Joseph Maslen

JOSEPH MASLEN

8 May 1837 - 19 December 1889

Joseph Maslen was the son of Henry Maslen and Ann Bailey.  Born in Devizes, Wiltshire England on 8 May 1837.  His father, Henry Maslen, a painter (more likely a house painter), died in March 1840 and was buried at St. John  the Baptist Church, Devizes, Wiltshire, England on 12 March 1840.  In 1841, Joseph is living with his mother and sister Elizabeth in the parish of St. Mary the Virgin, Devizes, Wiltshire.  The 1841 census states:   Anne Maslen, age 30, Elizabeth Maslen, age 5, Joseph Maslen, age 3

SAINT MARY'S CHURCH, DEVIZES, WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND

Joseph's mother, Ann, although a widow, had a baby daughter in July 1842 (father unknown).  Ann married Thomas Vaughan on 24 August 1846 at St. Mary's Church in Devizes and a son, Thomas John Vaughan, who was born to Ann and Thomas in June 1847 in Devizes. Thomas John Vaughan was christened on 29 October 1848 at St. Marys Church in Devizes.  It is most probable that these years were lived in Devizes.  On the 1851 census, the family was living in Cardiff, Wales.  Thomas Vaughan was a wool sorter and is found on the 1841 census living in Cardiff with his parents, Thomas and Christie Vaughan.  The 1851 census states the following:
       Thomas Vaughan, age 38, lodger, wool sorter, born in Cardiff, Glamorganshire 
        Ann Vaughan, 42, lodger's wife, born in Holt, Wiltshire
       Joseph Vaughan (should be Maslen), age 13, son, born in Devizes, Wiltshire

       Martha Vaughan, age 9, daughter, born in Devizes, Wiltshire
       Thomas Vaughan, age 4, son, born in Devizes, Wiltshire

Joseph Maslen

Joseph's sister Elizabeth was not listed with the family, but was found in the 1851 census as Elizabeth Maslen, age: 15; Relation to Head of House: Servant at the home of James Gollege in Leckwith which is about 2.7 miles from the residence of Thomas and Ann Vaughan on George's Court, Millicent St.  Cardiff.  
Joseph's father died on December 5, 1851 and his mother died 20 days later on December 25, 1851.  Joseph's sister, Elizabeth, writes about the time of their life in her life story.  She tells of the struggles of losing both parents and as the oldest child, she had a burden to care for her three younger siblings.  She finally sends the youngest two to live with relatives (either the Bailey's or the Maslen's in Devizes or Holt).  She continued to work as a servant for families.  Joseph went to sea as a midshipman on a merchant ship and Elizabeth wrote that "when in port they met and exchanged experiences."  

During the next 20 or so, Joseph earns his living aboard ships.  At some point he becomes a member of the Royal Navy and works as a stoker (one who tends the fire on a steam powered ship).  In the 1861 census (April 1861) he is aboard the ship "Skipjack" in the West Indies at the location (+24° 19', -74° 28') is about 200 miles east of The Bahamas.  He is a stoker, age 23 and the census record verifies that he was born in Devizes, Wiltshire.  The "Skipjack" was an Albacore-class gun boat, one of 98 gunboats built for the Royal Navy in 1855-56 for use in the Crimean War.  The ships were wooden hulled with steam power as well as sails but of shallow draught for coastal bombardment in the shallow waters of the Baltic and Black Seas during the Crimean War (October 1853 - February 1856).  It is not known whether or not Joseph was involved in this war.  The crew consisted of 45 men on the 1861 census.

HMS Raven one of the Albacore Class boats

Many ships went in and out of the harbor at Plymouth, Devonshire, England.  Near the port of Plymouth and across the bay to the west is a town called Millbrook in the county of Cornwall.  On 10 March 1862, Joseph married Mary Ann Hayes who was born in Millbrook and still lived there.  The marriage record says they were married in St. Germans which is the registration district for Millbrook.  Mary Ann Hayes lived on West Street in Millbrook in the 1851 and 1861 census.  It is most likely that they were married in Millbrook.  Many families in these coastal communities around the bay of Plymouth were involved with the Royal Navy and all the business it brings to the area.  Mary Ann Hayes was the daughter of Patrick Hayes who had been a member of the Royal Navy.  He was born in Ireland and married Ann Clift who was born in Millbrook.  

Joseph and his wife Mary Ann lived in Millbrook.  The 1871 census lists her address as West Street (probably most of her family lived on West Street).  In the 1871 Census, Joseph is on board a vessel at Sheerness Harbor, Kent; a distance of 300 miles northeast of Millbrook.  The vessel he was on was called the the HMS Buzzard, a paddle driven sloop.  He was 33, leading stoker and the record says he was born in Devizes, Wiltshire.  

The HMS Buzzard was a paddle driven sloop similar to the HMS Barracuta shown here

Joseph and Mary Ann Maslen had four children between 1862 and 1874.  They were as follows:  Martha Ann, born November 1866, md Robert James Husband,  Alice born November 1870, md Frederick James Skinner, Joseph Henry born January 1873 died Q3 1873, Elizabeth (Bessie) born June 1874 md John Cann.

Joseph's wife, Mary Ann died 1 October 1874 at the young age of 29.  Her youngest child was under six months old.  These must have been trying times for Joseph.  He lost his father when he was three, his mother remarried a man who was abusive at times, his mother died when he was 14.  His older sister, Elizabeth, left for America in 1856/57 and his other two siblings were living in other parts of England.  Both of his sons and one daughter and his wife have died ... Joseph is 37 years old.  With his wife gone and a young baby to care for, Bessie is "adopted" by a family who lived on the premises of a woolen mill in Buckfastleigh, Devon, a distance of about 25 miles to the east of Millbrook.  Bessie is always known on the census records as  Elizabeth Maslen.  In 1895 she married John (Jack) Cann and they moved to America with other members of the Cann family.

In 1881, Joseph is living in Gloucester.  He is 43, born in Devizes, Wiltshire.  He is living at 40 London Road with his daughter Alice, age 11.  He is Greenwich Pensioner, Porter.  His daughter Martha is living with her Aunt and Uncle, Henry and Ann Lusmore in Millbrook on West Street at the Mark of Friendship (a local pub which is still there today I believe).  The census record lists her last name as Lusmore which is incorrect.

In  May of 1881, Joseph's sister Elizabeth traveled from Utah to England with her young daughter Mabel May Maslen Cooper.  Elizabeth's husband, William Cooper, had left Utah the year before to serve a two year mission for the LDS Church (church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).  This visit from her sister must have been a delightful and tearful reunion for the two.  A year later, Joseph wrote a letter to his sister now back in Utah.  This is what he wrote:
(Click here for copy of the original letter page 1)
(Click here for copy of the original letter page 2)

[License was taken to change spelling and wording to make letter readable]

London Road Gloucester October 9^th 1882

My Dear Sister, Brother and Niece

I now take the most favorable opportunity of writing these few lines to you hoping they will find you in the enjoyment of perfect health.  As I am most happy to say that this leaves me and Alice in the enjoyment of perfect health at present thank God for it.  Dear Sister, I suppose that you have had the pleasure of seeing your husband long before this time.  I suppose you were very glad to see him all safe back home again which I hope that he arrived quite safe and had a pleasant passage.  I wrote to him at Liverpool as he wished me to do but I do not know whether he received it or not, but I suppose that he did or else I should have had it returned.

Dear sister, I and Alice went to Salisbury last Witenstide and had a look at Martha and called Holt on our return home, but we did not stay there but 4 hours so we did not see many of them but it was long enough for me.  Dear Sister, I was very glad to hear that your daughter was married and that you had such a fine flare up on the strength of it.  I have to inform you that I am not married yet and I don’t think that I shall be for a little time longer.

Dear Sister, it is just 12 months ago today that you were in Gloucester.  The fair that we went to is now on.  If you were here we would have a look at that woman without a body.  Do you remember?  Dear sister, I do not know that I have alot to tell you about.  Sam Pretty asked very kindly after you when I was at Holts.  Do not know how the weather is where you are but i can tell you that the winter is coming on us here in England quite sharp.  Please to tell me and Alice (she is still at school)…Please to let me and Alice be kindly remembered to all inquiring friends if there is any and please to except our fondest and kindest love to yourself and William and all the family and believe me to remain your ever well wishing, loving and affectionate Brother,

                                                Joseph Maslen

                                                No 40 London Road

                                                Gloucester  

God Bless you All……Good Night

In April 1883, Joseph Maslen married Caroline Plaisted Martin, a widow.  A daughter was born to them in June 1889 and they named her Lillian Rose Maslen.  A few months later, Joseph died on 19 December 1889 in Gloucester.