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A family postcard dated 1925. William Clague was the Lighthouse Keeper during WW1
A story Ian's mother told us always had us puzzled until we saw a Zeppilin had bombed a hospital in Lowestoft. She described as a child of a shell she saw go slowly past her bedroom window in Lowestoft Lighthouse and the hospital across the road being destroyed, it was the hospital for wounded soldiers. The Zeppelin made sense ...a shell was nonsense, her sense of size, distance time and speed could have been distorted. |
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History
1841 Census German Isle of Man
Wiliam Clague 53? Fisherman Jane Clague 40 (1st wife nee Caroll?) William Clague 15 son Eleanor Caroll 70 mother in law Ann Carroll 40
1851 Census
Kirk Michael German Peel IOM William Clague 60 Fisherman born c 1790 Patrick IOM Margaret wife 38 (2nd wife?) nee Shinnin SHIMMIN? George 2 Robert Shinnin - Father in law - Shoemaker (also transcribed as Shimmin) Charlotte Shinnin - House Servant
William married Margaret 26.02.1848 Patrick IOM George Christened 4.03.1849 Patrick IOM
1861 Census Michael Street Peel IOM Margaret Clague - widow - 47 George 12 Robert 10 Robert Shinnin (Shimmin) - Head of Household 69 - Cordwainer There were FIVE lodgers in the house
MORE CHECKING TO DO ! TWO GEORGE CLAGUES BORN IN THE SAME YEAR IN PEEL ONE MOTHER MARGARET THE OTHER MOTHER MARY -TRANSCRIPTION ERROR? ANYONE ANY IDEAS ??
1871 Census Back Green - Peel Baby William 1 yr was living with his grandmother Mary Kaighin - Mariner's wife Was he illegitimate as his mother Jane 20 was unmarried and living at home? - Netweaver Mary (sister) 18 was also in the household - Netweaver Henry 14 - Mariner
George Clague 22 unmarried shoemaker, living with mother Margaret/Mary widow 59 and Robert Shinnin (Shimmin) 79 Grandfather Shoemaker widower
1881 Census 5 Duke Street Peel IOM George Clague 32 - Boot & Shoe Maker - Peel IOM Jane wife 31 nee Kaighin William 11 ( IAN'S GRANDFATHER) Mary 6 George 2 months Margaret Clague Widow - mother age 68 Housekeeper
1891 George Clague 42 Shoemaker Jane 40 Mary 16 General Servant George 10 Alice 7 John 5 Bertha 2 NO WILLIAM - COMMENCED HIS LIGHTHOUSE DUTIES
1901 Census Onchan IOM
Jane Clague 49 Charwoman living on own account Alice 17 Millgirl John 15 Bertha 11 Margaret 8
No trace of George on this Census
1911 Census 22 Barrick Street Douglas living in 3 rooms
Jane Clague 60 Widow (total children born 10) John Robert 24 Single Labourer Bertha Agnes 21 Single Domestic Servant Catherine Margaret 19 Single Domestic Servant Charles Black 6 - Adopted son at school
I believe that the Bertha Clague mentioned in your family history was my maternal grandmother. She was born at 14 Drumgold Street, Douglas, IOM April 4th 1889. Her father was George William Clague and Mother Jane Clague formerly Kaighen. She was married in Glasgow on 18th June 1919 to my Grandfather, John Kay. She had 6 children. Due to ill health she moved to stay with my parents in Inverness where she died in 1965. I have tried to find details of her family in the past without success but was delighted to find your website last night. Callum Macinnes
WILLIAM APPEARS ON THE LIGHTHOUSE CENSUS IN 1901
Notes:
Jane Kaighin daughter of John Kaighin Sailor born 1820 and Mary Nichol born 1817 Scotland She had five siblings John, Thomas, Agnes, Mary and Henry
Story that William b 1870 had a first wife Helena Cole(i)ster who died shortly after marriage - only Census record is a William b 1856 married to Helena b 1857 in Douglas with 5 children. Does not appear to be the same family, as ours appear to be all in Peel On the 1891 Census a Helena Collister (9yrs) has been found grandaughter of John (fisherman)
There were Clagues living in the same household as the Colesters on the 1841 Isle of Man Census - Peel There appear to be several spellings of the name: Collester, Colester,Colister and Collister
William b circa 1790 who had a young wife Margaret on the 1851 census must have been married twice as well. All to be checked out
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William Clague's Lighthouse Box | |
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Bull Point | |
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| Trinity Lighthouse Personnel - records available to 1910
William Clague Lighthouse Keeper 1901 - 1908
Les Hanois (1862) Channel Isles, Guernsey Trinity Cottages, Torteval, for relief and families 1901 'Vessel'
William Clague Lighthouse Keeper 1908 - 1910
Bull Point (1879) Devon Mortehoe
THERE ARE NO WIVES OR CHILDREN LISTED AGAINST WILLIAM'S NAME ON THE LIGHTHOUSE CENSUS
There appears to have been some tendency for keepers to become fathers rather later in life than men in other occupations. The wives of keepers at rock stations often went 'home' for the delivery of their children, so the place of birth does not necessarily point to the station on which the keeper was serving at the time.
Some of the younger men in the 1910 Service List would have served on into the 1940s.
1911 CENSUS
William Clague 30 Lighthouse Keeper born Rushen IOM Helena 29 married 8 yrs born Arbory IOM Helena Catherine 7 born Torteval Guernsey Edith Isabel 6 born Torteval Guernsey Marion Sylvia 4 born Torteval Guernsey Phyllis Dulcie 3 born Torteval Guernsy William Francis Collister 11 months born Morte Hoe N Devon
ALL LIVING AT BULLPOINT LIGHTHOUSE MORTHOE N DEVON
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Ians grandfather's first wife was a Helena and Ian had a cousin called Collister (christian name) Light houses Ian grandfather worked in: Isle of Wight, Mortehoe Devon, Channel Islands, The Smalls and Lundy may be others , not in the correct order. we have a photo of Ian's mother in a syncronised swimming team in Lowestoft. Thalia
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Morthoe | |
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A Painting by Dulcie Clague Ian's mother | |
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Painted from the garden of Westgate Cottage which used to be the guard house |
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From lowestoft dated 1926 daddie (grandfather father clague) Francis died early much missed affected the family deeply and made them more religious as Spiritualists painted with passion and love |
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The Clagues - Bull Point Morthoe Devon | |
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Clagues of the Isle of Man | |
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| Ian's grandfather in 1935 William Clague Lighthouse Keeper Mother far right and two aunts |
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| Ian and Maternal Grandparents The Clagues |
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| Ian and Maternal Grandmother Dulcie Clague |
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Reference letter for Dulcie - May 17th 1923 | |
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Some old postcards and modern images of the Isle of Man | |
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Post cards sent from Ian's family - aunts Maud Nana and May |
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