Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Tower Hill Memorial | Merc. Mar. London | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
The majority of this legend is courtesy of Geoff Cuthill of the Province of West Lancashire, to whom the project is grateful.Alfred was born at Port St Mary, Rushen, Isle of Man in 1871 to Esther Corkill and baptised at Kirk Rushen on 27 January 1871. The census return taken on 02 April of that year showing him age 3 month at 6 Lime Street, Port St Mary. The head of the household is his grand-mother, Esther Corkill a Mariner’s wife age 49, with her daughter‘s Ann Keig, a fisherman’s wife age 23, and Esther Corkill age 22, and her grandchild John Keig age 2 years, and of course Alfred.
In 1881 Alfred age 10 is still in Lime Street, Port St Mary, with his mother now called Esther Carine, and her husband Thomas Carine, a Mariner age 43. It is probable that he is also the 20 year old able bodied seaman found in the 1891 census aboard the Ocean Gem berthed at King’s Dock, Liverpool. While in 1901 he is at Preston Dock as Mate aboard the vessel Fulwood which is pictured here entering the Preston Dock in 1910.
Arthur had married Rosa Charlotte Shinkfield at Liverpool either late in 1903 or early 1904, her family originally from Kings Lynn, East Anglia, had moved to Wavertree many years before.
On 9 February 1910 he is the Mate aboard the Volante, through to the beginning of 1911 and sometime between the January and the census taken on 2 April he has moved as Master to the Vigilant, berthed at Llanelly (Llanelli) docks in Carmarthenshire, South West Wales. Rosa and their two children are at the family home of 13 Lichfield Road for the 1911 census, the children Laurence born Liverpool 1906 and Nora who was born in Preston in 1909.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: |
| Action : Naval Campaign |
Naval Campaign is defined as to include all sea operations where attrition rates are in ones and twos and which do not fall within specific naval battles such as Jutland, Coronel, Falklands etc. This includes Merchant Navy losses.
Detail :
Captain Alfred Corkill lost his life on 10 January 1919 while on a coastal voyage from Preston via Ramsay Bay, to Dublin aboard the S.S. Calista (Glasgow). Built in 1902 as a steam yacht by Charles Connell and Company of Scotstoun, Clydebank, and registered in Glasgow, she was owned by the Preston Steam Navigation Company Limited. After leaving Preston docks she travelled to Ramsay, Isle of Man, and then onward to Dublin with a load consisting of wood pulp and coal. Due to the extreme weather she was then forced to take shelter for a time in Ballaghennie Bay, off the north of the Isle of Man, where she was spotted by a local Coastguard, before heading towards Dublin, probably down the islands western coastline. She disappeared between the Isle of Man and Dublin and was declared missing with her crew of ten after she failed to arrive in Dublin, and one of her boats was found washed up on the Isle of Man coastline.
The Marine Register records Alfred’s death as; AH Corkill Master, age 47 born Port St Mary, resides 26 Herondale Road, supposed drowned aboard SS Calista ship missing supposed 10 January 1919. This is confirmed by The National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), which gives Corkill, Alfred Harrison of 26 Herondale Road, master Mariner died 10th January 1919 at sea. Probate 15th april 1919 to William Henry Caton, china dealer. Effects “291.11s.3d.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has him as; Master SS Calista drowned 10.01.1919 age 48. Son of Mrs T Caine (formerly Corkill) of Port St Mary, Isle of Man. Husband to Rosa Charlotte Corkill of 26 Herondale Road, Mossley Hill, Liverpool. Alfred is commemorated on the Mercantile Marine Memorial WW1 at Tower Hill, London.
Footnote: Confusion was caused with the misinterpretation of the handwriting in the original records held by the Hamer Lodge whenI compiling the Lodge Centenary Anniversary Booklet (1872-1972). Listed as killed at sea were that Captain Cotterill, Captain Liddon and Thomas Quayle. On close examination of other lodge records these were seen as being Captain Corkill, Seddon and Joseph Quayle.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Hamer No. 1393 E.C. | West Lancashire |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
3rd June 1903 | 15th December 1904 | 23rd February 1906 |
Alfred was initiated into Hamer Lodge No 1393 at an ‘emergency meeting’ held on 3 June 1903, and recorded as number 544 in the lodge registration book. A master mariner, age 32 residing at Alt Road, Liverpool, his proposer being the worshipful master, J Maddrell and seconded by a past master Charles William Bawden. Alfred was passed to the degree of fellow craft by request on 15 December 1904 at a meeting of Ancient Union Lodge No 203 and raised as a master mason back at the Hamer Lodge meeting held on 23 February 1906 receiving his Grand Lodge certificate on 27 April 1909
Lodge records later show a move 2 Waterloo Terrace, Preston with later returns showing his move to 13 Lichfield Road, Wavertree, Liverpool.
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley