James Richard Apps

Napier Terrace, West Street
Clifton Villa, St. Patricks Road

Occupation: Trinity Cinque Ports Pilot

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James Richard Apps

James Richard Apps c1890

James Richard Apps was born in Ramsgate in 1824 and, like his father before him, he became a Mariner. According to the ‘UK, Apprentices Indentured in the Merchant Navy’ records, found on Ancestry, he was Indentured on 20 June 1840 and was serving on the Diadem. The Merchant Seamen’s Register dated 1844 confirms that he first went to sea as an apprentice and that he didn’t serve in the Royal Navy. These records give descriptions of the registered or ‘ticketed’ seamen and James Richard is described as 5 foot 4 1/2 inches tall, with light brown hair, light blue eyes and a ruddy complexion.

In 1850 he marries Elizabeth Hope in Stepney, the daughter of a Ramsgate Greengrocer and when the census was taken the following year she is staying with her parents in Addington Place in Ramsgate. James though, as a newly qualified Master Mariner, is more than likely at sea as there is no census record for him that year. It seems likely that the couple initially set up home in Ramsgate as James Edward William, their first child, was born there in 1855. Soon after they move to Napier Terrace, West Street, Deal, though in April 1856 the Freehold of their dwelling house is up for sale so this may have prompted them to move and eventually to settle in Clifton Villa on St. Patrick’s Road.

James Edward William Apps is also to be found in ‘UK, Apprentices Indentured in the Merchant Navy’ records in 1869, however, it also states that he deserted in 1871 by jumping ship at Launceston. A warrant was issued for his arrest though he does appear to have avoided the authorities and remained in Australia until his death in 1937. What his father thought of this we can only guess.

Elizabeth died in 1866 she was buried in Hamilton Road Cemetery where here gravestone reads

Two years later James married Martha Vincent the daughter of local Schoolmaster John Vincent and the granddaughter of  John Vincent sen. who was the Minister of the Congregational Church.

The fact that there are no baptism records for any of James Richard’s children after his second child was born may suggest that he and his family had joined the Congregational Church. He would have attended services in the Old Church building, his children may even have gone to the Sunday School in the adjoining building. They all would have seen the Old Church buildings demolished and the building of the new Church on the same site.

Putting the wood of the old pulpit to good use James Richard Apps built this wonderfully detailed model of the old church building. This is now held at the Town Hall though it sadly is not on display. We are grateful to the Town hall for allowing us to take these photographs. Unfortunately the glass case decided it did not want to be removed,  hence the poor quality of these images.

Martha died in 1903, followed four years later by James himself. They are both buried in the same grave as Elizabeth, James’ first wife. Their memorial inscriptions read.

We were lucky enough to make contact with the descendant of James who kindly let us publish the images of her ancestor. She also sent us these images of the much loved Doll’s House that Richard had also made.

Name Born Baptised Married Died Buried
James Richard 1824 28 November 1824 1) Elizabeth Hope
7 October 1850
Stepney

Born 1830
Died 1866
2) Martha Vincent
1868
Deal

Born
Died 1903
18 March 1907
Clifton Villas, St. Patrick’s Road
22 March 1907
Hamilton Road Cemetery

The Children of James Richard Apps & Elizabeth Hope

Name Born Baptised Married Died Buried
James Edward William 1855
Ramsgate
27 May 1855
St. Lawrence’s, Ramsgate
1) Margaret Murray
1875
Victoria, Australia
2)Louisa Sarah Marie Holder
1909
Victoria, Australia
1937
Victoria, Australia
George Hope 1858
Middle Deal
6 January 1858
St. Andrew’s, Deal
Annie Eliza Ouzman
4 June 1881
St. Mary’s, Lewisham
13 March 1950
12 Elmsleigh Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset
Herbert Alfred 1861
Deal
Unknown Amelia Ding
13 April 1892
St. Andrews, Thorpe Episcopi, Norfolk
1948
Norwich, Norfolk
Florence Beatrice 1863
Deal
Unknown James Samuel Blackett
1884
Deal
19 March 1934
130a Adelaide Road, Brockley Kent
Eleanor Gertrude 1864
Deal
Unknown George Washington  Van Abbott
1887
Lewisham
18 March 1892
Lewisham

1892
Brockley and Ladywell Cemeteries

The Children of James Richard Apps & Martha Vincent

Name Born Baptised Married Died Buried
Ada Vincent 1868
Deal
Unknown Unmarried 29 June 1962
Coniston, Gun Green, Hawkhurst
Mary Vincent 1875
Deal
Unknown Unmarried 26 September 1961
Kent and Sussex Hospital, Tunbridge Wells
Ernest Robert 1 December 1879
Deal
Unknown Elizabeth Rebecca A Tarry
11 February 1903
Princes Street Independent Chapel, Devonport, Devon
1953
Essex

Census

Year Address Name Relationship Occupation
1841 Possibly at Sea

Census

Year Address Name Relationship Occupation
1851 Possibly at Sea

Census

Year Address Name Relationship Occupation
1861 Clifton Villas, St. Patricks Road James R Head Trinity Cinque Port Pilot
Elizabeth Wife
James E W Son
George H Son
Herbert A Son
Elizabeth Hope Mother-in-Law Retired
Mary A Philpot Servant House Maid

Census

Year Address Name Relationship Occupation
1871 Clifton Villas, St. Patricks Road James Head Trinity Pilot
Martha V Wife
George H Son Scholar
Herbert A Son Scholar
Florence B Daughter Scholar
Eleanor G Daughter Scholar
Ada V Daughter
Harriet Solly Servant Domestic Servant

Census

Year Address Name Relationship Occupation
1881 Milton Lodge, St. Patricks Road James Trinity Pilot
Martha
Florence
Ads Scholar
Mary Scholar
Ernest
Eliza Hayward Servant Domestic Servant
Ellen Batly Servant Domestic Servant

Census

Year Address Name Relationship Occupation
1891 Clifton Villa, St. Patricks Road James (wrongly written as John R on census) Head Trinity Pilot
Martha V Wife
Mary V Daughter Scholar
Ernest R Son
Eliza Hayward Servant General Domestic Servant

Census

Year Address Name Relationship Occupation
1901 Missing for Deal

Trade and Street Directory

Directory and Year Trade or Occupation Address
Melvilles Directory 1858 Pilot Clifton Villa, St. Patrick’s Road
Post Office and Home Counties 1887 Master Mariner – Pilot Clifton Villa, St. Patrick’s Road
Kelly’s Directory 1891 Trinity Pilot Clifton Villa, St. Patrick’s Road

Poll Books (selected)

 Year Profession Qualifying Residence’s
1859 Pilot Deal
1865-1904 Clifton Villa, St. Patricks Road
Sources and further reading:
Images of James Richard Apps with permission and thanks to Jenny Cosgrove
Britain, Merchant Seamen Records 
UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar
UK, Apprentices Indentured in the Merchant Navy