Below are the names of the Chief Officers/Boatmen in Charge at Ballymacaw from 1865 to 1896, as listed in the Valuation Office Cancelled Books (Rate Books). I have genealogy trees for most. They are listed by the dates they were stationed at Ballymacaw, with most recent first. Also included is Michael Sweeney, Boatman, whose descendants lived in Ballymacaw.

1890-1896 William Puttick / Puttock: born 23 Dec 1841 Leith, Edinburgh. Death record not found, but he is in the 1911 Census in Belfast. Chief Boatman in Charge. ADM 188/65/76322

1885-1890 George William White: born 6 Apr 1830 Flamborough, Yorkshire. Died 7 Dec Poleberry, Waterford. Chief Boatman in Charge. ADM 188/68/77862. George's son John Joseph White subsequently farmed the land around Ballymacaw Coastguard Station, and the family continue to run the well-known Whites pub in Ballymacaw.

1880-1885 James Thomas: unable to find anything!

1877-1880 William FitzGerald: born 24 Apr 1826 Midleton, Cork. Death record not found, but his wife Bridget is a widow in Portsmouth in the 1901 Census. Chief Officer. ADM 139/172/17156

1876-1877 James William Bridle: born 27 Jan 1835 Launceston, Cornwall. Died 22 Feb 1912 Ranelagh, Dublin. Chief Officer. ADM 188/131/108059

1872-1876 William Rose: born 16 Nov 1829 London. Death record not found, no family traced. Chief Officer. ADM 188/131/108058

1865-1872 Bartholomew McDonald: born abt 1827. Died 14 Nov 1893 Waterford. Chief Officer. ADM 29/82/87

1866-1871 Michael Sweeney: born 7 Apr 1832 Glanmire, Cork. Died 28 Feb 1877 Crookhaven, Cork. Boatman. ADM 188/68/78047. He married Mary Cullinane while stationed in Ballymacaw, and after his death she returned to Ballymacaw with their children, whose descendants are still in the area.

Olivia

Further Update:
In reverse order, Chief Officers between 1840 and 1865 (from ADM 175 Ballymacaw Station records). Trees for most:

Chief Officer 2nd Class 1864-1865: Mr Edwin Brockman, RN: born 9 Jan 1820 Deal, Kent. Died 30 Jan 1883 Dublin. ADM 29/76/548.
(a multigenerational Coastguard family)

Note: no Chief Officer in Station Records from 1854 to 1864. During that time the Chief Boatman was Robert Aitchison born Mar 1810 Eyemouth, Berwickshire. Died 19 Sep 1868 Ballinacourty (Drowned). No Service Record found, Ballinacourty Station ADM 175/53 Page 37.

Chief Officer 1853-1854: Captain Wm King Shoveller, RN: born 1809 Gosport, Hampshire. Died 9 Apr 1887 Dalkey, Dublin. ADM 196/58/215
Father William Shoveller was a Surgeon in the Royal Navy.

Lieutenant of Station 1852-1853: Lieutenant John Richard Harward, RN: born 18 Apr 1824 Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. Died 4 Mar 1856 London. ADM 196/36/1425
Interesting remarks in Naval record

Chief Officer 1850-1852: Mr James Hill Ashton, Master RN: born possibly Jan 1811 Devonport, Devon. Died 1 May 1857 Newtownards, County Down. ADM/196/74/110

Chief Officer 1850: Mr William Richard Harvey: Can’t trace.
Ballymacaw Station ADM 175/19 1845-1862 Page 41

Chief Officer 1848-1850: Mr Henry Harper, Master RN: born circa 1814. Died 1870 Castletown, Cork (Staff Commander). ADM/196/21/62
Wife Marianne died in Ballymacaw, buried in Dunmore. Second wife Julia Young (father Matthew Young RN Commander, living in Dunmore, son of Matthew Young Bishop of Clonfert).

Lieutenant of Station 1842-1847: Lieutenant Lawrence Dennehy, RN: born possibly 1781 Cork. Death record not found. No Service Record found, but he is in the British Naval Biographical Dictionary, 1849 (Ancestry). Medal ADM 171/8 Page 196
Volunteered during Napoleonic Wars, action in Java 1811. On Famine Relief Committee of East Gaultier while in Ballymacaw. Appointed Emigration Agent in Tralee in 1847.

Chief Officer 1841: Mr Jeremiah Coghlan, RN: born Crookhaven, Cork. Died 16 Jan 1848 Ballycotton, Cork. No Service Record found, Ballycotton Station ADM 175/18 Page 43
He was from a well-known Mizen Peninsula family, father Daniel was a magistrate, Lloyds Agent, supposed smuggler. Uncle, also Jeremiah, a famous Navy Captain.

Chief Officer 1839-1841: Mr Charles French: born 1778 Kent. Died 20 Sep 1848 Faversham.
No Service Record found
Beresford Station (Faversham) ADM 175/7 England 1845-1863 Page 32
Awarded RNLI Silver Medal for Gallantry for rescue of crew of ‘Glencoe’ 7 Dec 1840 near Ballymacaw

Update on James Thomas: Chief Boatman in Charge, Ballymacaw Coastguard Station,1880-1884. Born 1 Mar 1829 St Davids, Pembrokeshire. Death record not found, but he is in the 1891 Census in St Davids. Deceased on son's marriage record in 1896. ADM 188/58/72374

Final batch of Chief Officers (1820-1839):

Chief Officer 1838-1839: Mr David Bowen: born possibly 1787 Carmarthen. Died 23 Sep 1839 Porth Cawl, Wales. Station records cholera as cause of death. Stationed in Ireland 1820-1839.
No Service Record found. No family found.
Porth Cawl Station ADM 175/6 England 1833-1844 Page 336

Chief Officer 1835-1838: Lieutenant Thomas Stuart, RN: born circa 1798 Limerick. Died 29 Jan 1885 Glounthaune, Cork. ADM 196/1/212 & ADM 196/37/1069. Awarded RNLI Silver Medal twice – for rescue on 7 Nov 1834 of the crew of the sloop ‘James’ in Cushenden Bay, and for rescue on 19 Dec 1837 of the crew of the Cork sloop ‘Edward’ at Ballymacaw.
Action in Mediterranean 1840 Syrian Campaign, for which he was awarded 2 medals and promotion to Commander. On Queenstown Famine Relief Committee 1846/7
Very well-connected family! Peers, M.P.s, Bishops, Navy & Army

Chief Office 1834-1835: Mr. Samuel N Barker: born 9 Oct 1792 Deptford, Kent. Died 1853 Hampshire. No Service Record found. Stationed in Ireland 1822-1838.
Ballymacaw Station ADM 175/16 page 30. Disturbing Criminal Record.

Chief Officer 1831-1834: Lieutenant Robert Lee Stephens, RN: born 1796 Plymouth. Died 7 Mar 1854 Barton-on-Humber, Lincolnshire. ADM 196/37/1081. In the British Naval Biographical Dictionary, 1849 (Ancestry). Gave extensive evidence to the Committee of 1852 on MANNING the NAVY. Promoted to Commander in 1854 for service in Coast Guard.

Chief Officer 1829-1831: Mr John Hoare: born circa 1790 Middlesex. Death record not found, but in 1851 Census with family at Brownsea Island, Dorset, and 1861 Census in Stepney, Middlesex.

Chief Officer 1826-1828: Lieutenant Charles Shaw, RN: born circa 1789 Lemybrien, Waterford. Died 25 Apr 1850 Bunmahon, Waterford. Bonmahon Station ADM 175/19 page 43. In the British Naval Biographical Dictionary, 1849 (Ancestry). Served in Mediterranean, coast of Africa, Channel and West Indies.

Chief Officer 1822-1825: Lieutenant Robert Butcher, RN: born circa 1792 Yarmouth. Died 22 Aug 1851 Lymington, Hampshire. In the British Naval Biographical Dictionary, 1849 (Ancestry). Served in the Baltic and the Mediterranean before entering Coast Guard Service. Brother Jonathon Butcher also a Royal Navy Lieutenant.

Chief Officer 1821-1822: Mr Thomas Share: born 1781 Penryn, Cornwall. Died 23 Jun 1855 Tynemouth, where he had been the Chief Officer for 22 years. Tynemouth Station ADM 175/7 Page 289. Son Henry reputed to have perished in Sir John Franklin's doomed expedition to find the Northwest Passage. Son James a Royal Navy Staff Commander.

Chief Officer 1820-1821: Mr Adam Collard: Can’t trace.
Ballymacaw Station ADM 175/1 Page 260 and ADM 175/14 Page 24.
Transferred to Robert's Cove in 1821, dismissed 16 Feb 1823 by Order of the Lords of the Treasury. Robert’s Cove Station ADM 175/15 Page 21.

Update on William Rose:

Chief Officer 1872-1876: William Charles Rose: born 16 Nov 1829 London. Died 16 Jun 1884 Tramore. ADM 188/131/108058

Family traced

Greetings from Australia, I am wondering if you have come across this gentleman in your searches?

Kind regards, Amanda 

Edward Elsmere Noble Crosshaven Chief Coastguard

1795–1837

BIRTH ABT. 1795 • Cork, Ireland

DEATH 16 APR 1837 • Crosshaven, Skull, Cork, Ireland

4th great-grandfather  Add MyTreeTags™