A Broken Engagement and a Tragic Suicide.

 

Royal Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

PO 12825 Pte. Ferdinand Schepens, R.M.L.I.

Ferdinand Schepens, the third child of Constant and Adelaide Schepens, was born on 13th May 1885 at Carrington, near Nottingham. His parents had previously lived in Battersea, London, where they worked as cigar makers and where their first two children had been born. The 1891 Census records the family consisting of Constant (43 years, born in Antwerp, Belgium), Adelaide (36 years), Coletta Mayo (10 years), William Leopold (9 years) and Ferdinand (5 years) as living at Radford, near Nottingham. By the time of the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 10 Midland Cottages, Bridgford, just south of Nottingham, and two more children, Alma (6 years) and Florence (1 year) had been born.

Ferdinand Schepens enlisted with the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 9th January 1903 at Nottingham. His Service Record describes him as almost 5' 6" tall with a fresh complexion, brown hair and grey eyes. His religion is recorded as Church of England and his trade as confectioner. Over the next seven years, he served with the Portsmouth Division and on a number of different ships, including HMS Fire Queen, HMS Foresight, HMS Egmont, HMS Implacable and HMS Renown. When the next Census was taken on Sunday 2nd April 1911, Ferdinand was on board HMS Duke of Edinburgh, a First Class Armoured Cruiser at Gibraltar. From 1911 to 1913, he saw further service with HMS Cormorant and HMS Bulwark.

In October 1913, Ferdinand joined the crew of HMS Amethyst, a Third Class Protected Cruiser, and he was still with this ship when he received news that his father had died early in 1914 and when the ship later took part in the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28th August 1914. From July 1916 till the end of the war, he served with the Queen Elizabeth Class Battleship HMS Barham. In 1918, he was awarded the Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal pictured here.

In August 1920, Ferdinand was still with HMS Barham and it was now that his life came to a sad and tragic end. The story was written up in the Nottingham Evening Post on 21st August 1920 as follows:

Nottm. Marine's Suicide.

Cuts His Throat Aboard H.M.S. Barham.

Tragedy of Disappointed Love.

A tragic occurrence on H.M.S. Barham, at present in H.M. Dockyard at Portsmouth, was investigated at the Town Hall yesterday afternoon by the Borough Coroner. Deceased was Ferdinand Schepens, 35, a private in the R.M.L.I., and the evidence pointed to the fact that he took his own life, probably in consequence of disappointment in a love affair.

On the 4th inst. he proceeded on 14 days' leave to his home in Nottingham and, from the evidence of his brother, William Leopold Schepens, of Loughborough, it appears that, contrary to his usual bright and cheerful nature, deceased seemed quiet and melancholy during his holiday. Also he took more to drink than usual, and his general demeanour caused anxiety to his mother and other members of the family. Deceased had been engaged to a young lady living in Castlegate, Nottingham, but the engagement was broken off, and the woman, it seemed, was about to be married to someone else. Deceased knew this and undoubtedly he had a great regard for her.

Deceased returned to his ship on the 18th inst., and Gunner J. G. Spinner, R.M.A., stated that on the morning of that day he saw deceased in the flats where the marines' lockers are on the Barham. Later deceased went aft, and hearing a thud, witness proceeded to the spot and found deceased lying on the deck with his throat cut, and a razor lying near his feet.

Private G. J. S. Rickwood, who, with Privates A. Dixon and Henry J. Brinkman, was called to the spot, reported the matter to the sick bay, and Surgeon-Commander Durston attended.

The doctor stated that life was just passing away when he saw deceased. There was a severe wound across the throat, the jugular vein and windpipe having been severed. Evidently deceased must have made two cuts, and it was a most determined act.

"Suicide whilst of unsound mind" was the verdict. Mr. G. M. Johnson (Messrs. Hobbs and Brutton) attended on behalf of the Admiralty.

Ferdinand Schepens is remembered with honour in Nottingham Southern Cemetery, commemorated in perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. In addition to the Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, he is also entitled to a 1914-15 Star Trio but the whereabouts of these medals are not known.

Long Service in the Royal Marine Light Infantry.

 

Royal Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

PO 1893 Sergt. Herbert Williams, R.M.L.I.

Herbert Williams, the son of Thomas and Jane, was born on 4th April and baptised in the Holy Trinity Church, Eccleshall, Staffordshire on 22nd April 1855. The 1861 Census records the family as resident in Wootton near Eccleshall, gives Thomas' occupation as farm labourer, and lists three children: Meshach (8 years), Herbert (6 years) and Merab (2 years). By the time of the 1871 Census, Thomas, now aged 59, had moved to Elford Heath, Horsley, where he was a farmer of 16 acres, but Herbert, now 15 years old, was a domestic servant at a farm at Mill Meece, a few miles north of Eccleshall, and it was here that he met 14 year old Annie Lowe, also working as a domestic servant, who would become his future wife.

  

On 4th August 1877, Herbert Williams joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry at Hull. His Service Papers describe him as just over 5' 7" tall with sandy hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion and his religion is stated as Church of England. Herbert spent the first year of his naval service at the Royal Marine Recruit Depot at Walmer before being posted to the Portsmouth Division, where he made steady progress in his career. He passed for Corporal on 30th October 1879 and was subsequently promoted on 11th May of the following year while serving at HMS Vernon, a Royal Navy shore base which had been established in 1876 as the Navy's torpedo school.

On 17th October 1882, Herbert married Annie Lowe, his old sweetheart, in Eccleshall, his home town. Herbert's progress through the ranks took another step with his promotion to Sergeant on 1st January 1883. During the following years, his conduct was characterised as "exemplary" or "very good"and he served with the Portsmouth Division, the Command Depot and various ships, including HMS Hector, HMS Northampton and HMS Asia. On 14th February 1888, Herbert received his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, which appears to be his sole entitlement.

The 1891 Census records Herbert, now a Royal Marine Colour Sergeant, and Annie residing at 13 Trafalgar Square, Alverstoke, Hants, together with their three children: Merab Annie (7 years), Albert Hector (5 years) and Ida May (1 year). On 6th August 1898, Herbert was discharged from the Royal Marines after 20 years of service and the Williams family appear to have returned to Staffordshire.

The 1901 Census records the family living at Albany House, Bushbury, near Wolverhampton. Herbert now aged 45 was working as a clerk, while his eldest daughter Merab was a 17 year old pupil teacher and his son Albert was a messenger for a drawing office. By the time of the 1911 Census, Herbert and Annie were living at Walmer Villa, 130 Gorsebrook Road, Wolverhampton. Unlike previous censuses, the 1911 Census included the additional information that the marriage had lasted 28 years and had resulted in five children, three of whom were still alive. Herbert, now aged 55, was working as a coal dealer. Some time after this, Annie Williams died and the 1921 Census lists Herbert as a 66-year-old widower and retired coal dealer and still living at the same address. His 31-year-old daughter Ida May, single and employed as an elementary school teacher at St Andrew's Girls School, Wolverhampton, was still living at home.

I have not been able to ascertain the exact year of Herbert Williams' death but he does not seem to be recorded on the 1939 Register so presumably he died some time before this.