Frederick George William Steel was the 7th of 10 children of George & Margaret Steel. They were all born in Portsea. As far as we can tell, none of them were baptised as babies, for the only baptism found is of Lucy at the age of 13 at St Mary’s Portsea on 20 March 1888.
Frederick was born at 62 Duke Street, when his eldest sister Margaret was 17, his brothers George 14 and Albert 12, sisters Lucy 9, Florence 5 and Agnes 3. All of his grandparents had already died.
Their mother died 4 years later after 3 more children, Rosina, Emily & Ernest of whom only Emily, 3 years younger than Frederick, survived infancy. According to his daughter, Nora, her father told her that he was the youngest of 10 children and was brought up by his eldest sister Margaret. Presumably, this was only until he was 6 or 7 because the 1891 Census shows the family living at 77 Adames Road as
George Steel 49 with George J 20, Albert E 18, Lucy A 16, Florence B 12, Agnes E 10, Frederick G 7 and Emily K 4.
George and his sons were working in the Dockyard, George a Shipbuilding Joiner, George J a Ship-fitting Machinist and Albert a Shipbuilding Rivet Boy. Lucy was daughter housekeeper, Florence a retired scholar while Agnes and Frederick were Scholars.
On 30 July 1892, sister Margaret married William G Denyer and their daughter Margaret was born the following year.
Sister Lucy died in 1894 at the age of 19.
Brother George married in 1896.
Brother Albert married in 1900.
In the 1901 Census the family were at 38 Washington Road comprising George 59 with Florence 22, Agnes 19, Frederick 17 and Emily 14, all shown as workers. George, a joiner carpenter, Florence a home housekeeper, Agnes a tailoress, Frederick a carpenter (apprentice), Emily a nurse girl (domestic).
At the age of 23, on 23 Dec 1907, Frederick married Annie Jelliffe at St Mary’s, Portsea. Frederick George William Steel, 23, Bachelor, Joiner, 10 Sydenham Terrace, father George Steel, Joiner. Annie Jelliffe, 24, Spinster, 43 Delhi Street, father Charles William Jelliffe, Director, Both signed in the presence of Ada Mortimer and J W Jelliffe. (Annie’s father was Clement William Jelliffe deceased).
When Frederick’s father George died on 2 Jun 1908 at Portsmouth Union Infirmary aged 67 and was buried in Kingston Cemetery, Frederick was informant of the death and living at 17 Power Road, so presumably this was the first home of Frederick and Annie.
Frederick and Annie had two children:-
Cyril Frederick was born on 22 Nov 1908 Was he baptised? (Not at St Wilfrid’s between 1908 and 1917).
Nora Annie was born 8 Jul 1917 and baptised at St Wilfrid’s Mission on 30 Dec 1917.
1914/5 Kelly’s Directory shows F.G.W Steel at 81 George Street, Landport, Frederick died at the age of 42 on 1 Nov 1926, leaving Annie a widow at the age of 43 with Cyril 18 and Nora 9. They were then living at Meyrick Road.