Notes

Note N113 Index

From Victoria, British Columbia

Text from an unpublished manuscript by Rowland William (Bill) Serjeantson. 1992

GRANDFATHER JAMES DILLON CURTIS (1825 - 1920)
I am much better informed about grandfather Curtis as a result of press cuttings, photos etc. He had the benefit of a good education at the famous Blue Coat School in London, in addition to having a Naval officer as a father, so he had a much easier introduction to the Navy than Tom Curtis had.

His naval career has special significance because he experienced the change from sail to steam and wood to iron construction. In fact HMS Royal Albert was laid down as a pure `sailing ship of the line' and it was only at a late stage of her construction in January 1852 that she was modified into a `screw ship of the line'. She had a displacement of 3726 tons and 121 guns and was one of the largest ships in the Navy. James Curtis joined the ship in 1854. Grandfather's naval career is covered in detail in the Lynn Advertiser, November 17, 1911. Two illustrations of the Royal Albert are included. Also one of the officers.

James Curtis had an artistic bent which would account for him being used as artist and draftsman in the Xanthian Expedition in 1844. The Navy was used to dismantle and transport the famous marbles for `safe keeping'( ) to the British Museum. In other words, the British stole them. Joan was lucky enough to see an exhibition of the marbles when visiting England in 1988. We have a water colour painted by James Curtis in 1851. It is of the brig, Harlequin, in a storm off Plymouth Hoe. He was assigned to the ship as a Second Lieutenant at the time. I feel that only an experienced seaman could have captured
as vividly the mood of an angry sea. The pace of change is such that it is hard to realise that the flag ship The Royal Albert and the brig Harlequin were warships of the world's greatest Navy, only 137 years ago.
The photo shows the officers of HMS Royal Albert dated 21 August 1858 when grandfather was a Lieutenant, aged 33 . He is standing, the second on the left in the photograph."

Notes

Note N114 Index

Professor Emerirus of St Andrews University

Notes

Note N115 Index

From Capel, Surrey.

CMG

Notes

Note N116 Index

Gordon of Drumearn B

Notes

Note N117 Index

From Lambeth and Bromfield, Staffordshire

Notes

Note N118 Index

See Burke's LG of Ireland

Notes

Note N119 Index

MC. RAMC. From Umbala, India

Notes

Note N120 Index

Deacon 1966
Priest 1967

Notes

Note N121 Index

From Cap Rouge, Quebec, Canada

Notes

Note N122 Index

Text from an unpublished manuscript by Rowland William (Bill) Serjeantson. 1992

"GREAT-GRANDFATHER THOMAS CURTIS (1773 - 1855)
The story goes that great grandfather was a cabin boy on one of his father's ships when the Royal Navy came alongside and "impressed" young Tom: that is, they gave him a shilling (10 cents) - and said, "Now, lad, you have the honour to be in the King's Navy". "Impressing" was a polite name for legalised kidnapping. Of course there was nothing lower in the Navy than an "impressed" man, so it is very much to Tom Curtis' credit that he rose from ordinary seaman to a senior officer with the rank of Commander. In those days this was a `quantum leap' in rank and social status.

Unfortunately, I do not have any details of Commander Thomas Curtis' naval career, except to say he was a contemporary of Nelson. My cousin, James Dillon Curtis (born 1905) of Comox, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, has a lot of most interesting information. The two photos of paintings (See photos) are of Commander Thomas Curtis: the dark-haired one was painted by the ship's carpenter when Tom was a young man; the other when he was much older. It would seem that the ship's carpenter could have been destined for better things - maybe he was impressed into the Navy too We have always thought that this picture of young Tom Curtis has a great likeness to our son John. A stained glass window to the memory of Tom Curtis was erected by his children in All Saints Church, South Lynn, Norfolk: the subject being `Christ walking on water', which somehow seems very appropriate."