John Wilson Henry 28th December 1879 – 13th July 1948
|
Early Life.
John Wilson Henry was born on the 28th December 1879 at Dan-y-lan Farm (now known locally as Manor Farm), Newton,Porthcawl. His father, a ship’s master, Captain William Henry was married to Catherine Wilson, the daughter of Thomas Wilson, then farming Dan-y-lan , a farm of 900 acres. William Henry, also of farming stock and born at Hutchwns Farm in the same parish, had gone to sea at the age of 15 and worked through the sea faring ranks to obtain his Master’s Certificate of Competence (No 92277) at Bristol in 1875 at the age of 27 yrs. He had command of a number of cargo vessels operating worldwide. Captain William Henry On 15th October 1886, as Master and part-owner of the ss Castleton, William along with all hands died when the ship foundered in in the tail of a hurricane off Lundy Island. Sixteen other ships perished that day in the Bristol Channel. Thus at the age of six , John had lost his father at sea. |
John's father,Captain William
Henry
|
John Wilson Henry
|
This did not deter John from such a career and in 1900 he joined the tramp cargo vessel the ss Tregarthen of St Ives as 5th Engineer. Working routes from Bristol to Buenos Aires, over the next decade he worked his way up through the engineering ranks. In 1908 he obtained his Extra First Engineers Certificate. In1910 he joined his uncle, Charles Jones, as his assistant at the latter’s Ship Surveying Consultancy firm in Cardiff. In 1911 he was elected a member of The Institute of Marine Engineers. In 1920 he became an Associate of the Society of Consulting Marine Engineers and Ship Surveyors and was in 1937 advanced to a Fellow of the Society |
World War 1
Whilst living on Richmond Rd, Cardiff, very soon after war was declared on 4th August 1914, John enlisted into the 11th Battalion, the Welch Regiment on 11th September 1914. (No 14175.) The Battalion was also known as No 1 “c” Commercial Battalion. The Battalion trained at Seaford on the South Downs. Although, John was promoted to Lance Corporal in April 1915, the lack of frontline action persuaded him to ask for a transfer to the Navy in July that year. Almost immediately, on the 9th July he was posted to Aldershot and then appointed Temporary Warrant Engineer, R.N.R, with H.M.S. Vivid, Devonport. On 7th August 1915 he was posted to H.M.S St George near Cleethorpes and then to H.M.S Wallington at Grimsby on 17th November that year. He was commissioned as Temporary Engineer Sub-Lieutenant, R.N.R on 1ST July 1917 and promoted Temporary Engineer Lieutenant on 1st July 1918.
At Grimsby and other ports on the East Coast he worked on maintenance and repair of the Minesweeper Fleet including trawlers and paddle steamers of the P & A Campbell fleet.
Whilst living on Richmond Rd, Cardiff, very soon after war was declared on 4th August 1914, John enlisted into the 11th Battalion, the Welch Regiment on 11th September 1914. (No 14175.) The Battalion was also known as No 1 “c” Commercial Battalion. The Battalion trained at Seaford on the South Downs. Although, John was promoted to Lance Corporal in April 1915, the lack of frontline action persuaded him to ask for a transfer to the Navy in July that year. Almost immediately, on the 9th July he was posted to Aldershot and then appointed Temporary Warrant Engineer, R.N.R, with H.M.S. Vivid, Devonport. On 7th August 1915 he was posted to H.M.S St George near Cleethorpes and then to H.M.S Wallington at Grimsby on 17th November that year. He was commissioned as Temporary Engineer Sub-Lieutenant, R.N.R on 1ST July 1917 and promoted Temporary Engineer Lieutenant on 1st July 1918.
At Grimsby and other ports on the East Coast he worked on maintenance and repair of the Minesweeper Fleet including trawlers and paddle steamers of the P & A Campbell fleet.
Sometime after he was commissioned the base was due to be inspected by King George V, a renowned stickler for naval etiquette, causing some alarm to John for any likely inspection. John still had his Warrant Officer sword differing from the Commissioned Officer’s sword in its pommel and the colour handle grip. Possibly, swords were difficult to obtain, so the black leather of the sword was, quickly, painted white while the handle was handled carefully during the parade to hide the pommel. Thankfully, King George was none the wiser.
John was demobbed on 31st May 1919. He returned to work at his Uncle Charles’s Consultancy firm in Cardiff. In 1925 Charles Jones died, whereupon John moved to the Charles Radcliffe & Co, Cardiff, as a Superintendent Marine Engineer .Later in 1926 John joined the Tempus Shipping Co / W. H. Seager & Co, Cardiff
|
William Seager set up his shipping company in Cardiff as the Tempus Shipping Co in 1904. In 1909 he took over the control of the Starcross SS Co from J. Hoggarth, Cardiff together with their single ship and by 1914 the company owned four ships. Two ships were lost to enemy action, but new purchases meant that the fleet remained at four in 1918. Three ships were sold in 1919 leaving the company with only one. However, new ships were delivered between the wars and by 1939 five tramps were owned. Four of these were lost during WWII and the remaining ship was sold in 1946. John retired from full-time work in April 1944 and moved back to Porthcawl. However, he commuted to Cardiff for another 2 years undergoing part-time work.
|
|
Personal Life
On 10th December 1919, John married Daisy Emily Thomas from Cardiff. The following six years saw the birth of their two sons , Edward and Peter.
Zeppelin raids were carried out on London in 1915 and 1916, claiming 500 lives.
During the Great War, Daisy who had been trained as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital, was a Theatre Sister at Hammersmith General Hospital handling war casualties and where she performed procedures in theatre above all expectations for a nurse. Whilst in London she worked with Dr G Huggins who was later to become the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia and , also, witnessed Zeppelin bombing raids.
On 10th December 1919, John married Daisy Emily Thomas from Cardiff. The following six years saw the birth of their two sons , Edward and Peter.
Zeppelin raids were carried out on London in 1915 and 1916, claiming 500 lives.
During the Great War, Daisy who had been trained as a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital, was a Theatre Sister at Hammersmith General Hospital handling war casualties and where she performed procedures in theatre above all expectations for a nurse. Whilst in London she worked with Dr G Huggins who was later to become the Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia and , also, witnessed Zeppelin bombing raids.
|
After retiring completely in 1946 John became a member of the Parochial Church Council of St John’s Church, Newton, Porthcawl . During his tenure, John designed and supervised the over hall of the coal fire heating system and had made the bronzed weather vane, which is still in evidence today. Although he lived in Porthcawl, he always remained a member of the United Services Club in Cardiff.
As most of his life was shared with the sea, it is not surprising that his favourite pub in Porthcawl was the Jolly Sailor. On July 13th 1948 John died and is buried in St John’s Churchyard,Porthcawl. * Information and photographs provided by John Wilson Henry's son,Mr Peter Henry, a Porthcawl man. |