George Underhill & son Andrew

The Bristol Mercury of 22^nd July 1854 carries the following announcement: “Birth, July 15^th at Limekiln Lane, to the wife of Mr George Underhill, varnish maker, a son. This makes the 30^th child that Mr Underhill has had born unto him. Sixteen of his progeny survive and three are at present in the Navy, a respect in which they follow the example of their father who served his country in the last great war and was present at the Battle of Trafalgar.”

By 1859, the same newspaper announced the arrival of the 33^rd child!

Though the family was in Bristol by 1826 when a son Charles was born, George himself was born in Devon. At the time of the census of 1841 he was a varnish maker aged 55, i.e. born 1786, and his wife Ann was 45, (born c1796). Children at home were Charles, 15, Edwin, 13, Andrew 4, Thomas, 2 and Lettice, 1. Because of the gap between the births of Edwin and Andrew, I believe Ann was his second wife. She died in 1844 and George married Mary Ann Mayne, in 1848.

The family was living at No 1. Limekiln Lane in 1851. George is now aged 64, “Greenwich Pensioner, varnish maker” born South Molton, Devon. As might be expected, his wife Mary Ann, at 25, born at Cannington, Somerset, the third Mrs George Underhill, is less than half his age. The elder boys Charles and Edwin are missing, presumably at sea, as is the baby Lettice who sadly must have died , and the children living at home are Andrew, 15, Thomas, 14, William, 4, and Henry 1,once again showing the gap between wives.

In 1855, Andrew was serving aboard HMS Nerbudda, last seen at Algoa Bay, 10^th June 1855, among the 13 officers and 120 men and boys lost. The memorial with Andrew’s name in the list of boy sailors is at the historic Simons Town Cemetery in South Africa:

The sad news did not reach home for many months when Andrew’s obituary was placed in the Bristol Mercury of 8.3.1856:

“Lost on board Her Majesty’s ship Nerbudda, 14 guns, Andrew Underhill, aged 19, son of Mr George Underhill, of this City.”

In the first quarter of 1857, a new baby Underhill was registered in Bristol and given the names “Andrew Nerbudda” in memory of the lost boy.  It is not clear whether this was George’s latest offspring or a grandchild.

George’s obituary appears 19^th November 1864, “Death of one of Nelson’s Heroes. Our obituary this day records the death of Mr George Underhill, varnish maker of this city at the advanced age of 80 years. The deceased served under Lord Nelson in three general engagements, viz. Trafalgar, the Nile and Gibraltar as well as several of a minor character. At Trafalgar he received various wounds for which he gained a pension. He subsequently became a member of the old Bristol Volunteers. The deceased was the father of 34 children and over 50 grandchildren, the majority of whom are still alive.”

George was a Royal Marine, aboard HMS Tonnant, 1^st November 1804, recorded in the ship’s pay book, ML 135.