Joseph Sydney Kelsey (1893-1971)
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| Joseph Sydney Kelsey, circa 1914-15. Image source unknown. |
Date of Birth: 26 January 1893
Place of Birth: Waddington, Lincolnshire, England
Date of Death: 26 June 1971
Burial Place: Anglican Cemetery, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
Royal Navy ID: M.4130
Enlistment Date: 19 February 1912
Served at HM Wireless Station: 1 February 1918 – 27 April 1920
Duty: Joiner and Wheelwright
Appearance (as described in Service Record).
Height: 5’7½’
Hair: Light Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Complexion: Fresh
Wounds, Scars, Marks: indistinct tattoo spots on back left forearm
Early Life
On January 26, 1893, Joseph Sydney “Sid” Kelsey was born. His mother, Mary Alice, died shortly after the birth of Sid and his twin brother, Robert Harold Kelsey1.
Left alone to raise two young sons, John Thomas Kelsey would have been kept busy. John worked as a joiner in Waddington, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, a village 4 miles south of Lincoln1.
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| (1) Waddington, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom. Joseph Sydney Kelsey was born and raised in Waddington. |
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| Main Street, Waddington. Image courtesy of ridgesandfurrowstrail.org. |
Tragically, John passed away at the age of 35, in 1900. Orphaned at only seven years old, Sid and his brother were separated and sent to live with different family members1.
Sid grew up with his maternal grandparents, Joseph and Louisa Simpson, in Waddington2a. Robert Harold Kelsey was sent 120 kilometres away from his brother, to live with his paternal aunt, Sarah Jane (Kelsey) Gothorp, in Elland, near Halifax in Yorkshire2b. Sid and his brother did not reconnect until later in their adult lives19.
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| (1) Waddington, where Sid Kelsey was raised. (2) Elland, West Yorkshire, the region where Robert Harold Kelsey was raised |
Life in Waddington
The community of Waddington is located on a limestone ridge, which influenced the industry in the area3. Sid’s grandfather, Joseph, opened the local lime works in 18723 and was an employer in the community2a. Lime burning was a particularly dangerous career, due to the toxic vapours produced during the burning4. The lime kilns were used to create limestone mortar for building as well as produce lime for the local farmers3. |
| 1901 Census of England and Wales, showing Sid living with his grandparents in Waddington. Image courtesy of ancestry.ca |
By the time that Sid was 18, he had moved out and was boarding with the Long family, in Harmston, about 2 miles down the road from Waddington. Charles Long, the head of the family, worked as a joiner and wheelwright. Sid apprenticed beneath him, alongside the eldest Long son, James5.
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| (2) Harmston, Lincolnshire, where Sid apprenticed with the Long family. |
Naval Service
Less than a month after Sid’s 19th birthday he joined the Royal Navy. Upon his enlistment, he was posted to HMS Victory II. He entered service with the rank of Carpenter’s Crew (part of the Artisan Branch)6.
On March 19, 1912, after a month in the service, Sid was transferred to HMS Duke of Edinburgh6, an armoured cruiser. This posting would take Sid to the Mediterranean, where the ship was attached to the Mediterranean Fleet from 1913-19149. HMS Duke of Edinburgh returned to England in March 1914 for a change of command. At this time Sid was transferred to HMS Fisgard6, a training vessel at Portsmouth.
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HMS Duke of Edinburgh. Sid served on this ship from 1912-1914 and spent time in the Mediterranean. Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum, coll. No. 2107-07. |
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Portsmouth Harbour. Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum, Q41236. |
Sid spent 5 months attached to HMS Fisgard6, before transferring to HMS Drake on August 2, 19146, just two days before Britain declared war on Germany. HMS Drake was attached to the Grand Fleet defense of the North Sea. The ship was also involved in a secretive mission to transport gold bullion, worth nearly 8 million British pounds, from Russia to Britain10,19.
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HMS Drake. Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum, Q38701 |
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| Sid Kelsey, circa 1914-1915. Image source unknown. |
After 9 months onboard HMS Drake, Sid transferred back to HMS Fisgard, where he was promoted to Leading Carpenter’s Crew in April 19156.
On June 6, 1915, Sid was posted to HMS Achilles6, an armoured cruiser in the Grand Fleet. While the rest of the Grand Fleet fought at the Battle of Jutland in 1916, Achilles was undergoing a refit9. On March 3, 1917, Sid was promoted to Joiner, an equivalent rank to Petty Officer6.
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HMS Achilles painted with dazzle camouflage. Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum. |
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Artistic rendering of the dazzle camouflage on HMS Achilles. Image courtesy of the Imperial War Museum. Art.IWM DAZ 0028 1. |
Shortly after his promotion, HMS Achilles was involved in an altercation with a German ship, Leopard. Achilles opened fire and sank the Leopard, there were no survivors9.
In May 1917, Sid was promoted to Shipwright 2nd class6. By August of that year, Achilles was transferred to North America and West Indies Station to provide convoy escort support9.
As a convoy escort, Achilles stopped at many North American ports of call, including Halifax and New York in September and October 1917.
In January 1918, Sid and the ship travelled to Bermuda9. On February 1, 1918, Sid was transferred to HMS Briton in Newfoundland6 and set forth on his journey there from Bermuda11.
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Passenger list showing Sid Kelsey travelling from Bermuda11 to Halifax en route to St. John’s in February 1918. Image courtesy of ancestry.ca |
Service in Newfoundland
Sid arrived in Newfoundland in February 19186. He spent time working at HM Wireless Station in Mount Pearl, where he made friends that would last a lifetime. In October 1918, Sid was promoted to Shipwright 4th Class, an equivalent rank to Chief Petty Officer6.
His closest friend in Newfoundland, William Sandy Elton18, worked at the wireless station as an ERA (engine room artificer). Sandy was married to Alice Lester and Sid ended up marrying her sister, Edna. According to Eugenie Kelsey (daughter of Sid and Edna), Edna “fell in love with the brass buttons”18.
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| Sandy Elton. Image courtesy of Peter Kelsey. |
Family and Later Life
Sid and Edna were married on November 21, 1918, at St. Mary’s Church, Southside12,13. |
Marriage announcement in the St. John’s Daily Star, November 22, 1918. Image courtesy of the Memorial University Digital Archive Initiative. |
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| Edna and Sid Kelsey. Image courtesy of Eugenie Kelsey. |
Sid continued his military service until April 27, 19206. After finishing his service, he and Edna lived on Hamilton Road14, close to their friends, the Elton family. They then moved to Kenmount Road to start a farm. Sid, with his woodworking experience, also operated a mill on their farm property14,15,19.
Over the next several years, the Kelsey family continued to expand. Charles Ronald Kelsey was born in 1920, followed by Alice (~1922), Robert (~1926), Douglas (~1928), Edna (~1929), Jean (~1930), Gus (~1933), and Roger (~1936)14,15,16.
According to Sid’s daughter Eugenie, Sid was more serious than his best friend Sandy, but Edna “loved fun”. Eugenie described Sid as a “wonderful” father18.
The family continued to farm on Kenmount Road, eventually expanding into dairy farming, and increasing the number of operating mill sites19.
In the late 1950s, Sid reconnected with his brother19, who had remained in England. Robert Harold Kelsey worked in prisons and as a charge nurse at a psychiatric institution in Nottinghamshire19,20.
Sid and Sandy Elton remained close friends until Sid’s death. When Sid was dying, Sandy was at his bedside18,19.
Sid passed away on June 26, 1971. He was buried at the Anglican Cemetery on Forest Road in St. John’s17,19.
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Sid Kelsey’s headstone at Forest Road Anglican Cemetery in St. John’s. Image courtesy of findagrave.com |
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| Mural of the Kelsey Farm on Kenmount Road. On display at Sobeys on Kelsey Drive. Artist: Ron Sajack, 2005. |
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| Description of the Kelsey Farm mural at Sobeys, Kelsey Drive. Image courtesy of Sarah Ryan. |
Family Tree:
Parents (married in 1892):
John Thomas KELSEY (b. 1865, d. 16 February 1900)
Parents
Robert Kelsey (b. 1825, d. 1888), a joiner, of Waddington
Sarah Ann (Sharp) KELSEY (b. 1838) of Fenton
Siblings
Sarah Jane (Kelsey) GOTHORP (b.1867
William Henry KELSEY (b. 1871
Mary Elizabeth KELSEY (b. 1874
Kate Eleanor KELSEY (b. 1878)
Gertrude Alice KELSEY (b. 1879
George Arthur KELSEY (b. 1881
Worked as a joiner
Estate was left to Joseph Simpson, Joseph Sydney Kelsey’s maternal grandfather
Mary Alice (Simpson) (Smith) KELSEY (b. 1863, d. January/February 1893)
Parents:
Joseph SIMPSON (b. 1836) a lime burner, of Lincoln
Remarried to Louisa SIMPSON (b.1850) following the death of Annie
Annie SIMPSON (b. 1831, d. 1898) of Lincoln
Siblings:
Lizzie Ann SIMPSON (b. 1861)
Matilda SIMPSON (b. 1865)
Kate SIMPSON (b. 1871)
Other Spouses:
Walter SMITH, married in 1887
Siblings:
Robert Harold KELSEY (b. 26 January 1893, d. July 1970)
worked as a prison warden
Qualified as a nurse in 1925, worked as a Charge Nurse at the Rampton State Institution, a psychiatric institution
Married Doris (Thompson) KELSEY (b. 1899), on 8 December 1921
Doris was a police constable
Married in Elland, Halifax, West Yorkshire England
Separated from Joseph Sydney after their father died.
Robert lived with paternal aunt Sarah Jane (Kelsey) Gothorp in Yorkshire
Spouse:
Edna (Lester) KELSEY (b. 1897, d. 1896)
Parents:
Charles Frederick LESTER (b. 1861)
Mary Emma (Winsor) LESTER (b. 1866)
Siblings:
Augustus LESTER (b. 1889)
Rupert LESTER (b. 1891)
Georgina LESTER (b. 1892)
Alice (Lester) ELTON (b. 1894)
Winnifred LESTER (b. 1897)
Dorothy LESTER (b. 1899)
Isabella LESTER (b. 1900)
Eugenie LESTER (b. 1905)
Madeline LESTER (b. 1908)
Children:
Charles Ronald KELSEY (b. 1920)
Alice Roma KELSEY (b. 1922)
Robert Sidney KELSEY (b. 1926)
Douglas KELSEY (b. 1928)
Edna Ray KELSEY (b. 1929)
Eugenie “Jean” KELSEY (b. 1930)
Augustus “Gus” KELSEY (b. 1933)
Roger Wills KELSEY (b. 1937)
1900 Probate for John Thomas Kelsey. Principal Probate Registry. Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England.
1901 Census, Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives, 1901.
Joseph Sydney Kelsey, District Lincoln, Parish Waddington, page 10.
Robert Harold Kelsey, District Patrington, Parish, Withernsea, page 28.
Waddington Heritage Trail, 2018. Ridges & Furrows. http://www.ridgesandfurrowstrail.org/the-route/waddington-trail/
The Limeburner. https://www.tfcg.ca/limeburner-old-occupation
1911 Census of England and Wales. County: Lincolnshire. Parish: Harmston. Piece 19708. The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
Kelsey, Joseph Sydney, Service Record. National Archives Kew.
12 December 1912. Hansard. Commons Chamber, Oral Answers to questions. Royal Navy, Volume 45, 78-79. https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1912-12-12/debates/61919c5e-e2c5-4fd8-808a-228e741c0edb/RoyalNavy
Burt, R. A. British Battleships, 1889-1904. Pen & Sword Books, 2013. https://rbdigital.rbdigital.com.
Dittmar, F.J, and J.J. Colledge. British Warships, 1914-1919. First Edition. Ian Allan, 1972. Index accessed at https://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishShips-Dittmar1.htm#num
Siegel, Jennifer. For Peace and Money: French and British Finance in the Service of Tsars and Commissars. Oxford Studies in International History. Oxford ; New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2014.
1918 February 7, Passenger List, Joseph Sydney Kelsey, S.S. Chignecto, page 3. Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Series: RG 76-C; Roll: T-4756
1918 November 21, Marriage Register. Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador, Marriages 1917-1920, vol. 8, page 57.
Newspaper Clipping from the St. John’s Daily Star, (St. John’s, N.L.), 1918-11-22, “Hymneal.” The newspaper scan is courtesy of the Memorial University of Newfoundland’s Digital Archive Initiative.
1921 Census of Newfoundland, District of St. John’s West, Section Springdale St. to Patrick St., page 560. Available online at ancestry.ca
1935 Census of Newfoundland, District of Freshwater Valley, Section Boggy Hall to St. Phillips, page 278. Available online at ancestry.ca.
1945 Census of Newfoundland, District of St. John’s West, Section, Fresh Water Valley, page 39. Available online at ancestry.ca.
FindAGrave.com, Joseph Sydney Kelsey. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/197560263/joseph-sydney-kelsey
Jean Kelsey, oral interview, August 15th, 2016.
Pigeon Post #5, Interview with Gus Kelsey, 2018.
1939 Register of England and Wales, 1939 Register (Series RG101), The National Archives, Kew, London, England. Line 20, Schedule 124, Registration District 426.1.27
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