Abraham Richard Driver (coastguard) 2nd GGF
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth: 2 Jan 1817 - Beer, Devon, England
Christening:
Death: 6 Oct 1892 - Seaton, Devon, England
Burial:
Events
• He was baptised on 23 Mar 1817 in Beer, Devon, England.
• Abraham served in the military between 1839 and 1842: Royal Navy.
• He served in the military on 25 Mar 1839.
• He worked as a sailor on 21 Dec 1839 in Beer, Devon, England.
• He worked as a mariner on 6 Jun 1841 in Weymouth, Dorset, England.
• He resided at Belmont Street, Wyke Regis on 6 Jun 1841 in Weymouth, Dorset, England.
• He resided at Birth of Sarah Ann Driver in Sep 1841 in Weymouth, Dorset, England.
• He worked as a mariner on 28 Oct 1842 in Revenue Cutter 'George'.
• Abraham served in the military on 5 Nov 1842 in Bletchington, Sussex, England: Coastguard Service.
• He resided at Bletchington Coastguard Station on 5 Nov 1842 in Bletchington, Sussex, England.
• Transfer: Fairlight Coastguard Station, in 1843, in Fairlight, Sussex, England.
• He resided at Birth of Mary Jane Driver in Sep 1843 in Fairlight, Sussex, England.
• Transfer: Pett Coastguard Station, in 1844, in Pett, Sussex, England.
• He resided at Birth of Joseph Driver in Sep 1845 in Pett, Sussex, England.
• He resided at Birth of Richard Driver on 10 Jun 1848 in Pett, Sussex, England.
• Transfer: Alum Bay Coastguard Station, on 24 Jun 1850, in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England.
• He worked as a coastguardsman on 30 Mar 1851 in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England.
• He resided at Alum Bay Coastguard Station on 30 Mar 1851 in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England.
• He resided at Death of Sarah Ann Driver in Dec 1851 in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England.
• Transfer: Niton Coastguard Station, on 28 May 1852, in Niton, Isle of Wight, England.
• He worked as a Commissioned Boatman Coast Guard on 17 Aug 1852 in Niton, Isle of Wight, England.
• He resided at Death of Joseph Driver in Mar 1853 in Niton, Isle of Wight, England.
• He resided at Birth of Julia Ann Driver in Jun 1853 in Niton, Isle of Wight, England.
• He resided at Death of Mary Jane Driver in Mar 1856 in Niton, Isle of Wight, England.
• He resided at Birth of Eliza Ann Driver in Jun 1857 in Niton, Isle of Wight, England.
• He resided at Birth of John Driver in Jun 1859 in Niton, Isle of Wight, England.
• He resided at Death of John Driver in Dec 1860 in Niton, Isle of Wight, England.
• He worked as a boatman coastguardsman on 7 Apr 1861 in Niton, Isle of Wight, England.
• He resided at Niton Coastguard Station on 7 Apr 1861 in Niton, Isle of Wight, England.
• He resided at Birth of George Henry Driver in Sep 1861 in Niton, Isle of Wight, England.
• Transfer: Axmouth Coastguard Station, on 10 Mar 1862, in Axmouth, Devon, England.
• He resided at Birth of Florence Ann Driver on 16 Feb 1866 in Axmouth, Devon, England.
• He worked as a coastguardsman on 2 Apr 1871 in Axmouth, Devon, England.
• He resided at Church Street on 2 Apr 1871 in Axmouth, Devon, England.
• He served in the military on 30 Apr 1873.
• He retired on 31 Jul 1874 in Beer, Devon, England.
• He resided at Death of Eliza Ann Driver in Mar 1877 in Axmouth, Devon, England.
• He worked as a retired coastguard on 3 Apr 1881 in Seaton, Devon, England.
• He resided at 5 Sidmouth Street on 3 Apr 1881 in Seaton, Devon, England.
• He worked as a retired coastguardsman on 5 Apr 1891 in Seaton, Devon, England.
• He resided at 5 The Avenue, Sidmouth Street on 5 Apr 1891 in Seaton, Devon, England.
• He worked as a pensioned officer of coastguard on 5 Oct 1892 in Seaton, Devon, England.
• He had an estate probated at £82 6s 4d to his widow, Ann on 20 Dec 1892 in Exeter, Devon, England.
Parents
Father: Richard Driver 3rd GGF (1772-1837)
Mother: Ann Driver 3rd GGM (1767-1834)
Spouses and Children
1. *Sarah Hayward (1821 - 5 Nov 1851)
Marriage: 21 Dec 1839 - Beer, Devon, England
Status:
Children:
1. Sarah Ann Driver (1841-1865)
2. Mary Jane Driver (1843-1856)
3. Joseph Driver (1845-1853)
4. Richard Driver (1848-1937)
5. Elizabeth Driver (1850-1901)
2. Ann Mitchell 2nd GGM (1830 - Dec 1908)
Marriage: 17 Aug 1852 - Niton, Isle of Wight, England
Status:
Children:
1. Julia Ann Driver (1853-1864)
2. Eliza Ann Driver (1857-1877)
3. John Driver (1859-1860)
4. George Henry Driver (1861-1931)
5. Flora Ann Driver GGM (1866-1935)
Notes
Death Notes:
Event Description: 5 Sidmouth StreetGeneral:
Captain Marryat in 'The Three Cutters' offered the following view o f a Revenue Cutter in the early years of the 19th century:Marriage Notes (Ann Mitchell 2nd GGM)
"She is a cutter, and you may know she belongs to the Preventive Servi ce by the number of gigs and galleys she has hoisted up all around her . She looks like a vessel that was about to sail with a cargo of boats , two on deck, one astern, one on other side of her. You observe tha t she is painted black and much more lumbered up. Let us go on board , and her bulwarks are painted red, it is not a very becoming colour b ut it lasts a long while, and the dockyard is not very generous on th e score of paint - or lieutenants of the navy troubled with much spar e cash. She has plenty of men and fine men they are; all dressed in re d flannel shirts and blue trousers; some of them have not taken off th eir canvass or tarpaulin petticoats which are very useful to them as t hey are in boats night and day, and in all weathers. But we will at on ce go down to the cabin, where we will find the lieutenant that comman ds her, a master's mate and a midshipman. They each have their tumble r in front of them and are drinking gin toddy, hot with sugar - capita l gin too - Above proof; it is from that small anker standing under th e table. It is one they forgot to return to the Custom House when the y made their last seizure."
The quality of the men who manned the Revenue Cutters had for many yea rs impressed Their Lordships of the Admiralty. They had afterall serve d with distinction under the direction of the Admiralty in a number o f famous naval campaigns. In 1816 following the recommendations of a T reasury Committee the Admiralty took control of the revenue fleet an d the Commissioners of the Customs retained but two vessels. It had b y all accounts been the view of the Admiralty that the vessels deploye d on revenue protection duties were too small, undermanned and lackin g in fire power to deal effectively with the smugglers. An interestin g view for two reasons. Firstly, when larger naval vessels had been de ployed for the same duties they had achieved little. Secondly, aroun d 1816 the Admiralty began constructing a class of Cutters based on 'i mproved revenue vessel designs'. But the Admiralty were in command an d began disposing of many revenue vessels that had served well and rep laced them with larger surplus naval vessels.
Then in 1821 in the wake of yet another Treasury Committee Report ther e was something of a reversal of the 1816 report in that smaller reven ue vessels still in service reverted to the control of the Commissione rs of the Customs while the larger remained with the Admiralty. The re al significance of this Report is that it introduced the concept of th e Coast Guard that was eventually brought into service by way of the C oast Guard Act of 1856. It was that same Act that was to see the end o f the sailing revenue fleet.
{needs 1851 data for Alum Bay here}
The 1861 census lists four families living at Niton Coastguard Station :
James Thomas, 52, Chief Boatman Coastguard, and his wife, Faith
Richard Driver, 44, Boatman Coastguard, his wife Ann and four children
Samuel T. Bowden, 34, Boatman Coastguard, his wife Sarah and two child ren
George Streets, 40, Boatman Coastguard, his wife Martha and two childr en
{needs 1871 et seq data here}
St Catherines Baptist Chapel