Vital Statistics
Birth: 1861
Marriage: N/A
Spouse: N/A
Death: 1931
Family Branch: Bovey Tracey
PinsentID: GRO0529
John Samuel Pinsent was the eldest son of John Pinsent by his wife Frances Elizabeth (née Bennett). He was born into a large family living in Plymouth in 1861. His father was a “stoker” in the Royal Navy and John Samuel followed his father into “senior service”. John Samuel’s Service Records (National Archives: ADM 188/100: #92133) show that he enlisted as a “B2C” (Boy 2nd Class) and was promoted to “B1C” (Boy 1st Class) on 1st April 1876 – when he was fifteen years old. He was said to be 4 ft. 11 ½ in. tall when he initially signed up. He had brown hair, brown eyes and a sallow complexion. Predictably, he grew. He was 5 ft. 8 in. tall when he re-engaged for 10 more years on 16th April 1878. He had served his “apprenticeship” in the Navy while it was still going through its transition from sail to steam and it must have been a very different navy to the one his father and his uncles had joined a generation earlier. John Samuel rejoined as an “ordinary seaman” and was posted to a wide range of ship in the years that followed. Some of them were training establishments or to “stone frigates” as they were called.
John was promoted “able-seaman” (A-B) in April 1879 and “leading-seaman” (Ldg) in June 1887. He reached the rank of “Petty Officer” (2nd Class) in December that year and was upgraded yet again to “Petty Officer” (1st Class) in November 1890. He reverted back to “able-seaman” for some reason when he transferred to the shore station “H.M.S. Vivid” and was assigned to “drill.” John Samuel was generally considered to be of “very good” character; however, he did have one 21-day stint in the brig. This was while serving at “H.M.S. Vernon”, the Navy’s torpedo and mining school in 1881. What that was all about I do not know!
John Samuel never found time to marry. He returned to Plymouth and stayed with his brother William Thomas Pinsent and his wife Caroline while on leave. He was an “able seaman” on the gunnery training ship “H.M.S. Cambridge” when the Census was taken in 1881 and he was also staying with him in Egg Buckland ten years later. John Samuel was an “ab” (able-seaman) living with his brother on Albert Terrace in Plymouth in 1901. He must have retired around then; however, he stayed on with his brother and sister-in-law until at least 1911. He was probably with them well beyond that.
John Samuel served on “H.M.S. Impregnable”, another training ship, from 3rd August 1875 to 9th February 1877. From there he was posted to “H.M.S. Defense” until 5th December 1879 and transferred to “H.M.S. Royal Adelaide” for a month before moving to “H.M.S. Cambridge” in February 1880. He left the ship on 3rd December 1881 and went to the shore station “H.M.S. Vernon”, at Chatham for a couple of months before transferring to “H.M.S. Excellent” at Portsmouth where the Navy had its gunnery school. He stayed there from 14th December 1881 to 25th May 1882. John Samuel was then posted “H.M.S. Hecla” and served in the Mediterranean until 30th September 1885. Thereafter, he had several short, alternating stints on several ships before returning to “H.M.S. Excellent” on 1st October 1885. He was reportedly there until 11th December 1886 and also from 19th August 1887 to 24th October 1887.
John Samuel served on “H.M.S. Sultan”, from 12th December 1886 to 18th August 1887 and from 25th October 1887 to 30th May 1888. He then moved back to “H.M.S Cambridge” and held several appointments there, interspersed with other assignments. He was assigned to “H.M.S. Cambridge” from 11th June to 13th October 1888; from January 18th to 31st, 1889; from 6th February to 3rd May 1890 and 28th to 30th June 1890. In between, he served at “H.M.S. Impregnable” from 14th October 1888 to 17th January 1889, “H.M.S. Neptune” from 1st to 5th February, and “H.M.S. Defiance” from 4th May to 24th June 1890. He then did a longer stint on “H.M.S. Aurora”, from 1st July 1890 to 3rd May 1892. He must have spent some time ashore. On one ocassion he found himself acting as a witness in a case between an Torquay coach-builder and a cabdriver. The former demanded payment for damage and the latter responded that the cab was unfit for use when he received it. John Samuel agreed. He told His Honour Judge Edge in Torquay County Court that he had hired the cab the previous week and it was not fit for purpose (Torquay Directory and South Devon Journal: 13th March 1889).
John Samuel was posted to “H.M.S. Narcissus” from 4th May 1892 to 25th May 1894 and to “H.M.S. Endymion” from 26th May 1894 to 24th April 1895. There followed stints on “H.M.S. Empress of India”, from 25th April 1895 to 11th December 1895, on the newly built “H.M.S. Magnificent” from 12th December 1895 to 28th January 1897. He was posted to “H.M.S. Alexandra” between 29th January 1897 and 7th July 1898.
On 3rd July 1899, he transferred to the shore station at “H.M.S. Vivid” and officially retired. However, he joined the “Royal Navy Reserve” in 1901 and stayed around until 31st March 1903 – when he appears to have been permanently discharged to “shore.” He left the “Royal Navy Reserve” ten years later, on 16th April 1910. The take away from all this is that the Royal Navy had a huge fleet in those days and that they moved their crews around a lot. The short assignments to training and other ships later in his career may have been teaching assignments. The Navy would have called on experienced crew to train recruits.
John Samuel appears to have re-enlisted during the “First World War”. He served at “H.M.S. Defiance” (torpedo training school) from 20th August to 17th September 1914 and was back at the shore-station at “H.M.S. Vivid” from 18th September 1914 to 10th May 1919. Again, he was probably helping to train recruits.
John served in the Navy for over twenty years – man and boy – and not content with that he rejoined during the First World War! He was awarded the “Egyptian Medal: 1882”; the “Naval and Marine Personnel – clasps” for service at “Alexandria” and “Tel-El-Kebir” in 1882 and for service in “Suakin”, “El-Teb.” and “Tamaai” while aboard “H.M.S. Hecla” in 1884. It was a Royal Navy Torpedo Depot Ship used to service small torpedo boats. John Samuel was also awarded the “British War Medal” for his Services to the Navy during the “First World War” (UK, Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972: Ancestry.com).
John Samuel Pinsent was a “pensioned Royal Navy Petty Officer” when he died in West Hampstead, Essex in January 1931. Administration of his effects; which were valued at £163 16s 8d, was granted to his sister, Sarah Rosina Young that March (Calendar of Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration: Ancestry.com).
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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