Admiral Robert Gordon Douglas
‘Seafield’, The Beach, Walmer
Royal Naval Hospital Building, Walmer
Occupation: Royal Navy Officer & Cinque Ports Magistrate
A Terrible Shipwreck, T.L. Mourilyan R. N. , 1870 © Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park, photograph by Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd
Wednesday, February 9th 1870 was the start of a violent storm in the area of Deal, Walmer and Kingsdown. Charles Elvin tells us it increased in strength over the next few days until the Sunday when it became a violent north-easterly. In such strong winds and wild seas, ships that were still anchored in The Downs suffered from the dragging of these anchors due to the power of the storm. The Walmer and Kingsdown lifeboats and their brave crews did what they could but the strain on the Racine, a schooner from Marseilles with a cargo of sugar, became too much. Her chains snapped and she was wrecked to the south of Walmer Castle. Apart from one young boy, the crew were saved by the Boatmen of Walmer and Kingsdown. The Glendura, bound for Rotterdam, the Dutch brig Anna Lena and the English brig Eglantine and the English Barque William Harper, Ships were thrown up on the shore at Walmer and the brave Boatmen threw lines aboard the wrecked vessels and helped crew along the ropes to safety. The people of Walmer were out in force on this terrible Sunday, including Admiral Douglas who, it is reported, rushed into the sea three times to throw lines to the desperate crews.
The Glendura was the only ship to survive the storm and was eventually refloated.
| Name | Born | Baptised | Married | Died | Buried |
| Robert Gordon Douglas | 7 June 1829 Sholden |
7 July 1829 St.Mary’s, Walmer |
1) Julia Elizabeth Sarah Clark 18 October 1866 St. John’s, KingsdownBorn 1842 London Died 1887 Richmond, Surrey2) Sybilla Lucy Hilton 12 April 1891 St. Mary’s, WalmerBorn Died 1902 Seafield, The Beach, Walmer |
12 January 1910 Seafield, The Beach, Walmer |
19 January 1910 Blessed St. Mary, Walmer |
The Children of Robert Gordan Douglas and Julia Elizabeth Sarah Clarke
| Name | Born | Baptised | Married | Died | Buried |
| Sydenham Gordon Douglas | 1867 | 28 August 1867 Walmer |
Jane Elena Carver 1911 Fulham London |
26 Aug 1928 Disabled Officers Home, Middlesex |
1 September Bognor Regis Sussex |
| Ellen Gordon Douglas | 1869 | 12 February 1869 Walmer |
1953 Walmer |
13 July 1953 St. Mary’s, Walmer |
|
| Margaret Gordon Douglas | 1870 Isle of Wight |
18 Oct 1870 Walmer |
Rev Percy Pleydell Neale Nott 2 April 1899 St. Mary’s, Walmer |
11 June 1936 Bucks | |
| James Sholta Gordon Douglas | 1872 | 7 June 1872 Walmer |
18 December 1930 Exeter | ||
| Evelyn Frances Gordon Douglas | 1874 | 5 June 1874. Walmer. | Henry Roe Walker 21 Oct 1897 St. Mary’s, Walmer |
6 Dec 1965 Devon |
|
| John Gordon Douglas | 1878 Southsea |
4 October 1878 Melcombe Regis, Dorset |
1906 Sybilla Lucy Hilton. Durban, South Africa | 4 September 1960 Brisbane Australia | |
| Madeline Gordon Douglas | 1881 | 3 August 1881 Richmond, Surrey |
Joseph Robert Walker 1908 St. Mary’s, Walmer |
8 Sept 1941 Tunbridge Wells |
Census
| Year | Address | Name | Relationship | Occupation |
| 1851 | Royal Naval Hospital Building, Walmer | John | Head | Lt. RN Half-pay pension for Bounty |
| Robina | Wife | |||
| Robert Gordan | Son | Mate RN | ||
| Fenella | Daughter | Scholar | ||
| Jane Muddle | Servant | Servant |
Census
| Year | Address | Name | Relationship | Occupation |
| 1861 | Royal Naval College Dockyard, Portsmouth, Hampshire | Robert G | Officer Studying | Commander RN Half-pay |
Census
| Year | Address | Name | Relationship | Occupation |
| 1871 | ‘Belgrave’, Walmer Beach | R Gordon Douglas | Head | Captain in RN- active service |
| Julia | Wife | |||
| S Gordon | Son | |||
| Ellen Gordon | Daughter |
Census
| Year | Address | Name | Relationship | Occupation |
| 1881 | 4 Park Villas, West Richmond | Robert G | Head | Captain RN |
| Julia | Wife | |||
| Ellen G | Daughter | Scholar | ||
| Margaret G | Daughter | Scholar | ||
| Sholto G | Son | Scholar | ||
| Evelyn G | Daughter | Scholar | ||
| John G | Son | |||
| Clara Sherpwane | Servant | Domestic Nurse | ||
| Isabel McKinnon | Servant | Cook | ||
| Lily Snelling | Servant | House & Parlour-maid |
Census
| Year | Address | Name | Relationship | Occupation |
| 1891 | 19 Walmer Beach | Robert G | Head | Vice-Admiral RN |
| Sydenham G | Son | Lieutenant RN | ||
| Ellen G | Daughter | |||
| Margaret G | Daughter | |||
| Sholto G | Son | Student Military | ||
| Madeline G | Daughter | |||
| Archibald G G | Son | |||
| Clara Sherpwane | Servant | |||
| Sarah Farrin | Servant | |||
| Amelia Lawrence | Servant | |||
| Deborah Laming | Servant |
Census
| Year | Address | Name | Relationship | Occupation |
| 1901 | Missing for Deal & Walmer |
Trade and Street Directory
| Directory and Year | Trade or Occupation | Address |
| Kelly’s Directory 1903 | Cinque Ports Magistrate | Seafield, The Beach, Walmer |