John Imrie - he died but no one knows

Schnurrbart

Schnurrbart

Well-Known Member
John Imrie has a Canterbury Will around 1808. He was a Boatswain on HMS Robust, but late of Portsea. I cannot find a death, or a burial for him. His wife died in 1817 and had not acted on the Will, she was the Executrix. Any help would be most welcome.
 
The will was signed on 9 Sep 1790, so in theory he could have died any time between then and November 1808, when his widow obtained probate**.

As a sailor, you've always got to bear in mind that he could have died in action and/or been buried at sea - I see from the Wikipedia article on HMS Robust that she was involved in several actions between those dates. I don't know whether there would be any records of his service or of casualties, though, as this isn't my area of expertise.

**ADDED: Just to clarify, probate was granted to John's widow in 1808, but a margin note records that some things were left unadministered, so there was a further grant to their son in 1818.
 
Have you given John Imrie a Google?
He has a biography.......A Naval Biography Dictionary/Imrie, John.
He was a boatswain servant on the Robust but the bio has him still alive on the Egmont in 1814 and was still alive and kicking in 1841. He married 12/9/1812 and had 10 children.
Code: 
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Naval_Biographical_Dictionary/Imrie,_John
 
There is Military Allotment for John Imrie, wife, in 1803 the ship Port Mahon, this ship is mentioned in the bio. JohnImrie here is a masters mate.
In 1802 a military allotment for the wife of John Imrie, the ship is Royal William.
Found on Family Search. I’m starting to think father and son were John Imrie and both in the navy. The bio seems to be a bit hit and miss.
 
Thanks Arthur and Sue. The Biographical Dictionary was a bit of a find, but as you say a bit hit and miss. They are father and son, right mother, father and place. The Will is quite specific about being boatswain on the Robust; Colledge has her on harbour service in 1812 and broken up in 1817. I suppose that Dad John could have got Junior a job as his servant on the Robust. I still seem to be missing as to when and where John Senior died.
 
Thanks for the help. He seems to to have been discharged from HMS Royal William to Haslar in 1808, which ties in with his Will, but are there death records for Haslar?
 
There might be a hiccup with FMP as there are two transcripts for the Port Mahon, one shows allotment to mother, the other to wife. The image shows only one and that's to mother. So it seems that John Snr was Boatswain on the Royal William from 1802 to 1808 and then discharged to Haslar. One report says that The Royal William was a receiving vessel, where pressed men were taken before being dispersed about the Fleet. As boatswain, John probably had to administer the Cat o' Nine tails.
His burial is still a mystery.
 
No help with his death but have you got this newspaper report from
Kentish Gazette - Tuesday 20 September 1791
I've transcribed as printed !:)
This day the Robuft of 74 guns, commanded by Captain Cotton, was paid off at this port. Mr. John Imrie, boatfwain of the Robuft, having been prefented by the fhip’s company with fome plate, he walked in proceffion with them this afternoon, accompanied by music, colours, &c. through the town, Rochefter, and Stroud, receiving the fhouts of all as he paffed.
 
Eve said:
No help with his death but have you got this newspaper report from
Kentish Gazette - Tuesday 20 September 1791
I've transcribed as printed !:)
This day the Robuft of 74 guns, commanded by Captain Cotton, was paid off at this port. Mr. John Imrie, boatfwain of the Robuft, having been prefented by the fhip’s company with fome plate, he walked in proceffion with them this afternoon, accompanied by music, colours, &c. through the town, Rochefter, and Stroud, receiving the fhouts of all as he paffed.
Click to expand...
Oh Wow! Thanks Eve
 
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I don't know if you've looked at the National Archives Catalogue, but there are mentions of a few men/boys by the name of John Imrie connected with the Navy. The list of entries in the catalogue can be found at, obviously some aren't relevant.
Code: 
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_ep=john%20imrie&_dss=range&_ro=any&_st=adv
Most of the documents can't be downloaded or viewed on-line, so you would have to go down the route of ordering copies from TNA. TNA also houses the logs, muster books, pay books, letters etc., of the Robust (and, of course, many other Naval ships) where you could follow John's service, but you would have to go to Kew to do so. It is a lengthy process to go through all such documents, but very interesting and can be very rewarding.

One entry which particularly caught my eye was the one relating to "Ann Maria Imrie, widow of John Imrie, boatswain Royal Navy who died 13 Oct 1808. Includes: Extract from Parish Register, married 25 Oct 1783. Papers submitted to the Charity for the relief of Officers' Widows." That particular document may well give you some answers but, on the other hand, it might not :rolleyes:

If you do go down the road of ordering a copy on-line, be patient, you may have to visit the site several times in order to complete the order as they only allow so many orders per day due to a high demand, but you will get there - eventually :)
 
Schnurrbart said:
Did use a researcher. The PR is in fact a letter from the Vicar at the time the application was made and includes John's approximate age. The midshipman results are just as good. The researcher was extremely helpful.
Click to expand...
Excellent :)
 
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