John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1897

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1896

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 16 October 1914

Friday 16 Oct

… I wired to the Navy League to order me a wreath from Harrods to be placed on the Nelson Column on Trafalgar Day and I sent a card to attach to it as follows: “In loving memory of Midshipman John Duncan Stubbs of HMS Aboukir who died doing his duty in the service of his country, from his Father & Mother” …

… Another cruiser torpedoed in the North Sea, HMS Hawke, & 500 lives lost.  In the Navy list are given the names of several cadets on board.  I only hope the poor boys were taken off as a result of the Aboukir disaster but I am afraid it will not be so as there are not enough midshipmen to man all the ships in commission without the cadets.  The new Dartmouth Coll Captain writes “expressing the sympathy of the College & Navy in his sad but honourable end” & saying that his sea chest is at Chatham, not lost on the ship as I expected.

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1895

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 14 October 1914

Wednesday 14 Oct 

… I received a telegram from Averil [his sister-in-law] that a boy’s body had been found at Karright [?] and she was sending the papers by express post.  I received the papers about 4.10 being a letter from the British Vice Consul at Ymuiden with particulars of the body and a photo.  The particulars were of a fair haired, blue eyed, thin boy aged about 17.  The face I could not identify.  The body was dressed in trousers and a pyjama jacket the hands looked like Duncan’s.  I telegraphed the Vice Consul asking him to look for identification marks especially the teeth and to take a cast if possible.  I also wrote him fully …

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1894

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1893

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1892

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1891

George Hutton Bowes-Wilson of Hutton Rudby

Martin Eggermont kindly sent me this information on George Hutton Bowes-Wilson.  He was the elder son of Thomas Bowes Wilson (1845-1929) who, with his brother Allan, ran the Cleveland Sailcloth Mill in Hutton Rudby.  

An account of how the family came to Hutton Rudby can be found in James Wilson of Hutton Rudby (c1775-1865).

George was born on 26 October 1873*. 

He was educated at Clifton and New College, Oxford, and qualified as a Solicitor in April 1902.  His offices were at 28 Albert Road, Middlesbrough. 

In 1906 he was elected a Councillor for the Exchange Ward and having been re-elected a number of times, was still in post at the time of his death.  During the intervening years he had served on many committees such as Sanitary, Sanatorium Finance, Streets, General Purposes, Fire Brigade and Cemeteries. 

On 29 September 1908 he married Nora Dulcie Linney at St Peter’s Church, Harrogate. She was aged twenty-three, the only child of the late Herbert Linney. 

George was a Freemason and is recorded in the Ferrum Lodge documents as living at 6 Lothian Road, Middlesbrough when he was proposed for membership; his proposer was W Bro Henry Winterschladen, seconded by W Bro S.F. Thompson, and his initiation in Ferrum Lodge was on 8 March 1911. 

George was later employed in the Treasurer’s Department of the Town Hall, was a representative for Middlesbrough on the North Riding Territorial Association and a Cleveland Unionist Agent. 

Among his many hobbies and interests were golf and cricket and it is known that he played the latter game for Hutton Rudby, being their triumphant captain in the 1905 and 1906 Cleveland and Teesside Cup competitions. 

In July 1914 a new bowling green in Albert Park was opened by Mrs H.W.F. Bolckow; George was the Chairman of the Parks Committee.  At this time he lived at 80 Lothian Road. 

He was also a member of the New Oxford, Cambridge and Cleveland Clubs. 

George was a member of the Territorial Forces.  He was promoted Captain on 1 March 1913 and fought with the 1st/4th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own, Yorkshire Regiment (TF), more familiarly known as The Green Howards.    

A letter written by George to Preston Kitchen, Middlesbrough’s Town Clerk and a fellow Freemason (1917 WM Erimus Lodge) was printed in the Daily Gazette on 10 May 1915.

“You will now know our battalion has been in the forefront of the Ypres battle and how badly we suffered – one hundred odd men and five officers killed.
The battalion has been specially complimented by the General on the splendid way it fought in its first engagement. [This is a possible reference to the Yorkshire Regiment because of their bravery and fighting stance, later being dubbed the Yorkshire Ghurkhas.]
Middlesbrough can be proud of her sons. Not a man in my company hesitated.  Tell the people at home this war is by no means over. England will require every man she has before German Militarism can be crushed – and crushed it must be – otherwise all the lives we have lost will be in vain.
So far thank God, I am well. We are now in the thick of it and our losses are growing. Trench life is unpleasant but what a pleasure it is to receive letters from friends. I have not washed or had my boots off for ten days now so you can imagine what I feel like.
You ask me if you can do anything to help.  Yes, send me an occasional Gazette, some chocolate and a nice plum cake if you find time.”

George was killed by a sniper on 17 June 1915.

George Hutton Bowes-Wilson by George Kewley: Middlesbrough Town Hall

*I had the year of George's birth as 1878, but a family tree on Ancestry shows that he was born in the spring of 1877 in Newcastle.

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1890

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1889

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1888

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1887

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 6 October 1914

Tuesday 6 Oct 
… I had a letter from Mr Herbert Samuel expressing his sympathy & saying that the private secretary to the First [Sea] Lord had written that Duncan “was quite one of the best boys that ever came before the Selection Committee for Osborne & his progress at the two Colleges had only confirmed the good opinion we had formed of him.”  That is about the highest praise that could have been given & I know it was thoroughly deserved.  After tea Madge & K & I went for a walk …

Herbert Samuel was Member of Parliament for the Cleveland division of Yorkshire.

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1886

Search box problems again

If you find the search box is playing up, please follow the tip here.

I hope it puts itself right soon, but blogger is a bit of a law unto itself ...

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1885

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 5 October 1914

Monday 5 Octr
… After tea Madge K & I had a walk & I went down to 84 St Georges Terr after dinner as usual.  The great question for us at the moment is billets.  Madge & K are likely to go to Alnmouth for a fortnight, Madge is generally looking happier now, though the awful sense of what we have lost comes to her very forceably sometimes as it does to me …

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1884

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1883

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1882

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 2 October 1914

Friday 2nd October

A lovely day.  Madge went to Tynemouth to spend the day by herself she can’t bear to meet people.  Poor thing.  I saw her off at the Station, returned and went out with the battery until 12 then came back had lunch and caught the 2.17 train to Middlesbrough. 

Gerald [Cochrane] had wired offering the car and he met me at Middlesbrough and we drove to the Box where we had tea and drove down to the Church at 5 pm.  My father, Mother, Kathy, Averil and Peggy were there and I joined them sitting in the Pennyman pew.  The porch was draped with the white ensign, also the pulpit and desk and a laurel wreath suspended.  The church was full of people.  Mr Kemm and Mr Lace took the service, there was a portion of the burial service, 3 hymns and the National Anthem at the end.  A very nice service indeed.  I spoke to many people afterwards but there were very many whom I did not see. 

Mr Nelson very kindly drove my people over and Mr Storr brought Jock from Darlington.  A party came from Guisbro in a brake and several of our old servants were there.  Everyone loved our little Duncan and they are very touched at his death.  Neither the choir nor bellringers would accept payment so I thanked them all, Metcalfe the leader of the ringers said, “That is the very least we could do Sir”. 

Hughes wired that he would catch the train arriving Newcastle at 8 pm, so Gerald sent the car back to Guisbro during the service for Katharine and took her to the Box, after the service G and I went to the Box and met Katharine.  We looked at the puppies and saw several of the Nunthorpe people then had dinner and K and I caught the 7.2 for Newcastle where we arrived at 8.40. 

I had asked Hedley to look after Hughes and my man [illeg.] met the train with a note from Hedley saying that he had taken Hughes to Tilley’s and would stay there until I arrived. 

K and I went to Tilley’s where we found Hughes having dinner with Hedley and Teddy Harris.  Hughes looked pale and rather nervous as though shaken by the terrible experience, they soon finished their dinner and he and K and I took a taxi to 84 St Georges Terrace, K went to bed and Madge and I talked to Hughes until nearly midnight.  He spoke so nicely of Duncan and found some difficulty in speaking sometimes.  He said Duncan was extraordinarily quick and capable, able to pick up things in a day or less that an ordinary person would take a week over, he was known and liked by all the men and was quite capable of managing his battery of 12 pr guns entirely by himself.  Hughes could leave him alone in charge of the battery and at the foretop, Duncan’s station, knowing the work would be done properly.  He said it was impossible for Duncan to tell a lie and that he was a long way the most capable of the midshipmen.  Duncan had never mentioned to Hughes that he had passed out top from Osborne and Hughes did not know it until I told him, but D had often talked about us and Nunthorpe to him.  Duncan and the gunner Mr Shrubsole [Shrubsall] were great friends and took the watch together, Hughes wanted to change Duncan’s watch for some reason but Mr Shrubsole would not hear of it, he liked to hear Duncan talk at night and would not have any other midshipman with him.  Hughes said that when he was in his hammock he could hear the two talking on watch and Duncan’s laugh could be heard all over the ship.  Duncan had been perfectly happy at sea the whole time, was never sick and always cheerful, the night before the disaster Hughes had spent a long time with Duncan and said he was in splendid spirits.  The Captain (Drummond) sent a message to us to say that he was very pleased with Duncan on the ship, which said Hughes was great praise from the Captain who hardly ever gave praise to anyone. 

The whole disaster seems to have been a series of frightfully unlucky events.  The day before the sea was so rough that the destroyers could not keep with the cruisers, consequently in the morning the ships were going dead slow waiting for the destroyers, then a submarine happened by chance or by information from spies to be in the exact spot at the right moment.  Hughes himself thinks there was only one submarine but says other officers think there were more.  Lt Noyes wrote to say that one of his marines told him that Duncan and another midshipman tried to save a drowning marine and that they had both been pulled down and although the other boy was saved Duncan never came up again.  This is being investigated Hughes thinks it quite likely, also that it was Duncan who was the boy described by a seaman as being the coolest he had ever seen, talking about the new chief and other subjects to a man near him  -

Ever since the War began these cruisers had been engaged in patrolling the North Sea off the German coast preventing mine laying the only time when they were withdrawn for a few days the Germans came out and laid mines.  Also they had taken marines to Ostend when fighting was expected there, Duncan begging Hughes to let him go with the landing party, and they were with the fleet in the Heligoland action close in but the fight did not come their way and they could not see much for the mist, but they were all ready and could hear the firing quite distinctly and they brought the destroyers back after the fight. 

After talking until midnight Hughes came with me to the camp and slept in my tent. 

Gerald Cochrane was a family friend and relation of Madge Stubbs.  He lived at The Box, near Nunthorpe station.
Kathy was Major Stubbs' sister.

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1881

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 1 October 1914

Thursday 1 October

… A letter from Lt Hughes’ father saying that his son had been called up to the enquiry at Chatham on the loss of the cruisers & would probably not be able to get to the service but he might come north on Friday.  I met Madge in the afternoon, she had enjoyed her stay at Alnmouth & was very unhappy at coming back here & very disappointed that Hughes cannot come.

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1880

This diary has interleaved (blue) blotting paper - which means more pages ...

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 30 September 1914

Wednesday 30 September
… Madge is coming back tomorrow [from Alnmouth] to see Lt Hughes who hopes to come here and go with me to the service on Friday.  It is most kind of him to come all this way and we are looking forward to seeing him immensely …

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1879

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1878

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 28 September 1914

Monday 28 Sept
I returned in the evening to Camp.  Mr Kitchen very kindly asked Madge to stay, which she was glad to do as she liked the place so much, so I left her there for a few days.  A memorial service is to be held at Ormesby on Friday at 5pm.

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1877

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 27 September 1914

Sunday 27 Sept 
A letter from Lieut Hughes, our dear boy behaved like a hero, going down below to wake a boy (Riley) who had not been wakened by the explosion, when the ship was

Memorial to Herbert Riley, RNC Dartmouth

heeling over and likely to go at any moment.  Lt Hughes spoke most highly of our boy and how he liked him, a delightful letter, but he could not give any definite news of the end.  It must be presumed without doubt that our boy could not hold out long enough.  They were rescued in that part about 2 hours after the Cressy sank.  Duncan got safely to the Cressy and was in her sick bay when she was struck, after that he was on a plank for a long time in the water but no one knows what happened at the end.  I got Mr Dixon, one of the masters at Peter’s school to make me a number of copies of the letter and sent it to my most intimate friends. 

Letters are pouring in, we have had over 100.  We talked to such a nice coastguard, he was once on the Cressy training.  Jock  came over from Darlington and Peter came to lunch and tea.

Herbert Riley did not survive the sinking of the Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy 

Jock Richardson (1895-1915) was Averil's eldest son.  He died of meningitis in camp a few months later.  He and Duncan are commemorated on a plaque in St Nicholas' Church, Guisborough

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1876

There is no diary for 1875 ...

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 26 September 1914

Saturday 26 Sept 
Averil had to leave, Peggy being ill with a bad cold, Katharine and she went to Guisbro on Thursday.  Madge and I spent the day together.  She likes the place and is feeling better.  We went by train with Averil on her return journey to Warkworth and Madge and I walked back from there.  Miss de la Chemette [?] the Matron is most kind we had Peter to several meals during our stay, he is a dear little fellow.

Peggy Richardson was Averil's daughter. 
Katharine was the nine year old daughter of Major Stubbs and his wife Madge

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1874

 (Next year's calendar is pasted into the front cover, as you can see from the photograph above)

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 25 September 1914

Friday 25 Sept 
Averil, Madge and I went to Alnmouth a delightful little place very small and pretty, and we spent the afternoon quietly there.

John Richard Stubbs' diary for 1873

Major Duncan Stubbs' diary entry for 24 September 1914

Thursday 24 Sept 
Another terrible day.  I don’t know how we got through it.  Many letters from friends but awful.  We arranged to go to Alnmouth over the weekend, Averil doing this through the matron of Peter’s school there.

Peter Richardson (1903-52) was the son of Averil, Madge Stubbs' sister, and her husband Willie Richardson of Guisborough