2062D Acting Leading Seaman Matthew Chisam Royal Naval Reserve.

Identification

There was only one Matthew Chisam in the records of the CWGC.

Family Information

Born 31st May 1872 in Workington, Cumberland, the son of John and Margaret Chisam.

The 1881 census shows that John was employed as a commercial clerk at an Iron works and Matthew had a younger brother Joseph. They all lived at 10 Southey Street, Workington.

The 1891 census shows that Matthew was a sailor, his brother Joseph was a fitters apprentice at an iron works and their father John was still employed as an ironworks clerk. Matthew's grandmother (maternal) Elizabeth Ellwood was with them - a widow living on her own means. Their address was 17 Marsh Side, Workington.

Matthew's father, John Chisam, died on 12th February 1897 in Marsh-side, Cumberland, the probate record shows that he left £90 to his widow.

In 1902 Matthew Chisam married Agnes Singers Meneely in Magherafelt, Ireland.

The 1911 census shows Matthew and Agnes living at 3 Emerson Street, Liverpool. Matthew's occupation was Mariner with a note added to say 'Merchant services' Matthew was actually away at sea at the time of the census. Further details on the census show that they had 5 children, 2 of whom had died. The 3 surviving children on the census were James Singers Chisam, born in Workington 1903. Isabella Maneely Chisam born in Magherafelt, Ireland, in 1904 and Agnes Chisam, 5, born in Liverpool. These births show us how the family had moved around, probably with Matthew's occupation as a merchant seaman.

Naval Service

Matthew Chisam's Royal Naval Reserve record is available via National Archives online - the following information is taken from there.

Date of enrolment: 4th November 1898 number D 2062

He had 15 years 7months previous service in the naval reserve. He trained on the Colossus and Crescent 5/5/1898-4/11/1898.

Shortly before war was declared in 1914 he sailed to Japan.

Throughout his naval service Matthew was consistently rated ability- satisfactory and conduct-very good.

Matthew was 5ft 4inches tall with a fair complexion, a 39inch chest measurement and grey eyes. He had tattoos of a woman and flag on his right arm, a sailor with two flags and a rose on his left arm. It also says 'bracelets' with a mark that could be a cross or a star.

Most of his wartime service was on the HMS Suffolk, an armed cruiser.

His address was given as 21 Tarbet St, Liverpool.

Matthew Chisam died in Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, on the 24th Sept 1918 from pneumonia - it is likely that he was a victim of the Spanish Flu pandemic.

His entry on the UK, Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 shows that Matthew's rank was Acting Leading Seaman in the Royal Naval Reserve serving on the HMS President III. (HMS President III wasn't a ship, it was a shore establishment ( a 'stone frigate') in London which was the accounting base for the Royal Naval Reserve - Matthew Chisam would not have been posted there but his pay would have been allocated there. He was actually stationed on the HMS Suffolk at the time of his death.)

Death and Commemoration

Matthew was buried in Section D (Naval Area) Grave 105 of City Cemetery Glenalina Extension, Belfast, his widow Agnes requested that his headstone bear the words "Thy Will Oh Lord, Not Mine, Be Done."

Pension records show that Agnes received a pension of 35 shillings a week for herself and their four children. The allowances for the children were until their 16th birthdays.