The Frome Family History Group held their annual business meeting on 30th January this year.
Christine Featherstone reports, “The chair welcomed members and gave a short resume of the talks, projects and members’ evenings undertaken by the group during the last year. The committee all agreed to stand for re-election and were voted in unopposed. The treasurer, Gerry Burdall, presented a very healthy set of accounts as a result of attendance numbers having gone up over the last year. It was agreed that the group would meet at 7pm in the library and should we go over the two hours currently agreed with the caretaker, we would pay extra.
“Following the ABM, our treasurer gave a very well received talk on the loss of the Royal George in 1782. Gerry began by describing the building of this ship, which was the most powerful vessel in the world. It took eight years to build and took 4,000 oaks. Some reclaimed timber was used from HMS St Andrew 1702 and The Royal Anne 1727. The Royal George was launched on the Thames in Woolwich in 1756 and travelled to Portsmouth where a crew of 850 joined her.
“Gerry went on to describe the conditions on board for both officers and seamen. Whilst the conditions seemed hard for the seamen, they were able to rely on three meals a day and not an inconsiderable amount of alcohol. The Royal George carried 100 42lbs guns and went on a number of successful trips. It was refitted in 1782 and joined the fleet in Portsmouth ready to go to Gibraltar. Shore leave had been cancelled and, as a result, wives and children were allowed on board, accompanied by around 100 Portsmouth “ladies” making a total of around 1,200 people.
“A decision was made to repair a faulty inlet valve and the guns were moved to the other side of the ship, causing a severe list. Water started to rush in where seamen were loading rum barrels and an officer was informed. The officer chose to ignore the warnings and the Royal George keeled over on its side and sank in 10 minutes. 255 people were saved, but 900 drowned despite the ship being in comparatively shallow waters in Portsmouth. The mast was visible in water until the ship was blown up in the 1830s.
“Gerry finished by explaining that as a child he was given a book on the Royal George by his father that was bound in wood, salvaged from the ship. He still has that book.
“Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 27th February when Wendy Worsley will give a talk based on her grandfather’s letters from World War One entitled “Echoes of Friendship, Family History from Fact to Fiction.” Our regular family history advice sessions continue on the first Saturday in the month from 9.30am-11.30am in the library.”
