 1853 - 1921 (67 years)
-
| Name |
Richard Facey CROWTHER [1] |
| Born |
24 Jul 1853 |
Millbrook, Cornwall, England  [2] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Naval Service |
1874 [2] |
- He served in the Royal Navy. His records describe him as «i»Richard FACEY CROWTHER; born 24 July 1853 in Millbrook, Cornwall. He was engaged 28 October 1874 and remained 10 years. Described as 5-8 in height, light hair, light blue eyes, fair complexion, anchor sign on left hand, Shipwright.
«/i»
He served on three ships; «i»Indus«/i», shipwt, 28 October 1874 to November 5; «i»Sappho,«/i» shipwt. 6 November 1874 - 19 February 1877; and on the «i»Wolverene,«/i» car.mte. 20 February 1877 - 12 October 1877. His character was described on the first ship as VG; on the second as Exy; and on the third as Exemplary; promoted to [?] Carpenter. Remarks: Traced Pens. 19/12/93.
|
| Address |
1879 |
Millbrook, Cornwall, England [3] |
- Address prior to his marriage on 13 June 1879.
|
| Died |
15 Apr 1921 |
Portsmouth, Hampshire, England [4] |
| Buried |
20 Apr 1921 |
Kingston Cemetery, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England [4, 5] |
Address:
Kingston Cemetery
Portsmouth, Hampshire
England |
- Richard S. CROWTHER, aged 67 yrs, buried on the 20 April 1921 in Kingston Cemetery; location: Andrews, Row No 10 and Grave No 37. He died at Shadwell Road, Portsmouth. (Transcripts) He was buried with his second wife, at New Road Cemetery, Copnor, Portsmouth. (Facey-Crowther)
|
| Notes |
- Biography written by David R. Facey-Crowther for a Crowther reunion. [Excerpts]
"Susannah FACEY, our direct ancestor, married Thomas CROWTHER, two years her junior, a labourer of Millbrook, Cornwall. Their lives were filled with personal tragedy, so common to parents of that generation. They lost one child at eleven weeks, another at less than three years of age and a son at twenty-five. Their marriage marks the beginning of the FACEY - CROWTHER line because after that date the "Facey" part of our name was carried forth in each generation, right up to the present time. As most of you now know, the name should have been hyphenated - that was an error of my father's generation. Even then there were only two families that used the name, Dick and Ralph's offspring. Richard Facey-Crowther, Ralph's son, uses the name as does his offspring. But given the current practice of women adopting their husband's surname it might be that the continuance of the name will depend on my brother Leigh's son, John, and whether or not he has any offspring.
The first of the Facey Crowthers of interest to us is Richard, son of Thomas CROWTHER and Susannah FACEY. Born in Millbrook, Cornwall, on 24 July 1853, he received his trade training as a ship's carpenter as an apprentice with the Royal Navy. It was while in training at the Boy's Training Ship HMS Impregnable, moored off Cremyll, he one day made his way to the obelisk located in a park near the shipyard. There, with hammer and chisel, he chipped out his name into the bottom left corner of the base side facing Mount Edgcumbe Park. These letters "R. F. Crowther" carry an auspicious date -1 July 1867 - the birth date of the Canadian nation where generations of the family now reside.
Richard later served with the Royal Navy as a seaman. In 1878, at the age of 25, the year before he married Minnie Laura COOMBS, he was promoted to the rank of Carpenter, at that time a commissioned rank in the Navy. In 1882, the year his first son, Cecil Clinton, was born, he was assigned to HMS Hecla, a torpedo depot ship with the powerful Mediterranean Fleet. In July of that year, elements of that fleet were sent to Alexandria, Egypt, as past of a demonstration against a rising in the Egyptian Army under Arabi Pasha that threatened the Suez Canal. The demonstration having failed the Royal Navy ships fired on the defences of Alexandria where the Pasha's forces were concentrated. Richard Facey CROWTHER was present at that bombardment for which he received the Egyptian Medal, Alexandria Clasp and the Bronze Star from the Egyptian king or khedive as he was then called. Richard was later involved in naval operations against Suakim in the eastern Sudan in 1884, for which he was awarded a service medal. These medals are on display in the White House by the Sea.
Richard later served with HMS Vernon, the torpedo school ship at Portsmouth where he remained for three years. He then joined HMS Boadicea, flagship of the East Indies squadron, then based at Trincomalee, Ceylon. He remained at HMS Dockyards in Trincomalee until 1892. In the interim his first wife, Minnie Laura, died and he remarried in 1891.
Richard's second wife was Louisa Alexandra Irene Andree HUNTER, from which the HUNTER - CROWTHER branch of the family emerged. In 1892, Richard and his new wife returned to England where he was posted to Jarrow-on-Tyne, South Shields, in northern England on standby for HMS Resolution. The following year, at the age of 40, he was invalided out of the service with the rank of Lieutenant R.N. although the injury which necessitated his discharge from the service is not known.
Richard and Louisa returned to Trincomalee where he purchased a small estate and became a cocoa planter. Thus began the family's connection with Ceylon. Richard returned to England in 1910 and during the First World War rejoined the Royal Navy and served with HMS Amphitrite. Louisa died on 8 October 1914 aged 47. Richard died seven years later on 15 April 1921 and was buried with Louisa in New Road Cemetery, Copnow, Portsmouth.
By his first marriage Richard had five children, four sons and one daughter. The eldest was Cecil Clinton FACEY, born on 11 June 1882 in Devonport, England. By the second marriage, Richard had two sons and three daughters. One of the sons was Richard, the beloved Uncle Dick who, as we shall see, played a generous role in straightening out the family fortunes after Cecil died in 1935. One of the daughters, Aunt Ida, a delightful and charming person, graced our 50th anniversary celebrations in 1980. I met her brother Percy Hunter CROWTHER on a trip to Portsmouth in 1960." [4]
|
| Person ID |
I6125 |
Nosworthy |
| Last Modified |
14 Dec 2020 |
| Father |
Thomas CROWTHER, b. Abt 1820, Millbrook, Cornwall, England , d. 6 Mar 1888, Cornwall, England (Age ~ 68 years) |
| Mother |
Susanna FACEY, b. Abt 1817, Millbrook, Cornwall, England , d. 1874, Cornwall, England (Age ~ 57 years) |
| Married |
1 Jan 1843 |
Stoke Damerel, Devon, England [1, 6] |
- Thomas CROWTHER, of full age, Bachelor, Labourer, residing at 20 William St., son of Evan CROWTHER, Labourer, married Susanna FACEY, of full age, Spinster, residing at 45 Navy Row, daughter of Richard FACEY, Shipwright. Married after banns on 1 January 1843 at the Parish Church in the Parish of Stoke Damerel, Devon. Both signed their names as did the witnesses, John SYMONDS and John FACEY Sen.
[John Symonds most likely a clerk based on entries in register; the second witness, John FACEY, has not yet been identified.] [6]
|
| Address |
1851 [7] |
| West St., Maker, Cornwall |
| Address |
1861 [8] |
| Millbrook, Cornwall |
| Address |
1871 [9] |
| Millpool Head, Millbrook, Cornwall |
| Family ID |
F1573 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 1 |
Minnie Louisa COOMBES, b. 1856, Stoke Damerel, Devon, England , d. Bef 28 Apr 1890, Portsea, Hampshire, England (Age 34 years) |
| Married |
13 Jun 1879 |
Devonport, Devon, England [1, 3] |
- Richard Facey CROWTHER applied for a marriage license on 10 June 1879; it was granted on 11 June 1879.
Richard Facey CROWTHER, full age, Bachelor, Carpenter R.N., residing Millbrook, son of Thomas CROWTHER, Carpenter, married Minnie Laura COOMBES, full age, Spinster, residing Pasley? St., daughter of John Cornelius COOMBES, Gentleman. Married at the Parish Church in the Parish of St. Michael, Devonport, on 13 June 1879, by license, by J. A. Ballen, officiating minister. Both signed the register, as did the witnesses, John Cornelius COOMBES and Louisa WRIGHT. [Minnie's father and sister were witnesses.] [1, 3, 10]
|
| Address |
1880 [11] |
| 14 Herbert Place, Stoke Damerel, Devon |
- Address at the baptism of their son Reginald on 15 April 1880; also at the time of his burial in August of the same year.
|
| Address |
1881 [12] |
| 14 Herbert Place, Stoke Damerel, Devon |
| Address |
1883 [13] |
| 47 Sydenham terrace, Fratton, Hants |
- Address appeared in the Portsmouth Evening News on 5 June 1883. "I Richard Facey CROWTHER, late of 14 Herbert-place, Stoke, Devonport, but now of 47 Sydenham-terrace, Fratton, in the County of Hants, Carpenter in the Royal Navy, hereby give notice that I will not be answerable for any debts contracted by my wife, Minnie Laura CROWTHER. Dated this 1st day of June, 1883, R. F. CROWTHER. Witness: J.H. King, Solicitor, Portsea."
|
| Children |
| | 1. Reginald John Facey CROWTHER, b. 28 Mar 1880, Stoke Damerel, Devon, England , d. 22 Aug 1880, Stoke Damerel, Devon, England (Age 0 years) |
| | 2. Cecil Clinton Facey CROWTHER, b. 11 Jun 1882, Stoke Damerel, Devon, England , d. 30 May 1935, Fredericton, York, New Brunswick, Canada (Age 52 years) |
| | 3. Charles Richard Facey CROWTHER, b. 15 May 1885, Portsea, Hampshire, England , d. 1949, Exeter, Devon, England (Age 63 years) |
| | 4. Ida Edith Facey CROWTHER, b. 1888, Portsea, Hampshire, England , d. 1889, Portsea, Hampshire, England (Age 1 years) |
|
| Photos |
 | Crowther family
Richard Facey Crowther and his wife, Minnie, with children Cecil, Charles, and Ida. The photo would have been taken shortly before the death of Ida, and then close after, that of Minnie. |
| Documents |
 | Marriage: Crowther and Coombes
Richard Facey Crowther married Minnie Laura Coombes on 13 June 1879 in Devonport, Devon. |
| Last Modified |
19 Jan 2019 |
| Family ID |
F1572 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 2 |
Louisa Alexandra Irene Andree HUNTER, b. Abt 1868, Ceylon , d. 8 Oct 1914, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England (Age ~ 46 years) |
| Married |
1891 [4] |
| Address |
1895 [14] |
| Trincomalee, Ceylon |
- Address at the birth of their son Percy on 24 March 1895.
|
| Address |
1911 [15] |
| 54 Cardiff Rd., Portsmouth, Hampshire |
| Address |
1914 [13] |
| "Clinton", ? Shadwell Road, Portsmouth |
- Address at the death of Louisa as reported on 13 October 1914.
|
| Children |
| | 1. Richard Facey Hunter CROWTHER, b. 28 Oct 1892, South Shields, Durham, England , d. 24 Oct 1954, India (Age 61 years) |
| | 2. Percy Facey Hunter CROWTHER, b. 24 Mar 1895, Ceylon , d. 19 Mar 1961, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England (Age 65 years) |
| | 3. Ida Constance Dorothy CROWTHER, b. 1897, Ceylon , d. 17 Nov 1987, Wiltshire, England (Age 90 years) |
| | 4. Ethel Edith Florence CROWTHER, b. 16 Apr 1900, Ceylon , d. 20 Mar 1973, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England (Age 72 years) |
| | 5. Muriel Caroline Susannah CROWTHER, b. Abt 1903, Ceylon , d. Abt 6 Jan 1936, Chatham, Hampshire, England (Age ~ 33 years) |
|
| Last Modified |
8 Jul 2017 |
| Family ID |
F976 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
-
| Headstones |
 | CROWTHER
In Loving Memory
of
LOUISA A. I. A. CROWTHER
The dearly beloved wife of
Richard Facey Crowther
Who entered into rest 8th October 1914
Aged 47 years.
Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away
In Jesus' keeping we are safe, and they.
Also
LIEUT. R. F. CROWTHER
Husband of the above
Who died April 15, 1921
Aged 67 years.
Sleep on, beloved sleep, and take thy rest.
Also
MURIEL C. S. CROWTHER
(BABS)
Who died....
Also
ETHEL.. |
-
| Sources |
- [S168] England and Wales Registration Index.
- [S624] Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services.
- [S883] Parish Register, St. Michael Devonport, Devon.
- [S676] Personal communication.
- [S216] Cemetery Transcripts.
- [S100] Parish Register, Stoke Damerel, Devon.
- [S696] Census of England, 1851 (30 March 1851).
- [S36] Census of England, 1861.
- [S144] Census of England, 1871.
- [S1291] England, Devon and Cornwall Marriages, 1660-1912, (www.familysearch.org; images courtesy of Devon County Council).
- [S1024] Parish Register, St. James, Devonport, Devon.
- [S71] Census of England, 1881.
- [S217] Newspaper.
- [S384] Certificate of Baptism.
- [S579] Census of England, 1911, (1 April 1911).
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