Straw
bonnet maker of Whitby and mariner’s wife. Her life was beset with tragedy. She lost her father when she was only five years old in 1837. She lost her husband at sea, when she was still only 36 years old, together with her brother, in a storm in 1868 (only months after her husband had survived another wrecking). |
Mary Farndale
FAR00320
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Dates are in red.
Hyperlinks to other pages are in dark blue.
Headlines of Mary’s life are in brown.
References and citations are in turquoise.
Context and local history are in purple.
1832
Mary Farndale was born on 26 September 1832, the daughter of John
Christopher & Ann Farndale, (FAR00244).
She was baptised at Whitby on 24 October
1832 (Whitby
PR & IGI).
1837
Mary’s father, John Christopher Farndale the Elder died in 1837,
when Mary was only five years old.
1841
After Mary’s father, John the Elder had
died, the Census of 1841 for Whitby
Cray listed his widow, Ann Farndale, age 45; born in Yorks (ie
1796); Thomas Farndale, age 13 (FAR00300); John Farndale, aged 10 (FAR00308);
Mary Farndale, aged 8 (FAR00320).
1851
The Census of 1851 for St Anne’s Snaith, Whitby
listed Mary Farndale, aged 18; unmarried; straw bonnet maker.
1852
Mary Farndale, 20,
of Pier Whitby, daughter of the late John Christopher Farndale, married John Chambers, a mariner, son of John Chambers at St Mary the Virgin, Whitby on 10 December
1852.
1854
Sarah Ann Chambers was born
in 1854.
1861
The 1861 Census for 8 George Street, Ruswarp, Whitby listed Ann Farndale, a widow, 65, was head
of the household, with Mary Chambers, her daughter aged 25 (Mariner’s
wife and house lodger), and Sarah Ann Chambers, presumably her granddaughter,
aged 7, a scholar
So she seemed to have lived
with her widowed mother and daughter.
1868
Mary lost her husband, John Chambers at sea, with her brother John
Christopher Farndale (FAR00308).
The Times, Thursday 20
February 1868, page 12 and The Newcastle
Daily Journal, Friday 21 February 1868:
THE NORFOLK SCREW
STEAMER.
The following is a list
of the crew of the screw steamer Norfolk, of Wisbech, lost upon the French
coast in the storms of a week ago. She was laden with coals from the Tyne for
Barcelona, and her crew signed articles at the South Shields shipping office:
Master: John C Farndale, 56 years
of age, belonging to Whitby, but residing at 14, New Parade, Wisbech;
Mate: William J Cousins,
Portsmouth;
Second Mate: William H Telford,
Wisbech;
Carpenter: Henry Nisbet,
Sunderland;
Steward: Watson Leek, Whitby;
Boatswain: George Fern,
Bridgewater;
Lamp trimmer: John
Chambers, Whitby;
Seamen: Samuel Gridgeman,
Wisbech; Samuel Matthews, Bristol;
William Parry, Manchester; William Donnelly, Wisbech;
Engineer: George Moody, South
Shields;
Assistant Engineer: David
Harkness, South Shields;
Leading Fireman: George
Laund, London;
Firemen: Thomas Previlage,
Trieste; Charles Gordon, Manchester; William Rewscastle, South Shields, and
Robert Graves, London.
The Ipswich Journal, Saturday
22 February 1868:
LOSS OF THE STEAMSHIP
NORFOLK.
Intelligence has been
received at Wisbech of the loss of the fine steamship Norfolk, and all her
crew, consisting of 18 persons. The Norfolk, which was launched about two years
since, was on her voyage from Newcastle to Barcelona, laden with coals, and the
telegram which was received from Nantes, February 7th, was as follows:
“Advice is from
Roscoff, dated February 5th, stated that the master of the Aiglon arrived at
that port, reported having seen a large steamer founder January 22nd, during a
heavy gale, from the neighbourhood of Ushant. Some papers which are supposed to
have belonged to the Norfolk (s), Ferndale (sic), from Newcastle for Barcelona,
have been picked up near Plouescat, and a life buoy, marked Norfolk, has been
picked up at sea by some Roscoff boats.”
The names of the crews
so far as can be ascertained, were as follows: Captain John C Farndale, 37 of
Wisbech, had been 17 years master and was much respected, has left a widow and
three children. William John Cousins, chief officer, from Hartlepool. William
H B Telford, 22, second officer. He passed his examination on the 8th of
January, with great credit, and obtained the certificate at Sunderland only
three days before he went on board. He was educated at Wisbech grammar school.
He was brother of Mrs Farndale and son of J H Telford, of Wisbech. John
Chambers, 38, third officer, married Captain Farndale's sister, and
has left a widow and one child at Sunderland. This was his first voyage in the
Norfolk, and only a few months ago he was wrecked, and was four days on
board the wreck, off Yarmouth. Watson Lake, 25, who was also a relative of
Captain Farndale. His mother is living at Whitby, and she has lost her
husband and five sons at sea. William Donaby, about 25, boatswain, has left
a sister at Wisbech; George Wenn, seaman; George Cox, 18, son of Captain John
Cox, of the Robert Lowe (s), and Queen Street, Wisbech, apprentice, Samuel
Gridgman, 21, seaman, his parents reside in the Leverington Road, Wisbech, John
Stevenson, chief engineer, and eight others whose names are at present unknown.
The Norfolk was the property of Richard young Esquire, MP, and was insured.
1903
Mary Chambers, died at Scarborough, aged 71, in the first quarter
of 1903,
she was born 1832.