Blaber Family Genealogy

Third Generation

16. Thomas BLABER^{4,9,67,125,126,127} was born in 1814 in Wartling, East Sussex, England.^{4,9,38,128,129,130,131,132,133} He was christened on 8 May 1814 in All Saints' Church, Herstmonceux, Wartling, East Sussex, England.^4,9,134 In 1838 he was a Labourer.^131,135 Thomas served in the Army in 1838.¹³¹ He served in the 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade. He deserted on 13 October 1838 in Woodmanstow, Surrey, England. He lived at Handcombe Street in Westham, East Sussex, England between 1839 and 1841.^136,137 Between 1841 and 1851 he was an Agricultural Labourer.^137,138 Thomas lived at 22 Pevensey Street in Pevensey, East Sussex, England in 1851.^4,138 Between 1857 and 1871 he was a Railway Labourer.^{4,139,140,141,142,143} He lived at Garden Street in Lewes, East Sussex, England in 1861.^4,141 At the 1861 census, Thomas was living with his daughter, Mary. In 1881 Thomas was a Labourer.¹³⁵ In the 1881 Census, Thomas is stated as 'unmarried'. He lived at Old Shoreham Cottage in Old Shoreham, West Sussex, England in 1881.¹³⁵ He was a lodger at the residence of John & Harriet White at the 1881 Census.. He died in 1886 at the age of 72 in Steyning, West Sussex, England.^136,144,145 He died in the Workhouse. He was unmarried.

Thomas BLABER and Mary were married between 1861 and 1871.^143,144 Mary is recorded as Thomas' wife in the 1871 Census, but we have not been able to find any records for a second marriage for Thomas. They^{^143,144} lived at Alma Cottage, Old Shoreham Road in New Shoreham, Sussex, England in 1871.^143,144 Mary was born in 1822 in Battle, East Sussex, England.¹⁴⁶ She died Alma Cottage, Old Shoreham Road on 19 January 1874 at the age of 52 in New Shoreham, Sussex, England.^147,148,149 She was buried on 22 January 1874 in New Shoreham, Sussex, England.¹⁵⁰

Thomas BLABER and Mary MATHEWS were married on 17 February 1833 in St Anne's Church (previously St Peter & St Mary Westout), Lewes, East Sussex, England.^4,38,46,127 Witnesses: David Henry and Wm James Winter. Rector: George Shiffner. Mary MATHEWS^4,45,125,127, daughter of Charles MATHEWS and Sarah SHARRARD, was born in 1815 in Westham, East Sussex, England.^{15,45,151,152} She was christened on 13 April 1815 in Westham, East Sussex, England.¹⁵³ She lived at Handcombe Street in Westham, East Sussex, England between 1839 and 1841.¹³⁷ Mary lived at 22 Pevensey Street in Pevensey, East Sussex, England in 1851.¹³⁸ She died on 3 February 1857 at the age of 42 in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England.^4,45,154,155 On the death certificate it is recorded that a Harriet Knight was present at the death. She was buried on 8 February 1857 in St Nicholas, Pevensey, East Sussex, England.⁴ Mary was also known as Mary MATTHEWS.⁴

Thomas BLABER-2455 and Mary MATHEWS-2456 had the following children:

43	i.	Moses BLABER⁴ was born about 1834 in Westham, East Sussex, England.^4,45 He lived at Handcombe Street in Westham, East Sussex, England in 1841.¹³⁷ At the 1841 Census, Moses and Aaron were living/staying with their grandparents, Thomas and Sarah BLABER. He died on 17 December 1846 at the age of 12 in Westham, East Sussex, England.^4,45,156,157
+44	ii.	Aaron BLABER-1660.
+45	iii.	Miriam BLABER-6776.
46	iv.	Luther BLABER⁴ was born on 16 May 1839 in Westham, East Sussex, England.^{4,45,140,158,159,160,161,162} He was christened on 7 July 1839 in Westham, East Sussex, England.²³ He lived at Handcombe Street in Westham, East Sussex, England in 1841.¹³⁷ Luther lived at 22 Pevensey Street in Pevensey, East Sussex, England in 1851.¹³⁸ He served in the Army in 1861.¹⁶³ At the 1861 Census, Luther was at sea en route from India to New Zealand. He was a Private (289) in 70th Foot (Surrey) Regiment. In 1871 he was a Railway Porter.^16,164 Luther lived at 10 Freehold Terrace in Preston, Brighton, East Sussex, England in 1871.^16,164 His sister, Mary, was living with him at the 1871 census. He died on 17 November 1871 at the age of 32 in Brighton, East Sussex, England.^{4,157,165,166}
47	v.	Naomi BLABER^4,167 was born in 1841 in Westham, East Sussex, England.^{4,168,169,170,171} She lived at Handcombe Street in Westham, East Sussex, England in 1841.¹³⁷ She lived at 22 Pevensey Street in Pevensey, East Sussex, England in 1851.¹³⁸ In 1862 Naomi was a Domestic Servant in Union Workhouse in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England.²³ She died on 26 April 1862 at the age of 21 in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England.^4,45,157,172
48	vi.	James BLABER^{4,173,174,175} was born on 23 August 1843 in Westham, East Sussex, England.^{4,45,173,176,177,178} He lived at 22 Pevensey Street in Pevensey, East Sussex, England in 1851.¹³⁸ He served in the Royal Navy from 23 July 1859.^{175,179,180,181} James initially volunteered for the Royal Navy on 11th May 1859. At that time, he appears to have lied about his age, listing his date of birth as 23rd July 1841, Westham, Sussex, rather than 1843. His continuous Service Number was 16285A. He was engaged for 10 years and his first ship was HMS Victory. He was listed as a 'Boy' as of 23rd July 1859. At the 1861 census, James' ship HMS Agamemnon was in Suda Bay, Island of Candia, Crete, in the Mediterranean Sea. His rank was "Boy 1C". The ship had a compliment of 91 guns, and there were 139 marines on board. The captain was Thomas Hope of Inveresk, Scotland. During Captain Hope's command (14 May 1859 to 19 October 1862) she was based in the Mediterranean, then (January 1862) North America and West Indies. HMS Agamemnon James Watt-class battleship (1f/3m). L/B/D: 230.3 × 55.3 × 24.1 (70.2m × 16.9m × 7.3m). Tons: 5,080 disp. Hull: wood. Comp.: 860. Arm.: 34 × 8, 56 × 32pdr, 1 × 68pdr. Mach.: Penn trunk engine, 2,268 ihp, single screw; 11.24 kts. Built: Woolwich Dockyard; 1852. Laid down in 1849, launched in 1852, and commissioned the following year, the ship-rigged steam battleship Agamemnon was the first warship built with screw propulsion, though other sailing vessels had been fitted with engines after commissioning. Agamemnon's success was such that she remained the basic model for the first decade of Britain's steam battlefleet. As flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons's Black Sea fleet (Captain William Mends commanding) during the Crimean War, she took part in the bombardment of Sevastopol on October 17, 1854. She also took part in the shelling of Fort Kinburn, at the mouth of the Dnieper one year later. In 1857 the British government fitted out Agamemnon to carry 1,250 tons of telegraphic cable for the Atlantic Telegraph Company's first attempt to lay a transatlantic telegraph cable. Although this was unsuccessful, the following year the project was resumed. Agamemnon and her American counterpart USS Niagara spliced their cable ends in midatlantic on July 29 and then sailed for their respective continents. With William Thompson, the future Lord Kelvin, monitoring the progress of the 1,020 miles of cable, Agamemnon reached Valentia Bay in County Kerry, Ireland, on August 5, 1858. Niagara reached Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, the same day. Eleven days later, Queen Victoria sent a ninety-nine-word message to President James Buchanan, a process that took more than sixteen hours. (Three weeks later the cable failed and service was interrupted for eight years.) After service on the Caribbean and North American stations, Agamemnon was paid off in 1862 and sold in 1870. Clarke, Voice across the Sea. Lambert, Battleships in Transition. James lived at in HMS Agamemnon - Suda Bay, Candia Island (Crete) on 7 April 1861.⁶⁵ James initially volunteered for the Royal Navy on 11th May 1859. At that time, he appears to have lied about his age, listing his date of birth as 23rd July 1841, Wesrham, Sussex, rather than 1843. He died in Australia. Family Information passed down by Eli David Blaber, James Blaber's great nephew, was that James jumped shipped while ferrying inmates to Australia and changed his family name to "Jewel". Attempts will be made to identify James in Australian vital statistics.
49	vii.	William BLABER^4,182 was born on 25 March 1846 in Westham, East Sussex, England.^4,45,182 He died on 23 July 1847 at the age of 1 in Westham, East Sussex, England.^4,45,183
50	viii.	Mary BLABER^4,184,185 was born in 1848 in Westham, East Sussex, England.^{16,184,186,187,188} She lived at 22 Pevensey Street in Pevensey, East Sussex, England in 1851.¹³⁸ She lived at Garden Street in Southover, Lewes, East Sussex, England in 1861.¹⁴¹ At the 1861 census, Mary's father, Thomas, was living with her. In 1861 Mary was a Nurse Maid.¹⁴¹ She lived at 10 Freehold Terrace in Preston, Brighton, East Sussex, England in 1871.^16,164 She was living with her brother, Luther, at the 1871 census. In 1871 she was a Housekeeper.^16,164 Mary died on 9 February 1873 at the age of 25 in Portslade-by-Sea, East Sussex, England.^4,157,189 She was buried on 11 February 1873 in Portslade-by-Sea, East Sussex, England.^184,190 Parish records include in parenthesis (Cockayne; Blaker). We do not understand this reference at the moment. Aged 26 at her death.