54.5-6 Cousins of Esther Le Brun (née De Gruchy)

Philippe and Marie De Gruchy had three children. Their children are Esther's first cousins.

• 44.1.1 - Philippe De Gruchy (1831-1831)
• No known children

• 44.1.2 - Jean (John) Philippe De Gruchy (1837)
• See Chapter 41

• 44.1.3 - Mary Ann De Gruchy (1839)
• No known children

• 44.1.4 - Philippe De Gruchy (1841)
• No known children

• 44.1.5 - Caroline Elizabeth De Gruchy (1844)
• No known children

Daniel and Elizabeth Deslandes had seven children. Their children are Esther's first cousins.

• 44.2.1 - Elizabeth Deslandes (1821-1836)
• No known children

• 44.2.2 - Betsy Deslandes (1827-1841)
• No known children

• 42.2.3 - Daniel Deslandes (1828-1885)
• Daniel John Deslandes (1863-1879)
• Died at 15

• Jane Mary Deslandes (1865)
• 1881: At home in St Helier. Dressmaker.
• Married William John Bisson (1850) in St Helier in 1887
• 1901/1911: Hospital nurse at St Helier District General Hospital. Dwelling at hospital but marked as married, so perhaps on night shift or staying between shifts.

St Helier Hospital c. 1900 (Theislandwiki)

• 44.2.4 - Esther Deslandes (1831-1912)
• See Chapter 44

• 44.2.5 - Eliza Deslandes (1833-1834)
• No known children

• 44.2.6 - Jane Elizabeth Deslandes (1837-1868)
• No known children

• 44.2.7 - Mary Ann Deslandes (1841-1916)
• George Abraham Romeril (1869-1929)
• 1891: Servant to a hotel proprietor, Arthur Hill, from Guernsey at 46 Esplanade, St Helier. Enlisted with the Royal Navy in the same year, and served on the HMS Asia. Asia was a guardship by this time, and flagship of Portsmouth Dockyard.
• Married Anna Janet Allez (1877-1914) in St Saviour in 1896
• He was an Engine Room Artificer (ERA) in the Royal Navy.  An ERA was a fitter, turner, boilermaker, coppersmith or enginesmith in the early days of steam-powered warships. Usually working under an engineer officer, they were able to read and write, competent in the workings of engines and boilers, and trained in the maintenance and operation and uses of all parts of marine engines. ERAs were the senior maintainers and operators of all warship mechanical plant.
• They were staying with his parents at Delta Cottage, St Helier (his father was a painter)
• Children:
• Doris Violet Romeril (1898)
• Bernard George Romeril (1904)
• 1911: Staying with Thomas and Jane Stafford (his cousin) in Portsmouth. Still an ERA.
• 1914: Anna died.
• 1917: Left the Navy. The last ship he served on was HMS Victory II, a shore establishment in South London, also known as HMS Crystal Palace!
• His service record tells us that he was 5ft 4.5in tall with black hair, and a ruddy complexion. He worked his way up from an acting ERA and through four classes up to an ERA 1st class in 1909. Other than spells training and at shore establishments ("stone frigates") he served on the following vessels
• HMS Fearless (1886) - torpedo cruiser (1886)
• HMS Hibernia/Egmont (1863) - base ship at Malta 
• HMS Caesar (1896) - one of the nine Majestic-class pre-dreadnought battleships, built at Portsmouth (and, therefore, possibly built by John De Gruchy). George served from launch until 1901.
• HMS Fire Queen (1882) - steam yacht (Special Service Vessel). Spy ship?
• HMS Cormorant (1860) - sloop
• HMS Magnificent (1894) - one of the nine Majestic-class pre-dreadnought battleships
• HMS Hecla (1878) - torpedo boat; carrier/depot ship
• HMS Patrol
• HMS Glasgow (1909). Light cruiser. George probably patrolled South America
• HMS Latona (1890) - cruiser, converted to minelayer

• HMS Galatea (1914) - George's posting was Nov 1914 to Sep 1917. Galatea was brand new (made by Beardmore on Clydeside). She was a light cruiser, designed to lead destroyer flotillas and defend the fleet against attacks by enemy destroyers. The main armament of the Arethusa-class ships was two BL 6-inch (152 mm) Mk XII guns that were mounted on the centreline fore and aft of the superstructure and six QF 4-inch Mk V guns in waist mountings. They used shells like Willie Horbury was making.
• On her commissioning she was assigned as the leader to the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla of the Harwich Force, guarding the eastern approaches to the English Channel. On 4 May 1916, she took part in the shooting down of Zeppelin L 7 (aka LZ32), which Flew 77 reconnaissance missions over the North Sea, with several unsuccessful attempts to attack English coastal towns. Brought down on 4 May 1916 by anti-aircraft fire from HMS Phaeton and HMS Galatea and wreck was destroyed by RN submarine E31. 

HMS Galatea, 1914 (credit)

• At the Battle of Jutland, she was the flagship of the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron. She was the first ship to report the presence of German ships, triggering the battle, and - with her sister ship - the first to open fire. Galatea was also the first to receive a hit - by the German light cruiser SMS Elbing, at extreme range. No explosion occurred. 
• The Battle of Jutland unfolded in extensive manoeuvring and three main engagements (the battlecruiser action, the fleet action and the night action), from 31 May to 1 June 1916, off the North Sea coast of Denmark's Jutland Peninsula. Jutland was only the third fleet action between steel battleships, and the largest naval battle in WWI - the only full-scale clash of battleships in WWI. 
• Married Alice Mary Martin (1889) in about 1919
• Children:
• Dorothy Mary Martin (1920)

• Ada A Romeril (1873)
• 1891: At home at Delta Cottage, St Helier. Assisted her mother with dressmaking.
• Married Joseph William Richard (1869) in Bootle, Liverpool in 1899
• Children:
• Dorothy Richards (1903)
• 1911: Delta Cottage. Widow.

• Alice Jane Romeril (1875)
• 1891: At home in St Helier. Milliner's apprentice.
• Married Arthur Edward Boyce (1869-1944) in St Saviour in 1895
• Arthur is an armourer, working for a gunsmith. They live at 4 Lyminge Place, St Helier. Uncle John De Gruchy is staying with them in 1911.
• Children:
• Arthur George Boyce (1896)
• Raymond Boyce (1900)
• Kathleen Madu Boyce (1908)

• Mabel Florence Romeril (1877-1960)
• 1901: At home at Delta Cottage. Shop assistant.
• Married Ewart Arthur Bailey (1882-1919) in St Helier in 1907
• Children:
• Maxwell Arthur Bailey (1912)
• Vernon M Bailey (1914)
• 1911: Visiting her sister Ada at Delta Cottage. Husband not present.
• 1939: Thorpe Lodge, Hornchurch, Essex [now London]. Widow. Owner and director of general drapery store, jointly with her sons.

• Emma J Romeril (1878-1931)
• 1901: At home at Delta Cottage. Shop assistant.
• Married Francis John Renouf (1880-1961) in 1905
• Francis is a drapery clerk. In 1911, they are staying with her sister Mable's house, although Mable is absent. 234 High Street, East Ham, close to the tube station. 
• No known children

East Ham Underground Station Buildings 1905 (my photo)

More information on these families in Chapter 59.

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