civil Probate for the William Henry Seaman whose death was registered  in the Brentford District in 1923.

 

Hope some of that helps,

Peter

 

 

[Roger Seaman]

Peter....Thanks very much. Had previous picked up some of the info but some was new.  Regards. Roger