Sidney George Preece lost overboard December 1893

Plaque in the church of All Saints, Hitcham.

In loving memory of
Sidney George Preece,
(Born March 19th 1877.)
Eldest son of Richard Amory & Emma Jane Preece.
Who was lost overboard from the barque “Senegal”
on December 27th 1893.
In Latitude 52o 40’ South, Longitude 79o 30’ West

The birth of a Sidney George Preece, mothers’ maiden name Williamson, was registered with the Civil Authorities in the Cosford District in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1877.

Then as now you had 42 days after the event to register the birth, and the birth was then shown in the quarter registered, not the quarter born. Therefore the date on the plaque and the quarter registered are not incompatible.

The Cosford Civil Registration District included the Hitcham Civil Parish.

On the 1881 Census of England & Wales the 4 year old “Sydney G.” Preece, born Hitcham, was recorded living at the School House, Hitcham. This was the household of his parents, Richard A., (26, Teacher of Public Elementary School, born Haddenham, Cambridgeshire) and Emma Jane, (29, born Wisbech, Cambridgeshire). As well as Sidney the couple also have a 2 year old daughter, Ethelreda M., and a 12 month(?) old son, Percival R – both born Hitcham. The couple also have a lodger, another teacher at the school Emmeline E. Pilgrim, and a live in servant.

By the time of the 1891 Census of England & Wales the family were recorded living at Bilderstone Road, Hitcham, although Sidney was not with them. At least on the source I use for Census lookups the family surname had been transcribed, (understandably), as Pruce.

There is no obvious match for Sidney on the 1891 Census of England & Wales, but given his age and if he was a sailor aboard the Senegal when he was lost, then he could have already commenced his apprenticeship by the time the census was taken.

A barque is a sailing ship with at least three masts, all of them fully square rigged except for the sternmost one, which is fore and aft rigged.

The barque SV Senegal was built by Russell & Co. Ltd, of Greenock in 1891 and owned by Gilbert M. Shreeves of Liverpool. She had 258 square yards of sails over three masts. Not only was she old technology, (despite a steel hull) but she did not long survive the death of Sidney.

“The British three-mast steel barque Senegal has not been heard of since 15th March 1894. Bound from Tacoma to San Diego in ballast, there was talk at the time of her being insufficiently manned, her ships company at the time of her loss consisting of:
Master, 2 officers, 3 apprentices, steward and stewardess, carpenter, 6 AB’s and 2 ordinary seaman.” Source Lloyds Register of Shipping.
www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?173850

However this source has the ship sailing from San Diego on that day, in ballast and bound for Puget Sound.
www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?a1PageSize=50&ship_list...

The Argus, (a newspaper from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), in its edition dated Tuesday December 4, 1894 included the following death notice.

“GATES – On the night of the 18th March, 1894, through the foundering of the British barque Seneal, off he coast of California, Gerald Herbert, third son of Alfred Gates, of the Audit Office, aged 18 years.”
trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8723669
The location given for Sidneys’ death would have put him at sea approximately 100 miles off the coast of southern Chile in the approach to the southern tip of South America.

Taken in: UK / England / Babergh District / Hitcham (show map)

Taken on: October 9, 2018

Tags:

Hitcham

Hitcham All Saints

England

Suffolk Churches

Sidney Preece

Sidney George Preece

Richard Amory Preece

Emma Jane Preece

Sailing Vessel Senegal

Lost overboard

27th December 1893

27/12/1893

Latitude 52o 40’ South, Longitude 79o 30’ West

Memento Mori

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Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S602 ZOOM, f/2.8, 1/25 sec, 7.8mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Fujifilm FinePix S602 ZOOM
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.04 sec (1/25)
Focal Length:	7.8mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Digital Camera FinePix S602 ZOOM Ver1.00
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