Ancestors and Descendants of Adams and Mann and Others

  Robert William Hook   (4 June 1828 – 28 June 1911) was a fisherman and innkeeper and the coxswain of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Lowestoft lifeboat and with private companies from 1853 to 1883 and who has been credited with saving more than 600 lives in addition to two cats and a dog. He was twice awarded the RNLI Silver Medal for gallantry Bob Hook was born in Lowestoft in Suffolk in 1828, the son of Robert Hook, a fisherman and beach-man, and Elizabeth Ellis. In 1844 aged 16 he joined his father as a lifeboatman, and in 1853 aged 25 he was appointed coxswain of the Lowestoft lifeboat which carried an annual salary of £80 plus other fees and payments. In 1851 he married Charlotte Howard. In 1859 Hook was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal for rescuing in a heavy gale the crew of 14 from the steamer Shamrock on 1 November 1859. Hook received a second award clasp in 1873 for his part in rescuing the crew of 10 from the Norwegian vessel Expedite which had gon...

  Heroes and Rebels in the Family Tree—Lionel Atkinson, MBE, MM (Part 3)   World War II and British Operations in Mauritius Early 1940’s, Mauritius was characterized by its simple life. The population amounted to around 400,000 inhabitants. The island was vastly covered with green thick forest and the main agricultural backbone was sugar cane followed by tea plants. During these days one could barely see a motor vehicle on the road. Majority of the roads were not asphalted. People used to walk long distances from one place to another. Some could be seen on bicycles and others in oxcarts. Trains were the main public transport. A majority of houses were small and made up of straws, some were made up of wood and shingles and few were in concrete. The illiteracy rate was at its highest though there was a minority of the population — in particular the Franco-Mauritians being of Catholic faith— who were educated. An even smaller proportion of those belonging to other religions h...