Edmund Gidley, privateer

 I recently read an article in Who Do You Think You Are magazine about privateers, and remembered we have our own Gidley privateer, Edmund Gidley, who commanded a privateer, the Hornet, for a brief period.

A Royal Navy Sloop of War, similar to the Hornet

Privateers were a sort of legalised pirate or a privatised navy. They operated within the law, only against a country Britain was at war with, and had to jump through several legal and financial hoops before they were given a licence to operate. After that, all the spoils of captured ships belonged to the ship's owners, so it was profitable, but very dangerous. The owners would take about half of the profits, and the crew would share the remainder, with the captain taking about 12 shares. and able seamen 1 share. Those who operated outside the law were treated severely and indeed in November 1759 the Commander of the Pluto Privateer and four volunteers were tried for "piratically and feloniously" robbing the Master of a Dutch vessel and sentenced to death.

Edmund Gidley was from a well-off family which had connections with the Royal Navy. He was christened in Crediton in May 1734, the next to last son of John Gidley and Margaret Ellicombe of the Winkleigh branch of Gidleys. One of Edmund's sisters became the mother of Philip Gidley King, who took a more traditional route of remaining in the Royal Navy before becoming the second Governor of New South Wales. Edmund's younger brother Gustavus was the keen follower of John Wesley, and founded Gidley's chapel in Exeter (see blog post 3 Oct 2020). Their father John Gidley had been apprenticed to the Town Clerk of Exeter in 1711. He died in 1761 and was buried in Spreyton.

Presumably Edmund joined the Navy, then moved to Bristol, where he married Catherine Nicholas in 1758. That same year there is a record of his being the Commander (Captain) of the ship Hornet which had a crew of 35, 8 carriage and 6 swivel guns. It was owned by the Company of Bristol Merchants. 

Ships are much easier to trace than people in newspapers of the 18th century and it was relatively easy to trace the history of the Hornet in its progress from a Royal Navy Sloop of War to a French privateer back to Navy service and finally as a British privateer. In September 1756 it had been retaken by the Deal Castle Man of War and described as a large privateer, "taken from us in the last war". It returned to Navy service and its Captain, Captain Salt, was tried by court-martial in February 1758 for an unspecified breach of duty. 

In April 1758 it was still in Navy service and brought in a small French privateer, taken on the north side of Hispaniola, but by 5 Oct 1758 the National Archives record HCA 26/10/80 gives Edmund Gidley as the commander of the Hornet Privateer. However, he did not remain long as Commander of the Hornet. The peak of his achievement must have been in November 1858 when the Hornet Privateer brought into Bristol a Dutch ship from the West Indies, having 800 hogheads of sugar aboard. In December 1758 Lloyd's List reported that it had returned to Bristol from "Cruize" (in the West Indies?). By August 1759 ownership of "one of the fastest sailing privateers" had apparently been transferred to London and its Commander was Captain Harden.

There is no trace so far of a death or burial for Edmund Gidley, but his widow Catherine remarried in 1773 to James Davis. I have found no record of any children for Edmund and Catherine.

Some Gidley postcards

 A very kind gentleman, who has been collecting postcards for years, sent me recently four postcards addressed to four different Gidley ladies. Two are difficult to date, but two clearly have the postmarks 1906 and 1902. I am happy to send them to descendants or close relatives.

The Sep 13 1906 postcard is addressed to Miss C. Gidley of Kilburn Hall in Torquay. This is Constance Gidley, whose 13th birthday it must have been, as it is wishing her many happy returns from Auntie and Uncle M. and W. in Norwood, London S.E. Constance became a milliner with the department store Bobby's and married Walter Bird in 1921.

The postcard to Mrs M. C. Gidley of Bridgetown, Totnes, is a Christmas greeting for 1902 from C. Moore in Rome. This is Mrs Mary Coulton Gidley (1836-1928), the wife of Richard Gidley, former Relieving Officer in Totnes. Eight of her ten children predeceased her, but she does have descendants. 

The second Christmas greetings card is addressed to Mrs F Gidley of Beaumont Place in Plymouth from Dick and Mary. Formerly Edith Rockey, she was tragically widowed in 1917 by the First World War and married again in 1920. As the card is addressed to Edith and Fred, the date must be before 1917.

The final card is for Miss Jean Gidley of Seymour Lodge, Totnes. It seems to be from an American or Canadian, who writes from "your side of the mighty puddle", from Chamonix in France. It was written to Alice Jean Courtenay Gidley (1868-1940), daughter of Bartholomew Gidley, a wine merchant. She composed pieces for the organ, and died unmarried.

Gidley Medals and memorabilia for sale on Wed 17th May 2023

 I have just received the following email. The handwritten Gidley Record sounds fascinating. If anyone buys it, I should be very interested to hear what it contains. If only I had unlimited funds!

Woolley & Wallis Auctioneers, have a sale of Medals & Coins, Arms & Armour on Wednesday 17 May 2023 Starts 10am Castle Street Salerooms Salisbury SP1 3SU:

Lot 187 might be of interest to you: Gidley Medals and a ‘Gidley Record’ handwritten notebook with details about the Gidley Family and family stories. see links and descriptions below

LOT 187 The Gidley Family: four historical medals together with an M/S family pedigree:
Estimate: £150 - £200+ Buyers Premium.

This link is to: Lot 187: The Gidley Family: four historical medals together with an M/S family pedigree:
https://www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk/departments/medals-coins-arms-armour/ma170523/view-lot/187/

The Gidley Family: four historical medals together with an M/S family pedigree:
Bartholomew Gidley memorial medal 1702, bronze, 39mm, Time seated with scythe and hourglass, rev. engraved dedication, about fine; another memorial medal, pewter, 73mm, arms with a tower, rev. Latin text, near fine; John Gidley, a uniface engraved brass oval, 74 x 60mm, incorporating a cast bust right, 'JOANNES GIDLEY. LOND. A.D. 1682 Æ. S. 50.', fine; and a brass medal, 70mm, obverse as of the second medal, rev. engraved '1704 IOHN GIDLEY OF LONDON AGED 73', fine; presented in a fitted wooden tray with beaded borders and an ink translation of the reverse of the second medal; the pedigree being a hand written book, 'GIDLEY RECORD' comprising a set of biographical notes, family trees and sketches of heraldic devices pertaining to the Gidley Family. [qty] Estimate: £150 - £200+ Buyers Premium

See Also page turning Catalogue Lot 187: Page 69: https://issuu.com/jammdesign/docs/ww17may23

Medals & Coins, Arms & Armour - 17 May 2023 Sale starts at 10am
https://www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk/departments/medals-coins-arms-armour/ma170523/view-lot/187/

Ned Cowell: Telephone: Reception 01722 424500 Direct 01722 341469 Mobile: +44 (0)7875 035837
Unit 1b, Castle Gate Business Park, Old Sarum, Salisbury, SP4 6QX
https://bid.woolleyandwallis.co.uk/

1921 England and Wales census

 

All Gidleys found on the 1921 census have now been added to the entries on the Gidley family history website

The Gidley One Name Study (one-name.net)

It is an important census, being the last mass database for England and Wales until the release of the 1951 census. The 1931 census was destroyed in a fire and there was no census taken in 1941.

I haven't done a detailed analysis yet, but I was struck by the number of men described as unemployed or out of work, which is something that hasn't appeared in previous censuses. The slump seems to have affected all areas of work from manufacturing to forestry. It was sad to see whole families with no income, and some families who had to move back to live with relatives.

Memorandum from the Ministry of Labour,12 August 1921 

(TNA Catalogue ref: CAB 24/127)

 If we look upon the industrial events of the last nine or tenth months, with the heavy trade depression that set in last autumn and the prolonged struggle with the miners, culminating in the unprecedented unemployment figures of June, the almost complete absence of civil disorder is remarkable. During June, the Employment Exchanges were paying Benefit to over three millions of wholly or partially unemployed workers and in addition over a million miners, ineligible for Benefit, were idle. In fact, if account is taken of the short time workers who could not qualify for Benefit, it is probably true to say that in June not more than one out of every two industrial workers in the country, for a working population of over 12 millions (excluding Agriculture and Domestic Service) was engaged in whole-time employment.

I have added to the tree a few people I have discovered are now no longer with us, a few who temporarily had the Gidley surname but no longer used it in the 1939 Register, and a new family who took the surname from a stepfather. 

I discovered hundreds of errors in the transcriptions of entries, They were carried out under tight restrictions, so they are understandable, but one day I reported 48 errors to FindMyPast. Removed were those transcribed as Gidley but who were actually Gridley (understandable) and those who were transcribed as Gidley because the entry on the line above had the surname Gidley (not so understandable). Also removed were Gidney, Tidley and Quidley. The worst error I noticed in the places of birth was one for my Great Aunt Bessie Gidley who was transcribed as being born in Scotland, Ayrshire, when it was actually Swindon, Wiltshire. There is still some tidying up to do so that people can find their ancestors on FindMyPast.

1950 US Census

CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=777145

Gidleys in the American census of 1950 are presumably a reflection of American society of the 1950s. A very rough, brief and unscientific analysis of the Gidley entries reveal the following initial impressions: 

A surprising number of Gidleys still worked on farms, either as owners or as helpers. From Alabama to Wyoming there are 27 Gidleys farming, and this doesn't include their families who no doubt helped in various capacities on the farm. 

The number of people employed, or associated with, the automobile industry, had grown. There were automobile salesmen, machinists, managers of service or gas stations, welders, mechanics, repairmen, and those working in the office, such as book keepers. 

There were a few professions being followed, such as two vets, five teachers, a lawyer, a banker, an accountant, a professor of pharmacy and a chemist. 

Of the women's occupations, the beauty industry makes a first appearance, with two practitioners, both of whom were divorced. 

There were only two maids/hired hands, both of whom were widows. 

The seven secretaries/typists/stenographers comprised single, married and divorced women, as did the six waitresses. 

The total number of Gidleys/Giddleys in the USA in 1950 was 852, an increase from exactly 800 in 1940.

The population of Gidleys in California had doubled from 28 in 1940 to 57 in 1950. 

The number of Gidleys who were divorced had grown from 12 in 1940 to 16 in 1950.

Wilmot Gidley who married John Yealland in 1699

 

Gidley Bridge, the boundary between South Brent and Dean Prior

Photo taken by Derek Harper and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons licence. Gidley Bridge is situated in Harbourneford, west of Rattery, Dartington and Dean Prior.

Many thanks to Ruth Waldron, one of Wilmot Gidley's descendants, for raising a question about Wilmot Gidley and finding the original recognisance for Wilmot in the Devon Heritage Centre. She has sent me a copy of the original document but copyright restrictions mean it cannot be published on the internet. The catalogue reference is to Willmott Yalland of Rattery, widow, guarantors being William Gidleigh of Dartington, yeoman, and Robert Gidleigh of Rattery, yeoman, S/4/1741/MIDSUMMER/RE/14.

Ruth says:

I am descended from Wilmot Gidley, who married John Yealland in Dean Prior in 1699. I have been unable to find a baptism record for Wilmot but I visited the Devon Heritage Centre whilst on holiday in Devon last week and came across a 1741 Quarter Sessions record which linked Wilmot Yealland to a William Gidley of Dartington and a Robert Gidley of Rattery (all 3 were charged £10 each and bound over on condition that Wilmot attended the next Quarter Sessions on suspicion of felony - I think!). Wilmot Yealland died only a couple of months later.  Based on the death dates I have found for the two men, I think they may have been Wilmot's brothers and wonder if all 3 were children of Hercules Gidley of Buckfastleigh.

So, was there a Robert and a William who could be linked with Rattery and Dartington at about the right time? The ones I came up with who spanned all three criteria were:

1. Robert Gidley christened in Dean Prior in 1712, son of William Gidley and wife Mary Winter. Robert was described as "of Dartington" when he married Margaret Burt in 1738, and a Robert Gidley was buried in Rattery in 1771.

2. Robert's father William, christened in Buckfastleigh in 1686, was buried in 1750 in Rattery, when his residence then was Dartington, according to the burial record.

Wilmot's guarantors were probably close family. Could they be brother and nephew of Wilmot? 

William Gidley christened in 1686 in Buckfastleigh was the son of Archilaus Gidley and his wife Joan Lane, who married in Staverton in 1671. There was then a gap before I found children between 1678 - 1692. Wilmot could well have been born in that 1671-1678 gap if she married in 1699. And one of the other children of Archilaus and Joan was a Robert, christened in 1686. I found nothing definite further on him, and he would have been very old if he were the Robert Gidley buried in Rattery in 1771. Not impossible, but but it was such a common name amongst the Gidleys of that branch, that he could well have been confused on the family tree by me with another Robert Gidley, or his burial may not have been  recorded.

So I conclude that Wilmot was almost certainly a child of Archilaus and Joan. Whether Archilaus and Hercules were the same person I think is quite possible, as I have seen Hercules recorded as Harculas in parish registers, but it's not conclusive. And that William and Robert, her guarantors, were probably her brothers, but Robert was possibly a nephew.

The lane to Gidley Bridge, taken by Derek Harper, licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence

John Gundry Gidley, boat builder of Ontario, Canada, written by his great great grandson, Bryan Gidley

John Gundry Gidley 1829 – 1893

John Gundry Gidley was born in Camborne, Cornwall, England, 27 Dec 1829, to John b: in Breage, Corwall, England and Jane (Kempthorne) b: in Sithney, Cornwall, England. He was christened in Sithney, 16 Jan 1831.

In the 1851 Census of Sithney, he is listed as a copper miner.

John and Mary Ann’s Marriage certificate 15 Sep 1854

Married Mary Ann Warren in Copper Harbour, Ontonogan Michigan, a place on the northern tip of the state as it juts into Lake Superior. Mary Ann was the adopted daughter of James Gilmour Warren who was apparently of native descent and it was likely an elopement. She was supposedly betrothed to an English lieutenant back in her home town of Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada. A distance of some 650+ miles by land or water. Witness Charles Parker was born in Ontonogan, he was a prospector, mineral land broker and a mine promoter.

John’s business took him away from Ontonogan at times and the family lived at Fairbault, Minnesota, USA for a brief spell.

John and Mary stayed in Ontonagon until after April 1861 when Agnes was born and before Henry was born in April 1864. In all there were 10 children, in order, John Gundry, James Warren, William Kempthorne, Agnes Christina, Henry Edward, Edith Jane, Clara, Mary Elizabeth, Alfred Howard and Earnest Gilmour. William's obituary stated that William was born aboard "his father's passenger vessel at Kewenawa sic (Keweenaw) Point Michigan.

John was a fisherman in 1871, mariner in 1881 and boat manufacturer with rank of Sea Captain in 1891.

William - owned the Midland Boat Works

Henry - owned the Gidley Boat Works Of Penetang

James - moved to Vancouver and 'made a fortune'

John’s six sons, Henry is in light suit)

Alfred Gidley Picnic Island, Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada

Owned by John.

Vessel Name SAUCY JIM

Build Year 1887

Official Number C92305

Original Owner John & James Gridley (sic)

Type at loss : propeller steam tug, wood

Build info : 1887, A. Morill, Meaford, Ontario, Canada

Specs : 84x17x8, 93gc 63nc

Date of loss : Nov 18 1910

Place of loss : Christian Island., NW of Midland, Ont.

Lake : Huron

Registered out of Collingwood. 1891 Owned John Gridley (sic), Collingwood.

1897 Owned Frank Scott, Collingwood; harbor tug.

1905 Pushed the still burning CITY OF COLLINGWOOD to her final resting place at Collingwood.

1910, 26 Nov Burned at wharf.

Lease portion Midlands Government to J. G. Gidley and Son etc. of other portions of the same wharf to the Georgian Bay Shipbuilding and Wrecking Company - Actg. Min. M. and F. [Acting Minister of Marine and Fisheries] 1919/10/08

Order-in-Council Number: 1919-2143

Date Introduced: 1919-10-15

Considered Date: 1919-10-16

Approved Date: 1919-10-18

Reference: RG2, Privy Council Office, Series A-1-a, For Order in Council see volume -1-, Access Code 90

Register Number: Series A-1-d, Volume 2815

Captain John Gundry Gidley’s son Henry, was the owner/operator of the Gidley Boat Company up until the year 1915 at which time he sold it to Art Grew. The boat company has an illustrious career with some interesting history. At one time all six sons were involved in the boating business.

John Gundry Gidley died on 2 May 1893 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. His granddaughter Violet (Gidley) Jeffreys replaced the original marker with the one shown about 1989.

Intimation for John Gundry Gidley

Copelands Hill Cemetery Penetanguishene, Ontario