Writing about the two Frederick Lewis Drews has cleared my mind - so much that I now favour a third Frederick, born in Canterbury in January or October 1830, given a medical discharge from the 64th Regiment of Foot in 1856.
His army discharge papers describe him as a carpenter. The army background fits with becoming a civil guard at a convict prison. The 64th Foot were in India in 1851, so this explains his absence from the 1851 census.
There is a moral there somewhere, so I won't jump to any conclusions!
Tuesday, 20 October 2015
Monday, 19 October 2015
The Mystery of Frederick Drew
In 1861, Frederick Drew, aged 30 and born in Canterbury, was a civil guard at the convict prison at Portland. Civil guards were responsible for security while the convicts were out of the prison, working in the quarries or building the breakwater for the large naval harbour. They were armed, and had usually come from an army background.
From his wife and children, it is certain that this is the same person as the Frederick L Drew living at 35 Cross Street, Battersea in 1871 - a carpenter (aged 40, but born in London), the Frederick Drew at 58 Dashwood Road, Battersea in 1881 - a railway porter (aged 50, born in Canterbury), and the Frederick Drew at 122 Stewarts Road, Battersea in 1891 - a carpenter (born in Canterbury, but aged 64).
This Frederick married Sarah Aldon at Kennington on 20 September 1857. He gave his father as John Drew, and his middle name as Loderwick. On his death certificate, (aged 73 in 1899) his second name is recorded as Lewis.
A Frederick Lewis Drew was baptized at St Pancras on 18 February 1827, son of John and Sarah Drew. (Frederick's second daughter was named Sarah).
A Lewis Frederick Drew was baptized at Margate on 9 August 1829 , having been born at Portsea on 10 September 1828, son of George Drew (a coastguard officer) and Caroline his wife.
Neither of these quite fit. George Drew went on to be the superintendent of a convict settlement in Tasmania; the son, Lewis Frederick, was at the Bluecoat School in London from 1836 to 1844, and later was apprenticed in the merchant navy. The Frederick Lewis born in St Pancras has not been found in the 1841 census, and neither of the two can be found in the 1851 census.
So which of them was "our" Frederick? Or was there yet another?
From his wife and children, it is certain that this is the same person as the Frederick L Drew living at 35 Cross Street, Battersea in 1871 - a carpenter (aged 40, but born in London), the Frederick Drew at 58 Dashwood Road, Battersea in 1881 - a railway porter (aged 50, born in Canterbury), and the Frederick Drew at 122 Stewarts Road, Battersea in 1891 - a carpenter (born in Canterbury, but aged 64).
This Frederick married Sarah Aldon at Kennington on 20 September 1857. He gave his father as John Drew, and his middle name as Loderwick. On his death certificate, (aged 73 in 1899) his second name is recorded as Lewis.
A Frederick Lewis Drew was baptized at St Pancras on 18 February 1827, son of John and Sarah Drew. (Frederick's second daughter was named Sarah).
A Lewis Frederick Drew was baptized at Margate on 9 August 1829 , having been born at Portsea on 10 September 1828, son of George Drew (a coastguard officer) and Caroline his wife.
Neither of these quite fit. George Drew went on to be the superintendent of a convict settlement in Tasmania; the son, Lewis Frederick, was at the Bluecoat School in London from 1836 to 1844, and later was apprenticed in the merchant navy. The Frederick Lewis born in St Pancras has not been found in the 1841 census, and neither of the two can be found in the 1851 census.
So which of them was "our" Frederick? Or was there yet another?
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