Military Chat

Im trying to find out some more about my grandfather, John William Francis Westlake who was born in Deal, Kent in 1908. I have been told he was in the Navy and I believe at some stage the ship he was on docked in New Zealand and my grandfather got off and never got back on. He married my grandmother and never went back to the UK. I would like to find out more about if this is correct but I can’t find any records that back this up. Can anyone advice where else I should be searching?
Thanks for any help I can get
Teenica

?????

Merchant Navy Seamen 1835-1941


Last name: WESTLAKE
First names: Frank John<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Age:
Day of birth:
Month of birth:
Year of birth: 1908<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Place of birth: Deal<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
County/country of birth: Kent<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Card type: CR1
Discharge number: 1127484
Identity certificate no.:
Series: BT349
Date range: 1921-1941
Piece number:

Will send you the image.

Merchant seaman not Royal Navy

Edit: Unfortunately no photo, but brown hair, brown eyes, fair complexion.

EDIT: I know names are not quite right, but Frank could be Francis, and sometimes people were known by their second or third forename. The date and place of birth seemed to fit.

Births Dec 1908
Westlake John William F Eastry 2a 1025

No equivalent birth found in the area for a Frank or Francis at that time.

Have pmed you.

Did young John assume his father's forenames, but in reverse....?

Address: 2 Blenheim Terc Blenheim Road Deal County: Kent

WESTLAKE, John Francis Head Married M 27 1884 Private Royal Marines Kent Deal<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
WESTLAKE, Ellen Wife Married8 years F 27 1884 Kent Deal
WESTLAKE, Elizabeth Daughter F 8 1903 Kent Deal
WESTLAKE, John Son M 2 1909 Kent Deal<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

You can purchase his father's Royal marine records from the national archives for £3.36.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D7800371

Reference:ADM 159/114/323 Description:
Name Westlake, John Francis<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Register Number: 323
Division: Royal Marines Depot
When Enlisted/Date of Enlistment: 12 April 1904
Date of Birth: 07 January 1884<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Date: [1889-1920] Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record

----------------

What information do the records contain?
The information in these records typically includes:
date and place of birth
occupation
religion
date and place of enlistment
physical description
names of ships and shore stations served on
details of conduct or promotion
medal entitlement

Thanks again :-D

Looks like a naval history in the family.

I think despite the middle initial 'T' that this is John Francis with his parents in 1891
Walmer is right by Deal:

City/Municipal Borough: Deal
Address: 2, Guildford Terrace, Walmer, Deal County: Kent

WESTLAKE, John Head Married M 36 1855 Bootmaker Royal Marines Chawleigh, Devonshire<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
WESTLAKE, Ann Wife Married F 40 1851 , Devonshire
WESTLAKE, John T Son M 7 1884 Scholar Walmer, Kent<<<<<<<<
WESTLAKE, Alice Daughter F 4 1887 Walmer, Kent
WESTLAKE, Mable Daughter F 2 1889 Walmer, Kent:

No John T Westlakes in the FreeBMD for that time, just John Francis:

Births Mar 1884 Westlake John Francis Eastry 2a 984

This might well be the National Archives records for John Westlake senior born c1855 Devon in the census above:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D7775304

Reference:ADM 159/62/1008 Description:
Name Westlake, John
Register Number: 1008
Division: Royal Marine Light Infantry: Plymouth Division<<<<<<<<<<<
When Enlisted/Date of Enlistment: 24 July 1874
Date of Birth: 24 April 1855<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Date: [1872-1876] Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record

Again, £3.36 to obtain online.

Not sure how much of the family pre-Frank you've researched, so haven't gone further at this time.

Just to show John Westlake 1855's wife Ann was also known as Hannah:

1911:

Address: 1 Blenheim Terrace Blenheim Road Deal
County: Kent

WESTLAKE, John Head Married M 56 1855 Bootmaker Devon Chumleigh
WESTLAKE, Hannah Wife Married 32 years F 58 1853 Devon Broodward Widgher
WESTLAKE, Rose Daughter Single F 18 1893 Domestic Servant Kent Deal
WESTLAKE, Eva Granddaughter Single F 6 1905 Kent Deal

Census 1881:

Name: John Westlake<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Age: 27
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1854
Relationship to Head: Head
Spouse: Hannah Westlake<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Gender: Male
Where born: Bideford, Devon, England
Civil Parish: East Stonehouse
County/Island: Devon
Country: England
Street Address: No 4 Adelaide Lane
Marital Status: Married

Occupation: Private Roy Marine<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Registration District: East Stonehouse
Sub-registration District: East Stonehouse
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 2205
Folio: 20
Page Number: 33

Household Members:

John Westlake 27 c1854 Bideford, Devon, England
Hannah Westlake 28 c1853 Broadwood, Devon, England

John born c1855 with parents in 1861 census?

Name: William Westlake
Age: 28
Estimated Birth Year: 1833
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Sarah Westlake
Gender: Male
Where born: Buckland Monachorum, Devon, England
Civil Parish: Alwington
County/Island: Devon
Country: England

William Westlake 28 c1833 Buckland Monachorum, Devon, England Ag lab
Sarah Westlake 26 wife c1835 Chulmleigh, Devon, England
John Westlake 6 son c1855 Chulmleigh, Devon, England<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Mary A Westlake 3 daur c1858 Alwington, Devon, England

Also found this, death of Frank's grandfather John Westlake c1855?

Name: John Westlake<<<<<<<<<<
Rank: Pte
Birth Date: 24 Apr 1855<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Birth Place: Simolton, Devon<<<<<<
Branch of Service: Royal Marine Light Infantry<<<<<<<<<
Cause of Death: Died from disease
Official Number Port Division: Ply/1008
Death Date: 20 Jun 1917
Ship or Unit: Plymouth Division Royal Marine Light Infantry
Location of Grave: C 2 1368.
Name and Address of Cemetery: Deal (Civil) Cemetery, Deal, Kent
Relatives Notified and Address: Next of Kin Not Known

Previous death of wife?

Deaths Mar 1915 Westlake Hannah 63 Eastry 2a 1941

Marriage of John and Hannah? They had been married 32 years in 1911 census, so this would fit, and John's father's name is William here.

Groom's Forenames: John<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Groom's Surname: Westlake<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Groom's Age: 26
Groom's parish:
Event Year: 1879
Event Month: Apr
Event Day: 27
Bride's Forenames: Hannah<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Bride's Surname: Northcott
Bride's Age: 27
Bride's Parish:
Place: Plymouth
Parish: St George, East Stonehouse
County: Devon
Page: 178
Groom's Father's Forenames: William<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Groom's Father's Surname: Westlake<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Bride's Father's Forenames: William
Bride's Father's Surname: Northcott
Event Type: Marriage
Record source: Devon Marriages - Transcripts
Data provider: Devon Family History Society

Marriage of Frank's parents? They said they had been married 8 yrs in 1911 census, and this marriage is late 1902.


Day: 23
Month: Nov
Year: 1902
Groom's Forename(s): John Francis<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Groom's Surname: Westlake<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Groom's Age: 19
Groom's Parish:
Bride's Forename(s): Ellen Maria<<<<<<<<<<<
Bride's Surname: Budd
Bride's Age: 18
Bride's Parish:
Groom's Father's Forename(s): John<<<<<<<<<<<
Groom's Father's Surname: Westlake<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Bride's Father's Forename(s): William Bailey
Bride's Father's Surname: Budd
Page: 68
Place: Deal, St George<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
County: Kent
Archive Reference: U3/67
Year Range: 1896-1910
Record source: Canterbury Marriages - Transcripts

Probable marriage for Frank's great grandpa William and wife Sarah.

Note middle name of son Arthur in census 1881 below, and that Sarah comes from Chulmleigh, which comes under South Moulton Reg district:

Marriages Dec 1853
Bater Sarah S Molton 5b 809
Quick Richard S. Molton 5b 809
Westlake William S. Molton 5b 809<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Woodman Sarah S Molton 5b 809<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Census 1881:

Address: 1, Milton Place, Bideford County: Devonshire

WESTLAKE, William Head Married M 47 1834 Ag Labr
Buckland Monachorum, Devon<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
WESTLAKE, Sarah Wife Married F 46 1835
Chumleigh, Devon<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
WESTLAKE, Francis Henry Son Single M 19 1862 Saddler
Alwington, Devon
WESTLAKE, Arthur Woodman Son Single M 10 1871 Scholar
Alwington, Devon<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
WESTLAKE, George Grand Son Single M 1 1880
Bideford, Devon

Re John Westlake 1855 – 1917

The War Grave Photographic Project aims to photo as many war dead grave headstones as possible.
If one still exists for John Westlake’s grave, there doesn't seem to be a photo of it on the WGPP site.

If you can’t visit Deal yourself, contact Paul Hamilton or Derek Mountjoy from this link, and ask if they can arrange for someone to look and photo on your behalf. A copy of a photo, if it can be obtained, could be sent digitally to you for a small donation of about £3.50

http://twgpp.org/contact.php

http://www.findagrave.com/

(above also useful Military)

Death: Jun. 20, 1917
Pte John Westlake died in the R.M.Infirmary aged 62 years and was buried in Deal Cemetery 23 June 1917.

Chris :)