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Henry Galloway - deserted at sea?

Donaghcloney (Down)Belfast (Antrim)

Im requesting help with resources to try to confirm a family story.

My great-uncle Robert Henry (sometimes Harry) Galloway, [b. 11 May 1883, Donaghcloney, Co. Down] was said to have deserted at sea. How could that be? A co-worker told my Moms cousin, if a sailor caused enough trouble while at sea he may have been thrown in a crate and dumped overboard. Surely the military kept records of discipline/punishment, right?

Ive been unable to find Henry/Harry on the 1901 or 1911 Census. My grandfather, Sam, is shown in 1901 with his parents at 12 Moorfield St., Belfast. An older brother, John Galway of Hurgan [Lurgan] was in the Boer War at the time of the 1901 Census. Ive found his record on Fold3 and FMP.

Henry/Harry does show up marrying Catherine (Kate) Redmond, 4 Mar 1905, Christ Church, Belfast. Catherine is Catholic. Henry is Church of Ireland. They had a daughter, Isabella in December 1905. Not too much later, Henry and Kate must have separated. Isabella is left with her Redmond grandparents. She is raised to be Catholic. Kate goes on to marry James McVeigh, 26 Nov 1908 in County Down.

Ive found no further record about Henry/Harry. Jessie Galloway, his mother, says in the 1911 Census that she bore 11 children and 9 are alive. I know of the death of 2 daughters, so presume Harry is still alive in 1911. Suggestions?

junkforjo@aol.com

4 replies

On Kate’s second marriage certificate in 1908 she puts her maiden name and said she was a spinster. So it looks as though she knew fine well that Harry was still alive then, otherwise she’d have put widow. He had presumably left the area, and probably Ireland.

He might have gone to sea. That’s just as likely to be the merchant navy as the Royal Navy, but if you think he was in the Royal Navy, have you searched for a military record for him, on findmypast or Ancestry. Being at sea could make him very difficult to trace as there’s no obvious way of knowing where he settled or died. But check for a military record first.

He is most unlikely to have been dumped overboard. That’s murder. More likely he deserted when the ship arrived in some foreign port. But without an idea of where or when, I doubt you’ll trace him easily.

I did note an RG in Enniskillen in the 1901 census. He was serving with the Royal Irish Regiment. He was born in Co Down, single, Church of Ireland, and a weaver by civilian trade. However he gave his age as 22, which is 5 years older than his true age. But it was very common to lie about your age to join the army and navy so you never know. But might be worth checking in case he served with them. He had evidently left by 1905, if he was in the army.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you, Elwyn, for your thoughts. Your theory about deserting in a foreign port sounds a more logical interpretation of 'deserted at sea'. 

I have searched FMP's military records for Henry with just one possibility. Unfortunately there wasn't enough information that would truly confirm its my Henry. I'll search the merchant navy records next.

Thank you so much for reading my post and responding. I appreciate your interest.

Judy

junkforjo@aol.com

Hi Judy

This is so coincidental!  I have just joined Ireland XO today and the first post I read was yours. I live just on the outskirts of Donaghcloney village, in the house in which one branch of the Galloway family lived.  I bought the house in 1981 from Walter John Galloway, who at that time lived in Holywood, Co Down.  I know that Samuel Galloway (or Galway as his name was written on the Valuation Record Books of the time) lived there with his wife Bessie (Cummings) and their 7 children from about1907 - previously they were living in Belfast.  Samuel's mother, Mary, also lived with them - she passed away here in 1917 aged 89.  When we were renovating the house we found old school exercise books from 1907 - 1913 that had belonged to some of the children - two of Fred's, one of Ada's and one of Walter's. Fred in particular, had beautiful writing! I tried to upload a jpg image of them but it wouldn't work. Samuel was a younger brother of John, your Robert Henry's father.

Walter John Galloway had bought the house in 1978 from Liddell's Linen Factory - I think the family moved here because Samuel was the Assistant Manager of the factory and the factory owned these houses.  Do you know was Walter John the son of Walter, and grandson of Samuel and Bessie?  I wasn't sure.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Joy Smith

Joy Smith

Oh, I see one image has attached!  I didn't realise it would appear under my post.  

Joy Smith

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