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by
Richard Taylor
The Messum family can be traced in Portsea, part of
Portsmouth near its dockyards and naval base. The wars of 1793-1815
brought boom conditions to the whole area and populations overspilled
everywhere. Portsea, walled and confined to less than 120 acres, was
jammed with sailors and soldiers during this period, towards the end of
which Alfred Messum
was born
Paymaster Julian
Alexander Messum
(Brother of Alfred Messum)
Personal details:
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24 June 1823 Christened at St John, Portsea, the
son of William and Sarah
Messum and therefore a younger brother of Alfred Messum
-
20 February 1852 Sons Julian Alexander Broker
Galsworthy Messum and Herbert Lyall Messum christened at St Mary's,
Portsea. Mother's name given as Mary Ann Broker (Messum)
-
7 September 1870 Loses his life when the
low-freeboard turret ship HMS Captain capsizes and sinks in the Bay of
Biscay
-
Promotions:
Clerk 29 April 1843 Paymaster 23 December 1850
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Postings:
1843-46? Acting Paymaster with 6th rate HMS Cleopatra on the Cape Station
23 September 1846 Clerk with 6th rate survey ship HMS Rattlesnake on New
Guinea
Station. The Rattlesnake charted the Australian Great Barrier Reef
between 1846 and 1850. On board at the time was the world famous
scientist Thomas Henry Huxley
7 December 1847 HMS Victory, flagship at Portsmouth
3 April 1849 In Ireland with survey ketch HMS Sparrow
14 December 1853 Additional with the 5th rate HMS Fisgard at Woolwich,
serving
with Naval Coast Volunteers. (Fisgard was Flag at Woolwich
1848-72 and, as well as training engineers, was a nominal
depot ship for personnel serving ashore)
31 December 1854 Shown from this date as Paymaster at HMS Fisgard
29 September 1857 At Harwich with NCV; on books of HMS Pembroke
1 March 1858 Additional with Edinburgh NCV at Leith
13 November 1861 Paymaster with screw 2nd rate HMS London in the
Mediterranean
13 January 1864 Appointed to ironclad frigate HMS Prince Consort with the
Channel Squadron
11 December 1866 To HMS Indus, guardship and Flag of the Admiral
Superintendent
at Devonport
Paymaster Theodore
F Messum
(probably Felix Theodore Messum,
another younger brother of Alfred Messum)
Personal Details:
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11 August 1823 Felix Theodore, son of William and
Sarah Messum, baptised at St John, Portsea
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Promotions:
19 February 1847 Appointed Clerk
-
Postings:
16 July 1847 Aboard HMS Bermuda on the North America and West Indies
Station
as Clerk in Charge under Lieutenant Commanding Archibald D Jolly
Paymaster Josiah
Young Messum
(possibly a cousin of Alfred Messum)
Personal details:
-
17 October 1830 Christened at St Mary's, Portsea,
the son of Thomas and Elizabeth
Messum (IGI)
-
18 March 1867 Alfred Cracroft Messum, son of Josiah
and Sophia Mary, is baptised at St James', Southampton (IGI)
-
3 April 1881 Shown in the 1881 Census as Controller
of Her Majesty's Packet
Service, General Post Office, Retired Paymaster. Age given as 60
Address: 24 Sydenham Road, Croydon, Surrey.
Family: Wife Sophia, aged 48, born at Bisham, Sussex. Children Alice M
(26), Emily (22), both born at Portsmouth; Sophia (18), Edith (17), Alfred
C (14), Caroline E (13), Arthur S (12), William P (10), all born at
Southampton; Margaret (8) and Agnes (7), both born at Croydon. The
household also includes a cook and a housemaid.
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Awards and Decorations:
China Medal 1842 Crimea Medal (Azoff & Sebastopol clasps)
Turkish Crimea
-
Promotions and Appointments:
Assistant Clerk 1837 Asst Paymaster 3 June 1846
Paymaster 8 February 1854
Retired from RN 1 April 1859
Secretary to the Admiralty and Post Office Packet Department at
Southampton 1859
Controller of HM Packet Service, GPO, London 1870
Also Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS) and member of the
Faculty of Architects and Surveyors (FAS)
-
Postings and Service:
1837 Entered Royal Navy as Assistant Clerk
1842/43 Clerk of HMS Jupiter at the blockade of Canton River; present at
capture of Chusan, Cahpoo, Woo-sung, Chian-Kiangfoo, and all operations on
the Yangtse
3 April 1846 Clerk in HMS Cleopatra, 26-gun 6th rate
1848/49 To HMS Rattlesnake, still surveying Great Barrier Reef
(See 1846
entry for Julian Messum, which seems to have become confused in Navy Lists
with that for Josiah. Some lists show Josiah, obviously incorrectly, with
Rattlesnake in 1846)
18 February 1851 To HMS Banshee, paddle steam packet in the Mediterranean
2 December 1853 To HMS Excellent, gunnery school at Portsmouth
30 August 1854 Paymaster of HMS Swallow until peace concluded with Russia.
Present at several operations on the coast of Circassia, including the
bombardment of Soujak, the blockade of Kertch during two winters and its
final capture, plus subsequent attacks on the enemy on the sea and shores
of the Sea of Azoff
8 November 1858 Additional with HMS Victory for service at Southampton
Commander Herbert Lyall Messum
Personal details:
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20 February 1852 Baptised at St Mary's, Portsea,
the son of Julian Alexander Messum
and Mary Ann (Broker)
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April 1881 Shown in the 1881 census as a
29-year-old lieutenant serving in HMS Indus at Devonport. Born in
Southsea, Hampshire
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Promotions and Appointments:
Naval Cadet August 1865 Midshipman 19 December 1866
Sub-Lieutenant 19 June 1871 Lieutenant 2 July 1875
Commander (Retd) 29 November 1896
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Postings and Service:
19 January 1870 To the ironclad, HMS Zealous, on the Pacific Station
2 August 1871 HMS Fawn, wooden steam sloop on the Pacific Station
1873 Naval College
4 November 1873 HMS Topaze, wooden steam frigate on detached service
22 December 1874 HMS Monarch, iro steam ship serving with the Channel
Squadron
1877 Naval College (Gunnery qualification September 1877)
27 October 1877 Appointed to troopship HMS Serapis at Portsmouth
27 January 1880 HMS Indus, guardship and flag Adm Superintendent,
Devonport
17 April 1882 HMS Assistance, iron steam store ship on Particular Service
5 August 1885 HMS Crocodile, troopship, on Particular Service
23 March 1887 HMS Hotspur, armoured ram turret ship in reserve
29 December 1889 HMS Urgent, depot ship, Jamaica
10 April 1892 HMS Pembroke, Chatham naval base
Commander Stuart
Victor Seymour Craigie Messum
Personal details:
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ca 1859 Born in Scotland, according to 1881 census
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April 1881 Shown in census as a sub-lieutenant aged
22, serving in HMS Sandfly.
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Promotions and Appointments:
Naval Cadet 15 July 1872 Midshipman 17 October 1874
Sub-Lieutenant 10 September 1879 Lieutenant 29 June 1883
Commander (Retd) 11 March 1904
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Postings and Service:
31 July 1874 HMS Sultan, battleship serving with the Channel Squadron
17 February 1876 HMS Opal, composite steam corvette, on Pacific Station
July 1880 At Naval College
22 December 1880 HMS Sandfly, Australia Station. (Sandfly was the former
Tasmanian Maid, a New Zealand Government paddle gunboat)
23 August 1883 Lieutenant with the wooden steam gunvessel HMS Dart,
Australia
25 May 1887 To the iron armoured frigate, HMS Nelson, Australia Station
24 March 1888 Borne in the armoured cruiser HMS Orlando for service in the
Victorian (Australia) Naval Defence Force
17 November 1891 HMS Himalaya, troopship on Particular Service
10 February 1892 HMS Paluma, gunboat lent by the Queensland Government as
a tender
to Orlando for the Queensland survey
12 September 1896 HMS President, for Naval College
Midshipman
Clarence Ernest Hall Messum
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Promotions and Appointments:
Midshipman 18 June 1869
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Postings and Service:
1 December 1870 HMS Immortalite, wooden steam frigate on Particular
Service
(February and October 1872 Navy Lists show him carried on the ship's crew
although his name does not appear in the alphabetical list or the
midshipmen's list. By July 1873 he is not in the Navy List at all.)
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