| John Prideaux
Gunner
DEATH OF J. Prideaux
The Williamstown Chronicle, 24 November 1899
Last Wednesday, Mr J. Prideaux died at his late residence, 76 Electra street, after a lengthy illness, at the age of 64. Mr Prideaux was a late gunner of the Imperial Royal Navy and Permanent Naval Forces, Victoria, and had for the last two years retired upon a pension. After passing through his apprenticeship in the old country, he came out to the colony in the early sixties and, for many years, carried out the duties of gunner and drill instructor aboard H.M.S. Nelson, in which position he won approbation of his superiors and the respect of the men. He, with all the others, was then transferred to H.M.V.S. Cerberus, where he fulfilled similar duties until he reached the age of sixty, at which time he retired on the customary pension, which pension expires with his death. The deceased gentleman leaves a widow and a large family. The remains were interred in the local cemetery on Thursday afternoon, the funeral being conducted by Mr Thos. Lonsdale. The procession was augmented by the officers and members of the U.A.O.D. Trafalgar Lodge, No. 16, No. 12 district and also by officers and men of the Naval forces.
John travelled to Victoria on board HMVS Nelson. www.ran-skilledhands.org/library/shas05.pdf
John Prideaux was born June 28th 1835 at Stoke Damerel Devon to William Prideaux and Ann Rowlett. John joined the Royal Navy and at 20 years of age married Ann Collings in February 1856 at Devon port, Devon. He came to Australia in 1869 seconded as a gunner to the Victorian Navy. John and Ann had 4 children.
John married again to Fanny Cockerell at Williamstown in 1871 and raised a large family.
PRIDEAUX A West country Clan, by R M Prideaux, Phillimore & Co. Ltd in 1989 ISBN 0 85033674 0
(information supplied by Leigh Prideaux)
The late Chief Gunner John Prideaux, was a veteran of the Crimea, where he fought as a member of the crew of H.M.S. Albion. His grandfather was in charge of the guard on the Bellerophon when Napolean was taken to St. Helena. John Prideaux came to Victoria on H.M.V.S. Nelson, and when he retired from the navy in 1896, he settled at Williamstown with his wife.
Adapted from The Argus, 17 July 1930.
On the Victorian Naval Forces Enrolment sheet for 1884. 5 feet 6 inches in height |