Dorset’s population, being a coastal county, has always had people involved in the shipping trade, in boat building, or aboard one of the many sea going vessels. Probate records exist for many sailors who ‘considering the Perrils & dangers of ye Sea and other uncertainties of this Transitory Life’ made their Wills before they set sail.
Information in these probate records included the normal information such as executor of the Will or Administration, and their relation to the deceased, those who will inherit from the deceased and possibly their relation, and sometimes where they were from and their occupation.
However other information could be included. Probate records could mention where they were at the time of writing of the Will such as Gabriel Hodder, mariner, who was aboard ‘HMS Weymouth at sea of Port Royal on the coast of Jamaica in the West Indies’ when he wrote his Will:
Joseph Symes, shipwright, Letter of Administration, records he was ‘late in His Majesty’s Dock at Port Mahon on the Island of Menorca’:
Whilst John Hind, Mariner, of Portland and Benjamin Dew, Mariner, of Wimborne Minster both wrote their Wills when ‘about to take a voyage to sea’:
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Wills could be written out by hand using standard wording or by completing a printed pro forma as shown by the Will of William Boys of HMS Panther:
These pro forma Wills, although the wording largely remained unchanged, varied in their designs as can be seen in the examples below:
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The Wills, as shown above, may detail where they had come from in Dorset, which ship they were attached to as well as the Commander of that Vessel.
However some Wills also give details of the sailors state of health before their death such as in the case of William Freeman, Mariner, late of Okeford Fitzpaine but belonging to HMS Hampton Court. His Nuncupative Will records him as ‘being sick of the Small pox whereof he dyed the next day’:
Whilst the Will of William Sealy gives his ship as HMS Winchester but records that he is ill and ‘now in the Hospital at Plymouth’:
Another Will appoints Josie Lambert as the administer of the estate of William Lambert, her son, who was ‘dying on Board’ HMS Bedford:
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Being lost at sea was an occupational and accepted hazard of going to sea, especially as most sailors of this period could not swim. However, looking at the Probate records in the Dorset Archdeaconry records in 1707, out of the 46 Administrations for that year there are ten from HMS Eagle, three from HMS Association and six from HMS Rumney. These Administrations link these men from Dorset with what was one of the worst maritime disasters in British Naval history.
On the 22nd October 1707, on the Western rocks just off the Isles of Scilly, in severe weather, there was the loss of four warships of the Royal Naval Fleet with between 1400-2000 sailors losing their lives. HMS Association sank with the loss of her entire crew of c.800 men. HMS Eagle was also lost, again with all hands. It was estimated she had to have as many hands as the Association. HMS Rumney (Romney) also went down with all but save one of her 290 crew. HMS Firebrand also struck rocks but, being lifted clear by a wave, steered clear of the rocks until she founded in Smith Sound and sank with the loss of 28 of her crew. The victims of the great Scilly Naval disaster of 1707 were all buried on the islands.
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Lastly there is the Will of William Lawrenson, Mariner, belonging to HMS Rainbow. This gives a lot of information regarding where he is living, with whom, family and his last wishes. In his Will he says he is residing at ‘the Dwelling House of William Selby, Cordwainer, in the parish of Pimperne’ as he is ‘sick and weak of body’. In the Will he leaves his wife, Elizabeth Lawrenson, just Two Shillings and Sixpence. However as
‘William Selby has for some time during my illness found and provided necessaries of life for me and taken me into his house without whose charitable assistance I must certainly have perished’
William Lawrenson leaves him
‘All and singular such Salary, Wages, Tickets, Bounty Money, Prize Money…together with all other Goods, Chattels and personal estate’,
and appoints him as sole Executor.
The Will was dated 23rd August 1750 and William Lawrenson, a sailor, burial is recorded in the parish registers of Pimperne on 26th August 1750. The Will was proved on 12th September 1750.
