Extended Note on Group F (Stoke Damerel/Tamerton Foliot) Somerville

The evidence for Philip and Rosanna's descendants is quite clear, but who was Philip? He was baptised at Stoke Damerel, son of William & Mary Somerville, 14 months after the marriage of William Somerville to Mary Henry. These are the first Somerwill/Somerville entries in the Stoke Damerel parish register, which goes back to 1595. This William was a ship's mate in the Royal Navy, and Philip and his sons were also naval officers. It is natural to suppose that this William was the father of Philip. However, Philip's lieutenant certificate, issued 18 Apr 1782, gives his age as 21, which would place his birth at least 10 months before this William and Mary marriage. The memorial at Stoke Damerel (see right), nevertheless, clearly identifies Philip's father William as a lieutenant and commemorates his mother Mary, buried in the same grave as her mother and son.

Is it likely that a young man from an inland parish, probably of farming stock, could join the Royal Navy and become a ship's mate (first officer, next in rank to the vessel's captain) by the age of 23? Though it is not likely it is not entirely impossible. Swimbridge is only four miles from the port of Barnstaple and 14 from Bideford, which in the 18th century was one of Britain's largest ports. The Navy recruited some of its sailors by the use of press gangs. No doubt many a boy who went to Barnstaple Fair got caught and was taken willingly or unwillingly to sea. The Navy then, and down to the present day, has always provided two promotion routes. Most officers were "gentlemen" who entered the service as boys and rose from midshipman to lieutenant. Ordinary seamen could rise through the ranks to petty officer, chief petty officer, coxswain and then be a given a commission. It is just possible that William from Swimbridge could have followed the latter route and become mate of HMS Duke. The fact that he is called mate rather than lieutenant (as his sons were) might support this theory (there is no evidence that he was ever commissioned as a lieutenant). An officer's salary would then have enabled him to give Philip the education that would allow him to begin his naval career with the gentlemen.

This, however, is highly speculative. There is no hard evidence that has so far come to light to confirm the identification of the Stoke Damerel William with the one in Swimbridge. The marriage register gives no indication of his age and place of birth. His burial, which might indicate his age at death, has not yet been found.

The subsequent history and status of the family might be easier to explain if they were related to the Somerset, Scottish or Irish Somervilles. Other Somervilles appeared in Plymouth and Stoke Damerel in the late 18th century who were not evidently of Devon Somerwill origin, including Hugh, purser of HMS Queen Charlotte, and the John who married Jane Thornton in 1773. Another possible family is that of George Somerville who—according to the IGI—married Elizabeth Hicks at St Katherine by the Tower, London, 26 May 1731, who had children baptised at Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, as follows: Eliz Maria 18 Mar 1737; Jane 26 Jun 1735; Ann Vaughan 21 Sep 1731; William 18 Dec 1732; Mark 17 Nov 1736. This William would be the right age. This family has not been researched. No other Williams listed in the IGI are from anywhere near Devon. There are many in Scotland.

There were other Somerville naval officers, including Mark Somervill (born c1726, commissioned 1756), James Somerville (born c1747, commissioned 1769), John (born c1756, commissioned 1795) and William Sommerville (born c1759, commissioned 1779). Their origins are not yet known. The probability is that they were related to each other but not to the Devon Somerwills. The Stoke Damerel Somervilles are never mentioned in connection with the noble Somerville family, nor noted as having the status of gentry, in any of the numerous books on pedigrees that I have consulted.

The mystery therefore remains. If Philip's parents were not William Sommerwill, mate of HMS Duke, and Mary nee Henry, and if this William was not the son of Robert and Mary of Swimbridge, it is impossible on presently available evidence to say who they were.

In order to resolve the issue we need evidence of William's age at death, or some other clues which might possibly be found in his or Philip's service records.

Marguerite White (nee Hodge), granddaughter of Frederick Myric Henry Somerville (jnr) (Group F2b) received information from her mother's elder step sister which was derived from a family Bible, papers of Frederick Myric (snr) and the log book of Captain Philip of HMS Rota. She is the source of the key information that Philip's mother and Rosanna's mother was step-sisters, the daughters of Elizabeth nee Donovan by her two marriages. This helps to explain the relationships between the people commemorated on the curious gravestone erected by Rosanna at Stoke Damerel.

Marguerite White believes that the William who married Mary Henry was the one commissioned as lieutenant in 1779, but this officer's service record as shown on his examination certificate does not bear this out. According to a note of her grandfather's, William was believed to have drowned off Nova Scotia, date unknown.

Home | Introduction | Family Story | Family Tree | Sources | Links & Contact Copyright © John S. Summerwill 2009. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby given for members of the family to copy material for personal use.