Thomas WATKINS/BICK (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Sunday, September 01, 2013, 23:57 (4095 days ago) @ themudlark

Hi Alan,
thanks for your update, very interesting indeed to me as I love all things nautical. First, sorry for my misleading and incorrect post re Dickens, as you say that ship was a little before your ancestor's time, with the Great Expectations plot opening at about 1812 when he meets the convict Magwitch. I realise now the Justitia referred to on that site was the first hulk carrying that name, not the second one Thomas was on. Sorry for not reviewing my post properly, particularly as I did remove my original link to an image of the Justitia when I realised that was the wrong ship too.

Thanks too for mentioning Rochester and the museum. About 15 years ago an old schoolfriend was living in nearby Chatham, she was renting a very old terraced townhouse situated highup in the town above the Dockyard and overlooking the river, it was said to be built for retired sea captains which seemed quite plausible. While visiting her we took-in the local dockyard museums, all very interesting indeed as you say. Now she's plying her radiologist's trade at Truro and is living in equally interesting nautical surroundings near the Fal river. This prior thread of mine gives a mention http://www.forum.forest-of-dean.net/index.php?id=38053

You think Thomas wouldn't be a waterman ?. I'm not so sure about that, Churcham village is only about 2 miles from the Severn at Minsterworth, perhaps not ideal if he was a boatowner, but quite possible if he was a worker on the river, an easy walk to work in those days if that was the best work he could get. The Parish of Churcham extended a lot farther than Minsterworth, including as far east as Over right on the river near Gloster.

Thanks again for your interesting post, atb Jeff
(stuck in nautically deprived West Middlesex - altho we're only 100 yards from the Grand Union canal, but no mud to lark in...)