In April 1871, Abraham Wakely was a 16-year-old sailor living at Lyatts.

Childhood

Abraham was born in Lyatts in 1853, the youngest son of James, a farm labourer, and his wife, Mary.[1] His father died in December 1861, aged 57. Two year later, on 22 December 1863, his mother married Charles Gillam at East Coker church.

Naval career

Abraham enlisted in the Royal Navy in early 1871. However, he did not immediately go to sea, as in April 1871, he was a sailor, living with his mother and stepfather at Lyatts.

Naval records document his ten years of continual service in the Royal Navy from 7 November 1872 to 6 November 1882 and list his service number as 62297. They describe him as 5 feet 3 inches tall, with black hair, grey eyes and a ruddy complexion. Over the course of his career, he served on about ten ships, including HMS Orontes, where he was part of the crew in April 1881. Notably, HMS Orontes has an honourable place in the world of Sherlock Holmes as the troopship that brought Dr John Watson home from India.

Marriage

After leaving the Navy, Abraham worked as a farm at Purse Caundle, where he met Rose Osborn, the daughter of a carter. The couple married at Purse Caundle on 2 July 1884. Their first son was born at Purse Caundle in 1885, and their second at Stalbridge in about 1889. By April 1891, the family lived at Sherborne, where Abraham continued to work as a farm labourer.[2]

Abraham may have returned to Hardington in about 1895, as he is on the voters’ list for 1896.

Death

In late 1895/early 1896, Abraham died at the age of 42, and his death was registered in the Yeovil registration district.

Rose’s later life

In March 1901, Abraham’s widow, Rose, lived at Newlands, Sherborne, with her eldest son, William. Her other son, John, was in Sherborne Hospital due to a hip disorder and sadly passed away in 1903, aged 15.

In January 1910, William married Lily Delamont at Sherborne.

In April 1911, Rose was living at Newlands with a boarder named Frank Herbert Weed, who was sixteen years younger than her. Rose married Frank on 24 December 1911. In June 1921, they lived at Higher Clatcombe Farm, Sherborne, where Frank worked as a farm Labourer, while Rose engaged in laundry work. Rose outlived Frank by eight years, passing away in about 1942, aged 83.

Refernces

[1] Birth registered as Abraham Weakley, Q4 1853, Yeovil.

[2] The family lived in Yeovil Road, Sherborne.