Vital Statistics
Birth: 1867
Marriage: N/A
Spouse: N/A
Death: 1890
Family Branch: Bovey Tracey
PinsentID: GRO0328
References
Frederick Christopher Pinsent was the third and youngest surviving son of John Pinsent by his wife, Frances Elizabeth (née Bennett). He grew up in St. Andrew’s Parish in Plymouth with his two brothers (whose lives are discussed elsewhere) and five sisters, three of whom married. Frederick was home with his parents when the 1881 Census was taken; however, he left home shortly afterwards. He, like so many in his family, seems to have joined the Royal Navy as a “boy 2nd class” and worked his way up from there. His enlistment and service papers are in the National Archives (ADM 188/152: #118638). They show that he served on “H.M.S Lion” from 20th January 1882 (when he was sixteen years old) until 12th September 1883. From there, he was sent to “H.M.S. Neptune” until 29th July 1886.
In November 1884, when he was seventeen years old, Frederick signed on for ten years of service as an “ordinary seaman.” He was 5 ft. 3 ½ in. tall when he re-enlisted, so had grown roughly three inches since he first signed on. He had been 5 ft. 0 ¾ in. tall when he first joined up. Frederick had brown hair, brown eyes, a fair complexion and – at some point – he had acquired a cross tattooed onto his left arm.
Frederick was posted to “H.M.S. Royal Adelaide” for two months before he was switched to “H.M.S. Shannon” (an armoured cruiser) on 21st September 1886. While onboard, he was promoted to “able seaman.” This was despite having previously spent 21-days doing hard labour in Cork Jail for some “naval” offense or other (Ireland Prison Records: Findmypast). He left the Shannon on 7th October 1889 and returned to the Royal Adelaide for a couple of months before being assigned to “H.M.S. Anson” 27th November 1889. He served there until 17th June 1890. After that, he had a few days at the shore-station, “H.M.S. Vivid” prior to joining “H.M.S. Serpent” on 24th June 1890.
That was his big mistake. The ship was a relatively new torpedo-cruiser that had been built in Devonport and commissioned in 1888. It left Devonport on 8th November 1890 for service on the Coast of West Africa; however, it was caught in a storm in the Bay of Biscay on 10th November and, after getting lost in a fog bank in very rough seas, it ran into a reef off Cape Vilan, near the village of Camarinas in Galicia, North Spain.
The captain reversed and attempted to launch lifeboats but they were swept away and ship went down before the crew could abandon ship. A total of 273 seamen drowned. In fact, all but three of the crew, who were on watch and wearing life jackets, went down with the ship. It later transpired that there were not enough life jackets to go around anyway (Freeman’s Journal and Daily and Commercial Advertiser: Friday 14th November 1890: also www.wrecksite.eu). Frederick Christopher Pinsent was an “able seaman” when he died. His conduct was generally considered to be “good” or “very good” in the early days; however, it seemed to have deteriorated. It was down to “fair” when he left the “Shannon” for the “Royal Adelaide” at the end of 1889. Then there was the small matter of some “smuggled liquor” in December 1888!
Frederick Christopher was only twenty-three years old when he drowned. He never married; so John and Frances Elizabeth (née Bennett’s) had no sons to carry their line into the 1900s.
Family Tree
Grandparents
Grandfather: Thomas Pinsent: 1806 – 1839
Grandmother: Mary Mugford: 1808 – 1850
Parents
Father: John Pinsent: 1831 – 1908
Mother: Frances Elizabeth Bennett: 1834 – 1898
Father’s Siblings (Aunts, Uncles)
John Pinsent: 1831 – 1908
Sarah Jane Pinsent: 1832 – 1916
Mary Ann Pinsent: 1834 – 1850
Thomas Pinsent: 1835 – 1884
William Pinsent: 1837 – xxxx
Samuel Pinsent: 1839 – 1912
Male Siblings (Brothers)
John Samuel Pinsent: 1861 – 1931
William Thomas Pinsent: 1865 – 1941
Frederick Christopher Pinsent: 1867 – 1890
Alfred George Pinsent: 1872 – 1872
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