Introduction
Esau Eastment left the village as a boy to pursue a career in the Royal Navy. Unfortunately, the experience did not go well for him, and he had to endure severe punishments for desertion and disobeying orders.
Childhood
Esau was born in 1852 at Hardington, the fourth of six children born to William and Elizabeth Eastment. His father worked primarily as a farm labourer but was recorded as a railway labourer in the 1861 census. The family lived at Hardington Marsh. On 18 April 1867, Esau’s older brother, Job, enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry, probably influencing Esau to join the armed services three years later.[1]
Start of Naval career
During the summer of 1870, Esau and his friend, Francis Denty, decided to join the Royal Navy. On 30 September, Francis’s mother and Esau’s father travelled to Haselbury to sign the necessary forms granting their permission.[2] Both boys enlisted on 5 October 1870 and claimed to be 16, although Francis was 17 and Esau was 18.
By April 1871, both boys were serving as boy sailors in the training ship HMS Impregnable, stationed at Devonport. Francis began his ten-year period of continuous service on 12 April 1872, when the Navy believed he was 18. Esau began his ten-year period of continuous service on 15 May 1872 aboard HMS Northumberland. Naval records describe him as 5 feet 5 inches tall, with light brown hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion. He had tattoos on both arms and his left wrist.[3]
Disillusionment
After about three years of naval service, Esau began to regret his decision to join. On 7 August 1873, he deserted and did not return to service until 5 October 1873. He was jailed for 90 days on 8 October 1873, probably due to his desertion, and returned to service on 7 January 1874. His character assessment indicated he did not want to be in the Navy, as it was marked as “bad.” [4] Fourteen months later, on 27 March 1875, he was court-martialled on two counts of wilfully disobeying a lawful command. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. During this time, he had to spend the first seven days of each month in solitary confinement, while the remaining days involved hard labour. At the end of the two years, he was to be dismissed from Her Majesty’s service.[5]
What happened to him after this draconian punishment, or even whether he survived it, remains unknown, as he has not been found in later records.
References
[1] ADM 159/1/192.
[2] ADM 139/936/13568; ADM 139/936/13571
[3] ADM 188/39/60628.
[4] ADM 188/39/60628..
[5] Courts Martial Registers, 1806-1930.
