Samuel Mason 1847 & Eliza Martha Keziah Trask 1844

SAMUEL MASON born 1847 in Fareham, Hampshire &

ELIZA MARTHA KEZIAH TRASK born 1844 in Stonehouse, Devon

In 1847 the year Samuel was born Queen Victoria was the current Monach and Lord John Russell is the Prime Minister. In April the House of Lords in the Palace of Westminster is opened. The Christmas cracker is marketed for the first time by Tom Smith of London and Ireland's great famine continues, the summer's potato crop is free from blight but too small to feed everyone as to the small area sown.

Samuel Mason was born on the 23rd of February 1847 in Fareham on the South coast of England. He was baptised on the 14th March at St Peter & St Paul Church at Fareham, his father was William Mason who worked on the Cams Estate, owned by Henry Peter Delme and his mother was called Charlotte Vincent, a Londoner.

In 1851 he is aged 4 and living with his mother Charlotte on Jockey Hill, Fareham. Also at this address are his half sister Marinia Stone, age 14, brothers Edmond Mason, age 6 and William Mason aged just 2. Also on same page is their father William Mason who is working as a Groom on Cams Hall Estate. His father William Mason died in an accident injuring his head in 1855. In the 1861 Census Samuel and his siblings have been renamed to Heale after their new step father Joseph Hale or Heale, who had married their recently widowed mother Charlotte on the 30th October 1859 in Portsea. Samuel is noted as Samual M Heale, a Scholar, aged 14. They are all living at 16 Clarence Street, Portsmouth.

Samuel met a local girl called Eliza Martha Kehiah Trask, Eliza was born on the 14 March 1844 in Stonehouse, Devon on Fore Street, this is now part of the High Street in Stonehouse, it was originally the road from Plymouth to Plymouth Dock, later Devonport. The unusual name of Keziah means "cassia" in Hebrew, from the name of the spice tree. Her parents were James & Ann Trask (nee Denley), James was a Private in the Royal Navy Marines.

 At the time of Samuel & Eliza's first daughters birth in 1867 Samuel is working as a contracted labourer, their daughter was called Charlotte and was born at 15 Highland Street, Eastney, part of Portsmouth, she would later marry Alfred Kirk.  They had a second daughter, Emma in 1869. 

Samuel joined the Navy or may have been conscripted after being in trouble with the law. In 1865 a Samuel Mason is brought before the courts for handling stolen goods and imprisoned for 1 year, I do not know for sure this is my Samuel Mason but he looks to have joined the Navy shortly after this time. He did redeem himself though by being awarded the Abyssinia War Medal when he was a Stoker on the HMS Star. The medal was given to those who served in the 1868 Expedition to Abyssinia. The expedition was led by Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Napier against the Ethiopian Empire and the Emperor Tewodros II.  Tewodros had asked the British Consul in Ethiopia, Captain Charles Duncan Cameron  to carry a letter to Queen Victoria requesting skilled workers to come to teach his subjects how to produce firearms and other technical skills to aid in his wars against rival Muslim tribes. Cameron travelled to the coast with the letter, but when he informed the Foreign Office of the letter and its contents, the Foreign Office instructed him simply to send the letter to London rather than take it himself, he was to proceed to Sudan to make inquiries about the slave trade there. After doing this, Cameron returned to Ethiopia  His initial letter to Queen Victoria was actually filed under pending for a year before being sent to India where it  was also delayed. When Cameron returned to Tewodros empty handed the Emperor was extremely angry at the lack of  aid or word from the Queen. Eventually he  imprisoned members of the British government including Cameron and several missionaries because the British had not helped him.  The British government decided they needed to act ,  to send help would be an ambitious and expensive campaign,  the large contingent of British forces had to transport themselves over very tough and mountainous terrain towards the stronghold of Magdala. Much of the British force was made up of 13,000 Indian servicemen who travelled from Bombay. Many animals had to be purchased for the transport such as horses, mules and bullocks.  This also included 44 elephants to pull the large artillery. The British forces travelled nearly 400 miles over rough and mountainous terrain repairing roads as they went, laying rail track and telegraph lines. Feeding an army plus their associated  followers and animals was an incredible feat of organisation, moving in a country with little to offer in way of supplies. Many tribes and their leaders had to be negotiated with to aid the British or at least provide safe passage on route, fortunately many had  their own reasons to hate the cruel rule of Tewodros.  The British finally stormed the Magdala fortress on the 13th April 1868, once inside they discovered the body of Tewodros who had shot himself with a pistol that had actually been a present from Queen Victoria. 

When Samuel returned from sea he finally married Eliza Trask on the 3rd September 1871 at the All Saints Church, Parish of Portsea.  Perhaps with a 3rd child on the way and before he was called away at sea again he thought he had better make an honest woman of Eliza.  Their 3rd child, Samuel John Mason was born soon after the marriage on the 3rd October 1871. 

In 1871 at the time of his marriage he was on the HMS Serapis, the Serapis was an iron screw troopship but also rigged with sail and was in service from 1866 to 1894. It was one of five  troopships built by the Navy designed to carry the huge number of British troops stationed in India. In 1866 the Crocodile, Euphrutes, Jumna, Malabar and Serapis were built. They were magnificent looking rigged screw transports, they weighed 6,211 tons with a speed of 15 knots, each of the ships was able to carry a complete battalion of troops. The ships were specifically made to enable them to pass through the Suez canal, saving a considerable time on their voyage to India. The Indian Government paid the costs of running the service but the Navy operated the ships. 

In 1868 the Serapis took part in the Abyssinian campaign, transporting 150 Hales rockets and a mountain battery and 6,000 rounds from Bombay to Zula on the Red Sea. Samuel was on th HMS Star for that campaign. In 1869 HMS Serapis headed across the Atlantic to Canada with immigrants not soldiers. The new iron warships needed far less men to make and maintain, leading to high unemployment in dockyard areas like Portsmouth., so the government tried to encourage immigration overseas. They offered  free passage for artisans and labourers who had worked at the docks for at least a year and their families. Between 1869 and 1870 over 2,000 dockyard workers and their families left for Canada, travelling on troopships like the Serapis. The Serapis´s moment of glory came in 1875 when she was chosen to transport the Prince of Wales to India to mark Queen Victoria becoming Empress. This entailed copious modifications, and fabulously furbished state rooms were installed. There was a Royal Marine band and even huge blocks of ice kept in the hold. She called at Bombay, Ceylon, the Portuguese colony of Goa and Aden before returning home to Portsmouth.

By 1872 Samuel was on the HMS Duke of Wellington, when launched she was the most powerful warship in the world, being twice the size of HMS Victory.  In the 1840's  information was gathered by British navel intelligence of the French building the Napoleon, the first steam-powered, screw propelled steamship.  The admiralty and the house of commons had to act. The Royal Navy had already ordered many conversions of sailing ships while on the stocks. In 1851, it was the case for the Windsor Castle, which  was already in construction at Pembroke Dockyard. It was one  the first of a new class of giant “wooden walls”,  heavy four-deckers, the finest designed sailing ships of the line, representing the pinnacle of war ships. Conversion of the Windsor Castle required the hull to be cut  in half and lengthened it by 9 meters to accommodate the steam engine and room for hundred tons of coal. Total length of the hull reached then 73 meters (240 feet, without the bowsprit).  She was  re-launched and re-christened (14 September 1852) as HMS Duke of Wellington to honour to the most important man in recent British History who had just passed away. It dwarfed the famous Victory, five generations older and was on par with the most impressive flagships in the French and Russian fleets. She would go on to fight with the Baltic fleet against Russia, first under Sir Charles Napier and then returning with Rear-Admiral Richard Saunders Dundas, being present at the bombardment of Sveaborg. 

When Samuel was working on board the Duke of Wellington, she had replaced HMS Victory as the flagship of the Port Admiral at Portsmouth, she was used as the flagship from 1869 onwards with HMS Victory becoming her tender, firing salutes to passing dignitaries, such as Queen Victoria.  Samuel died aged just twenty-six at the Royal Navel Hospital, Haslar, this is the large brick hospital near the entrance to Portsmouth harbour.  He died on the 5th of August 1872 of Typhoid Fever, also known as Enteric Fever. This is caused  by the bacterium Salmonella due to a contaminated food supply, no doubt a common problem on board ship. On his death certificate it states he was a stoker at the time on the HMS Ship Duke of Wellington.  Samuel was buried in the Royal Navel Cemetery at Haslar on the 7th of August.

 Eliza made a living while Samuel was away at sea and after his demise with jobs such as Domestic Servant, Seamstress and Charwoman. On the 1881 Census she is noted as a widow aged just 36 and living with her children and her mother, Ann. By 1891 they have been joined by John Kirk, her late husband's Grandson from Leicestershire and are living at 8 Spring Garden View. In 1891 she is still living in Portsmouth but on her own at number 16, Spring Garden View. She passed away there on the 2nd of August 1904, her occupation was still noted as 'Widow of Samuel John Mason. a Stoker R.N.'

You can see pictures of Samuel's ships in the associated links at the bottom of the page and you can read more details below -

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The 'HMS Duke of Wellington', was the once-famous flagship of Sir Charles Napier, it was launched at Pembroke Dock in 1852, She was the most powerful warship in the world  at that  time . The three-decker 'HMS Duke of Wellington' was initially launched as the 'HMS Windsor Castle' on 14 September 1852, the same day as the Iron Duke died at Walmer. Her name was changed in his honour a few days later. 

She was an early steam-powered ship but she was still fitted with towering masts and trim square-set yards, and was the flagship of Sir Charles Napier. She was the first of a class of four that represented the ultimate development of the wooden three-decker ship. When completed on 4th of February 1853 HMS Duke of Wellington was the largest yet built for the Royal Navy, twice the size of Nelson's Victory. She was 240 feet (73.1 m) long, displaced 5,892 tons, and carried 131 cannon, weighing a total of 382 tons and mainly firing 32 lb balls. 'HMS Duke of Wellington' served as a flagship in the Baltic during the Russian War. After service in the Western Squadron of the Channel Fleet, she was designated the flagship of the fleet that Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier was to lead to the Baltic on the outbreak of the war with Russia (later known as the Crimean War). Duke of Wellington served as his flagship throughout the Baltic campaign of 1854 and returned to the Baltic the following year as the flagship of Napier’s successor in the command, Rear-Admiral Richard Saunders Dundas, being present at the bombardment of Sveaborg.

Under trials on 11 April 1853 she made 10.15 knots under steam, she saw no active service after the Crimean War and was paid off in 1856.  She served as Guard Ship of Sailing Ordinary at Devonport from 1860-63, then as a receiving ship at Portsmouth from 1863, where she became a familiar and much-photographed sight, always described on postcards as "the flagship of Sir Charles Napier". She replaced HMS Victory as flagship of the Port Admiral at Portsmouth from 1869 to 1891 (with Victory becoming her tender), firing salutes to passing dignitaries, such as Queen Victoria on her way to Osborne House. She served as flagship for the Commander-in-Chief from 24 October 1884 - 1886 and for Victoria's birthday celebration and fleet review at Portsmouth in 1896 "dressed smartly for the occasion" (despite having been paid off on 31 March 1888). She was commanded by David Beatty, future admiral, from 1900 to 1902. The personnel stationed on her eventually moved into RN Barracks Portsmouth in 1903 and she was finally sold to be broken up in 1904.

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Notes below of life on the Duke of Wellington when it was being used as a depot for the men training for a Navy Service -

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The last course but one was gunnery. Here we were supposed to live at the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth (now the Navigation School), and go over to Whale Island daily in a steamboat. But there happened to be a particularly large batch of subs going through in my time, and the accommodation in the College not being sufficient, the more recently joined had to be berthed in the old Duke of Wellington, which was used as the Naval Depot, the Royal Naval Barracks not then being built.

The Duke of Wellington was a three-decker line-of-battleship, launched in 1852. Designed to carry 131 guns, the heaviest a 68-pounder, she was laid down at Pembroke Dock in 1849 as a sailing vessel, but while still on the stocks she was converted to a screw ship. She was 240 ft. 7 in. long, 6o ft. 2 in. broad and of 3,771 tons. She carried 1,100 men. I venture to give these details for the benefit of any reader who is interested in naval architecture.

The Duke of Wellington was the filthiest ship I have ever been in. The officers and men were mostly birds of passage and took no interest in her, and the ship herself had no associations to appeal to sentiment or the imagination. So far as I was concerned, however, I got a pretty good insight into the lives of naval officers of old, and was able to realise something of the conditions under which they were forced to exist ; though this was nothing like the reality, for we were at any rate in harbour, with many comforts unknown to our predecessors, and, of course, we were spared the horrors of the actual sea lives that they led.

But the conditions were bad enough. We had our sea-chests on the orlop-deck. This was below the water-level, and the only light was provided by candles in lanterns. To wash, shave and dress under these conditions was a feat indeed. In the beginning these primitive resources had a certain charm, but like a country cottage with its oil-lamps and well water and other drawbacks the charm easily becomes a "fade - away." I cannot recall any honest expression of regret at bidding farewell to the obscene old hulk.(*)

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(*) http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/Commander_RN/Chap_03.html#Duke

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SAMUEL MASON  born  1847 in Fareham

Born.      Samuel Mason. Born 23rd February 1847 in Fareham.

                County of Southampton

                Informed by Charlotte Mason. Mother. Fareham

                Father - William Mason.  Occ - Groom

                Mother - Charlotte Mason  formerly Stone

                Registered - 16th March 1847.

Baptism. Samuel  Mason  14 March 1847, St Peter & St Paul

                 Fareham, Hampshire

                 Son of of  William & Charlotte Mason. 

                 Father's Occupation - Labourer

Census 1851.  Samuel Mason Age 4.  

                Born - Fareham

                Address - Jockey Hill  Civil Parish - Fareham

                Living with Mother Charlotte Mason Age 36.  

                Profession - Grooms Wife.

                Born City of London, Middlesex.

                Half Sister Marina Stone (14) - Born Poole, Dorsetshire

                Brothers Edmond Mason (6), Samuel Mason (4), William Mason (2) 

                All Born Fareham.

                Also on same page - Father William Mason (28)

                Groom (Cams Hall Estate)

Census 1861.  Samuel M Heale Age 14.                 

                 Address - 16 Clarence Street

                 Civil Parish - All Saints, Portsmouth (Landport)

                 Living with Step Father Joseph Heale (42)

                 Born Devon. Profession - Labourer

                 & his Mother Charlotte Heale (43)

                 Born - London, Middlesex. 

                 Her Sons (now called Heale) - Scholars

                 Samuel M Heale (14), William Heale (11)

                 &  Charles Heale (8), James Heale (6) 

                 All Born Fareham, Hampshire

Born (daughter).  Charlotte Ann Mason b  13 Mar 1867,

Portsea Island, Hampshire

Samuel Mason.  Stoker on the HMS Star : The 1868 expedition to Abyssinia

Born (daughter).  Emma Mary Mason  b  21 May 1869, Portsea Island

Portsmouth, Hampshire

Marriage.  3 September 1871 Samuel Mason Age 27.  Seaman R.N.

                   Residence - Samuel - HM Ship Serapis.  

                   Eliza - Highland Street (Eastney)

                   Father - William Mason.  Groom

                   to Eliza Trask Age 24 

                   Father - James Trask.  Seaman R.N.

                   at the All Saints Church,  Parish of Portsea

                   Marked by Samuel Mason and Marked by Eliza Trask

                   Presence of - John Clark & George Klifander?

Born (son).  Samuel John Mason  b  3 Oct 1871, Portsea Island

Portsmouth, Hampshire

Samuel Mason Died 5th August 1872. Aged 26 years

                Registration District :Alverstoke. Sub-District : Billesdon.  

                County of Southampton .       

                Where : Royal Naval Hospital, Heslar

                Occupation : Stoker HM Ship Duke of Wellington

                Cause :  Enteric fever 18 Days Certified

                Informant : H Garrett present at the death,

                Royal Navel Hospital Haslar. Registered : 6th August 1872

Samuel Mason Buried 7th August 1872 Alverstoke in the R.N. Cemetery

 Haslar, County of Southampton

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ELIZA MARTHA KEZIAH TRASK  born 1844 in Stonehouse, Devon.

Born.      Eliza Keziah Trask. 14th March 1844 in East Stonehouse. 

               County of Devon

               Informed by Ann Trask. Mother. Fore Street. East Stonehouse

               Father - James Trask.  Occ - Private Royal Marine

               Mother - Ann Trask formerly Denley

               Registered - 23rd March 1844

Census 1851.  Eliza M.K.Trask  Age 7.  Profession -Scholar

                Born - Stonehouse, Devon

                Address - Wiggs Court

                Civil Parish - Portsea

                District of Portsmouth

                Living with Father James Trask(46)?

                 - Marine HMS Ship Prince Regent.

                Born Ilminster, Somerset

                Mother Ann Trask(35) - Laundries. Born Stonehouse, Devon

                Sisters Elizabeth Ann(12) - Scholar. Born Stonehouse, Devon 

                & Mary Jane(1 month). Born Portsea, Hants.

Census 1861.  Eliza Trask  Age 17.  Profession - Domestic Servant

                Born - Stonehouse, Devon

                Address - Duke Street

                Civil Parish - Stoke Damerol

                District of Devonport

                Living with Mother Ann Trask(46) - Charwoman. 

                Born Plymouth, Devon

                Sister Mary Jane(8). Born Portsmouth, Hants

                Brother John(7). Born Plymouth, Devon.

Child (daughter) Charlotte Ann Mason 

13 Mar 1867, Portsea Island, Hampshire

Child (daughter)  Emma Mary Mason  

21 May 1869, Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hampshire

Marriage. 3 September 1871 Samuel Mason Age 27.  Seaman R.N.

                 Residence - Samuel - HM Ship Serapis.  

                 Eliza - Highland Street (Eastney)

                 Father - William Mason.  Groom

                 to Eliza Trask Age 24 

                 Father - James Trask.  Seaman R.N.    

                 at the All Saints Church,  Parish of Portsea

                 Marked by Samuel Mason and Marked by Eliza Trask

                 Presence of - John Clark & George Klifander?

Child (son) Samuel John Mason  

3 Oct 1871, Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hampshire

Census 1871.  Eliza Mason  Age 26.  Profession - Seamstress.

                Wife of S Mason

                Born - Born Plymouth, Devon

                Address - Highland Street

                Civil Parish - Portsea

                District of Portsmouth

                Living with Daughters Charlotte(4) & Emma Mason (2)

                Appears to be living at 25 Highland Street 

                 with the Short Family.

Census 1881.  Eliza Mason Age 36  - Head & Widow.  

                Profession - Charwoman

                Born - Stonehouse, Devon

                Address - 8 Pimlico Street, Upper Church Path

                Civil Parish - Portsea

                District of Portsmouth

                Living with Daughters Charlotte(15) - Needleworker.

                Born Portsea, Hants

                Emma(12) - Scholar. Born Portsea, Hants

                Son Samuel (9) - Scholar. Born Portsea, Hants

                Mother Ann Trask(65) -  Widow. Born Plymouth, Devon.

Census 1891 - Eliza Mason Age 47  - Head & Widow. 

                Profession - Charwoman 

                Born - Plymouth

                Address -  8 Spring Garden View

                Civil Parish: Portsea, Hampshire

                District of Portsmouth    

                Living with Son Samuel(20) - Painter. Born Portsmouth, Hants

                Mother Ann Trask(78)  - . Born Plymouth. Widow

                Grandson John Kirk(5) -  Born Leicestershire.

Census 1901 - Eliza Mason Age 55 - Sister & Widow

                Born - Stonehouse, Devon

                Address -  16 Spring Garden View

                Civil Parish: Portsmouth

                District of Portsmouth    

Eliza Martha Keziah Mason. Died 30th July 1904. Age 58

                Registration District : Portsmouth

                Sub-District : Portsea and Landport

                Where :16 Spring Garden View, Church Path, Landport

                Occupation : Widow of Samuel John Mason. a Stoker R.N.

                Cause :  Rupture of walls of the head, due to natural causes 

                Registered : 2nd August 1904.  Coroner of Portsmouth.    

Children of SAMUEL MASON and ELIZA MARTHA KEZIAH TRASK are:

 i.     CHARLOTTE ANN MASON

        b  13 Mar 1867, Portsea Island, Hampshire

        m 12 April 1883 to Alfred Kirk. Registry Office Portsea, Hants

        d  09 May 1917, Infirmary Buildings, Sparkenhoe Street, Leicester

 ii.    EMMA MARY MASON

        b  21 May 1869, Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hants

        m Jul-Sep 1887 to Edward Andrews. Portsea, Hants

        d  Sep-Dec 1958, Camberwell, London 

 iii.   SAMUEL JOHN MASON

        b  3 Oct 1871, Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hants

        m Oct-Dec 1892 to Ada May Bridger. Portsea Island, Hants

        d  Jan-Mar 1961, Petersfield, Hampshire

Go to associated images - Samuel Mason (1847) & Eliza Trask (1844)

Go to Samuel's Parents - William Mason (1822) & Charlotte Vincent (1815)

Go to Eliza's Parents - James Trask (1809) & Ann Denley (1816)

Go to Samuel & Eliza's Daughter - Charlotte Ann Mason (1867)

Go back to the Kirk Family Tree Page