Heroes and Rebels in the Family Tree—The Crew of the Sailing Vessel Lock Fyne

 

Heroes and Rebels in the Family Tree—James Frederick Adams, George Douglas Brown, James Frank Nunn and George Bunn

The fishing vessel, Loch Fyne (LT 1105) left Lowestoft on September 6th, to fish the Leman & Owen Shoals. The vessel was a sailing trawler and had only a small crew of four, skippered by James Frederick Adams.  Her owner, Water W. Warman stated, ‘nothing has been heard of this vessel and there was no news of her crew.’ The vessel had been due back on the 15th September. ‘It seems probable that the vessel was blown up by a mine and lost with all hands’ The Admiralty were of the opinion that ‘it is quite possible that this vessel was sunk by a submarine, as six other Lowestoft smacks had been sunk at Leman & Owen between September 7th and 10th’.

The four crewmembers who perished were: Skipper, James Frederick Adams – Mate, George Douglas Brown – 3rd Hand, James Frank Nunn – 4th Hand, George Bunn.

All four men were related to the Adams family

James Frederick Adams

A Skipper with Sailing Trawler Loch Fyne (Lowestoft), James died on 6th of September 1915. James Frederick Adams, aged 46 was reported as drowning when the “Loch Fyne” went missing, supposedly after hitting a mine or possible sunk by a submarine.

James was born at Lowestoft in July 1869 in Pakefield, Suffolk, England.  He was the son of William Frederick Adams 1846-1907 and Susannah Welsh. He was baptised at All Saints' Church, Pakefield, on July 25, 1869, and his family lived at Pakefield. In 1871 their address was Church Street, Pakefield, and by 1881 they were living at 4 Mickelburgh's Cottages, Pakefield. 

On February 8, 1892, James married Gertrude Maria Rachel Mullender 1870-1943.  Gertrude was the daughter of Benjamin Thomas Mullender and Caroline Elizabeth Colby.

James Frederick Adams and Gertrude Maria Rachel Mullender had seven children.  They were:

1.      Randal James Frederick Adams 1893-1918

2.      Ernest William Adams 1895-1972

3.      William Bertie Adams 1896-1978

4.      Gertrude Adams 1901-1960

5.      Frederick James Adams 1906-1982

6.      John George Adams 1908-1987

7.      Benjamin William Adams 1919-1924

You may recall, that Randal James Frederick Adams died, aged 25, while serving aboard Halcyon II from spinal meningitis.  His story was told in a post on this site on May 1, 2022.

James Frederick Adams is memorialized on the Mercantile Marine Memorial Tower Hill, London, England.

George Douglas Brown

A Second Hand with Sailing Trawler Loch Fyne (Lowestoft), George, aged 37, died on 6th of September 1915. George was born at Lowestoft on 17 November 1878, the son of William Browne 1853-1929 and Eliza Sophia Woods 1855-1950. He was baptised at Saint John's Church, Lowestoft, on 20 March 1889. In 1881 his family lived at 44 Stevens Street, Lowestoft, and by 1891 they were living at 16 Stevens Street. 

George was raised in a large family of eleven children, including eight boys and three girls.

George married Edith Mary Womack 1883-1960, on October 13, 1904 in St. John’s church, Lowestoft.  They had four children.  The were:

1.      Hilda Beatrice Brown 1905-2004

2.      Robert George Brown 1907-

3.      Walter William Brown 1910

4.      Lorna Gertrude Brown 1913-1984

George Douglas Brown is memorialized on the Mercantile Marine Memorial Tower Hill, London, England.

James Frank Nunn

A Third Hand with Sailing Trawler Loch Fyne (Lowestoft), James, aged 26, died on 6th of September 1915 at the age of 26.

James Frank Nunn’s family history was difficult to research, but thanks to Sharon Hawkins, I was able to discover his family tree.

James Frank Nunn was born December 21, 1888 and died on Sep 6, 1915 while fishing aboard the trawler Loch Fyne.  He was married in a civil ceremony registered in Mutford, Suffolk, England in 1914 to Elsie M Baldry.  He was the first child born to James Frank Nunn 1865-1933 and Anna Maria Long 1864-1928.  His paternal grandparents were William Nunn 1929-1893 and Sarah Ann Moore 1829-1901.  His maternal grandparents were James Long 1834-1904 and Harriet Moore 1834-1922.

James Frank Nunn and Anna Maria Long had six children.  They were:

1.      James Frank Nunn 1888-1915

2.      Frank Samuel Nunn 1891-1894

3.      Reginald Cecil Nunn 1894-1960

4.      William John Nunn 1902

5.      Ethel Harriet Anna Nunn 1906

6.      Samuel Harry Nunn 1906-1984

James Frank Nunn is memorialized on the Mercantile Marine Memorial Tower Hill, London, England. 

George Bunn

A Fourth Hand with Sailing Trawler Loch Fyne (Lowestoft), George, aged 15, died on 6th of September 1915. George was born at Pakefield in early 1901, as the son of Arthur Bunn 1866-1949 and Sarah Spindler 1872-1935. In 1901 his family lived at 11 Carlton Road, Pakefield, and this was still their home in 1911.

George Bunn was never married, since he was only 15 years old at the time of his death. George came from a large family and he left behind two brothers and six sisters when he died.

George is memorialized on the Mercantile Marine Memorial Tower Hill, London, England.

 

 

 

Genealogy: James Frederick Adams 1869-1915 was the brother of George "Pikey" William Welch-Adams 1867-1940

Genealogy: George Douglas Browne 1877-1915 was the son of Eliza Sophia Woods 1855-1950 and her brother was Charles James Woods 1870-1907 and his wife was Harriet E Adams 1872-1958 and her brother was George "Pikey" William Welch-Adams 1867-1940.

Genealogy:  James Frank Nunn 1888-1915 was the son of Anna Long 1864-1928 and her mother was Harriet Moore 1833-1922 and her mother was Hannah Blowers 1799-1878 and her mother was Susanna Barber 1772-1852 and her sister was Elizabeth Barber 1773-1835 and her son was Isaac Forster 1801-1890 and his son was Thomas Forster 1837-1888 and his daughter was Caroline Forster 1864-1906 and her husband was George "Pikey" William Welch-Adams 1867-1940.

Genealogy:  George Bunn 1901-1915 was the son of Arthur Bunn 1866-1949 and his brother was George Bunn 1856-1934 and his wife was Mary Ann Welsh 1855-1912 and her sister was Susannah Welsh 1847-1898 and her son was George "Pikey" William Welch-Adams 1867-1940.