The Hampshire Family Historian | Volume 50 No.2 | Sept 2023

Local Group Programmes

Forthcoming Meetings:

September 14th Out of Sight, Out of Mind?

Julian Pooley

Winchester, Bishops, Buildings, And Bones – Part 3 Andrew Negus The History Of Dunmow Hill – Part 2 – The Higgins Family Rosemary & Graham Mist. Where did the money come from and how did the Higgins family get to buy so much land in Fleet?

October 12th

November 9th

Christmas Party & Member’s Evening – From Post To Person

December 1st

Gosport Meetings are normally held on the second Wednesday of each month in the Scout Hut, Clayhall Road, Alverstoke, Gosport, Hants, PO12 2BY from 7.30-9.30.

Contact: Janet Heath Tel: 02392 522 827 Email: gosport@hgs-online.org.uk

Reports by Elayne Kenway (May) Keeping the RN afloat - life as a dockyard matey – Rob Clark

Rob was given the diary of his Father-in-Law, Bill Coe. Bill had been a plumber in Portsmouth Dockyards from 1934-1974. Rob decided to use the diary to write a book with a print-run of 500 copies and in 2015 he gave his first talk. With pictures and props Rob reminded us of the history of the dockyards from their charter by Richard I in 1194. By the 1930s the dockyards were at their busiest and built at least one battleship a year and repaired/maintained hundreds of others. During the 1920s through to 1945 there were up to 25,000 workers. Bill, born in 1912, trained at “Stamshaw University” and became a plumber in the Dockyards before 1934, married Elsie in 1936, and put a deposit of £5 on a house in 1937. He continued to be part of the dockyards until he retired in 1975. Rob’s book focusses on pertinent aspects of the working life in the dockyards. • Hours were 7am start until noon then 1.30 until 5pm; 47 hour week. • Tea was a big thing and the plumber made it for the crew with illegal boilers, a man sold sandwiches, rolls and cough sweets. • Dockers had to be on time - if late penalties were acquired; unpaid leave could be requested if late; once in the dockyards there was no going out until muster. • In 1934 1 weeks’ pay with leave was introduced, otherwise, no holidays but day trips from Southsea were arranged. • The noise was terrific especially when paint was being chipped off there were no earmuffs,

Bad working conditions, No H&S. • Working afloat was common.

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