Life History

Notes

• The workhouse (Taunton)...
  
  Frank and his family were in and out of the Workhouse. The following gives some of the dates of admission and discharge.
  
  Notes from the Union Workhouse Admission and Discharge Register D\G\TA 60/2
  
  Thursday May 4 1876 admitted before dinner from parish of St James by board. Emma Turle, COE, Servant, b 1854, age 21, diet 6
  Alfred (this is probably Frank), age 2, diet 4a
  
  Thursday 26 July 1876, before dinner, Turle, female infant of Emma b 1876, diet 9
  
  Wednesday 30 August 1876 after dinner, Emma Turle, diet 6, Sent to work, St James parish. Frank Turle, diet 4a to St James parish,  female infant  Turle, diet 9 to St James parish
  
  Saturday 30 September 1876 admitted before supper, Emma Turle, b 1855, age 21, diet 5,  from St James parish, Frank Turle, b 1873, age 3, diet 4a,  admitted from St James parish,  infant Turle, age 7 wks, diet 9, admitted from St James parish
  
  In on 11 May 1877 Emma, Frank and infant left on 4 July 1878
  (from Index D\G\TA 65/1 Somerset Record office)
  
  Thursday 4 July 1878 after breakfast, discharged at own request Emma Turle, diet 5, to St James parish, Frank Turle, diet 4a to St James parish, Jane Turle, diet 9 to St James parish
  
  Saturday 20 July 1878 admitted before supper, Emma Turle, factory hand, COE, b 1855, age 23, diet 5, from St James parish, Frank Turle, b 1873, age 5, diet 4a,  admitted from St James parish, Jane Turle, b 1876, age 2, diet 8a, admitted from St James parish
  
  Admitted on 29 Jan 1879 Emma 24, Frank 6 and Jane 3
  left on 21 Apr1879 (from Index D\G\TA 65/2 Somerset Record office)
  
  Thursday 13 March 1879, admitted before breakfast Emma Turle's male infant, 13 Mar 1879, diet 9, from St James parish
  
  Friday 14 March 1879 after breakfast Emma Turle's male infant, dead, St James' parish
  
  Admitted on 22 Apr 1879 Emma 24, Frank 6 and Jane 3 left on 20 Apr1880 (from Index D\G\TA 65/2 Somerset Record office)
  
  Admitted on 20 June 1880 Emma, Frank and Jane. Emma left on 4 March1882, Frank and Jane left on 6 March 1882 (from Index D\G\TA65/2 Somerset Record office)
  
  Admitted 27 April 1882 Emma Frank and Jane  (from Index D\G\TA 65/2 Somerset Record office)
  
  Admitted 24 August 1882 Emma 29, Frank 8 and Jane 6 out on 29 September 1882 (from Index D\G\TA 65/2 Somerset Record office)
  
  Admitted 23 April 1884 Frank 10 and Jane 7 from Bishops Hull. Frank out 28 Nov 1885 Jane 31 May 1884 (from Index D\G\TA 65/2Somerset Record office)
  
  .4
• The sailor
  
  By the age of 11 Frank had spent most of his life in a workhouse with his mother and sister.  He was born in St Thomas Workhouse in Devon in 1874 but by 1881 was in the Taunton Union Workhouse. His mother took him in and out of this institution on a regular basis but after 31 May 1885 when his sister Jane was discharged he appears to have remained in there alone until 28 Nov 1885 when he was discharged. Frank worked as a labourer until he joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class in July 1890 learning the ropes on a training ship, HMS Boscawen, in Portland, Dorset . His place of birth shown on the1891 census is given as "Quanton" but this may be a misunderstanding of the young man's accent. Commander George Anson Primrose was responsible for between 500-600 boys on his ship. By 1895 Commander Gerard M Brooke had taken over the command of the ship. His crew included three school masters to broaden the boys education. With so many boys discipline was neccessarily strict and so were the punishments for offenders. Their training was to prepare them for a life at sea and the boys learnt to set up topmast rigging and cross upper yards, and they learned to scrub and wash hammocks and to make and mend clothes. They also cleaned boats, took lead line instruction, engaged in physical drill, including dumb bell exercises and gymnastics, landed field artillery, learned rifle drill and, at the turn of the century, went ashore to receive machine gun and ammunition instruction. They coaled and painted ship, and formed a fire brigade which could be called ashore in an emergency. The boys were paid a small amount of pocket money (in 1872, 3d per week) and were fed and clothed. In September 1890 Frank received £6 clothing and bedding allowance and another £2 10s at Xmas in 1891. On Sundays the boys attended divine service. During the summer they were given leave and this provided an opportunity for dockyard men to join the ship to make good defects.The training ship HMS Boscawen had been taken to Portland in1862 having been reduced to a hulk following 18 years of service. The original Boscawen was replaced in 1873 by HMS Trafalgar renamed as HMS Boscawen. This ship remained at Portland until 1906 and so would have been the one that Frank served on. Two other ships were later brought in to join HMS Boscawen as the need demanded, Minotaur in 1898 and Agincour in1904. These were renamed Boscawen II and Boscawen III respectively.
  
  On 15 July 1891 Frank became Boy 1st Class and in February the following year was transferred to HMS Sans Pareil. He became an Ordinary Seaman in April 1892 and an Able Bodied Seaman in March 1893.
  
  A month later Frank transferred to HMS Pembroke where, apart from three months at the RN Gunnery School HMS Wildfire in Sheerness, Kent, he remained until he was discharged to hospital. Frank was described as having a very good character.
  
  .

Sources

• 1. Registers of Seamen's Services
  • www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline
• 2. Registers of Seamen's Services
  • www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline
  • ADM/188/227
• 3. NHM Boscowan.
  • http://strudwicks.com/ships&navy
• 4. Taunton Union Workhouse records