By Ian Broad
Origins and Arrival in the UK
Marcus Bailey was the second of four children of John Bailey (c.1860-c.1913) and his wife Lilian Taylor (1862-1935). Marcus was born on July 18, 1883, in Bridgetown, Barbados.[1] The family were presumably the descendants of enslaved Africans with their surname taken from a plantation owner or overseer. (There is an area of Barbados called Bayleys. It will be found in the parish of St. Philip, Eastern Barbados.)
Little is known about the early life of Marcus but in late 1902 his life changed when the Goole registered Charlotte a three-masted sailing barque put into Bridgetown. The Charlotte had sailed from Hull and arrived in Barbados on November 15, 1902. On December 13, on the orders of the police, the mate Thomas Parry was discharged: he was paid off and his effects delivered to him.[2]
Marcus Bailey was the second of four children of John Bailey (c.1860-c.1913) and his wife Lilian Taylor (1862-1935). Marcus was born on July 18, 1883, in Bridgetown, Barbados.[1] The family were presumably the descendants of enslaved Africans with their surname taken from a plantation owner or overseer. (There is an area of Barbados called Bayleys. It will be found in the parish of St. Philip, Eastern Barbados.)
Little is known about the early life of Marcus but in late 1902 his life changed when the Goole registered Charlotte a three-masted sailing barque put into Bridgetown. The Charlotte had sailed from Hull and arrived in Barbados on November 15, 1902. On December 13, on the orders of the police, the mate Thomas Parry was discharged: he was paid off and his effects delivered to him.[2]
The Charlotte was now short of crew. On December 13, Marcus, aged 19, and his friend Alonzo Herbert (1881-1954) signed on as crew members.[3] The Charlotte returned to Hull on February 19, 1903.
As far as is known Marcus had left Barbados for good. There would certainly be no point in returning to see any of his family. Sometime pre-1906 his father, John, moved to New York and over the next few years the rest of the Bailey family gradually joined him there.
As far as is known Marcus had left Barbados for good. There would certainly be no point in returning to see any of his family. Sometime pre-1906 his father, John, moved to New York and over the next few years the rest of the Bailey family gradually joined him there.
Hull, Fleetwood and Liverpool
In Hull Marcus now set about supporting himself. As an Ordinary Seaman, he sailed on the J.A. Jackson, a coastal vessel on a short voyage lasting from June 2 to June 15, 1903. Marcus then found regular employment in the fishing industry. From 1903 to 1909 he sailed on a variety of trawlers out of Hull and occasionally Grimsby. Marcus sailed as a cook, then as a deck hand. However he must have shown some ability as there were two voyages as Third Hand.
In 1909, for reasons unknown, he moved from Hull to Fleetwood. The 1911 census records that he was a lodger at 15 Blakiston Street, Fleetwood. In the census his name is recorded as James Marcus Bailey, the only known reference to James being part of his name. For the next few years his main home port continued to be Fleetwood, supplemented by the odd trip out of Grimsby.
In the period before 1912 Marcus had studied and on February 20 he took an examination for Second Hand but he failed in navigation. On March 26, 1912 he took the examination again and passed. He was certificated as Second Hand on March 27, 1912 (i.e. he was now a qualified Mate). At the time his address was 15 Livingstone Terrace, Fleetwood.
In Hull Marcus now set about supporting himself. As an Ordinary Seaman, he sailed on the J.A. Jackson, a coastal vessel on a short voyage lasting from June 2 to June 15, 1903. Marcus then found regular employment in the fishing industry. From 1903 to 1909 he sailed on a variety of trawlers out of Hull and occasionally Grimsby. Marcus sailed as a cook, then as a deck hand. However he must have shown some ability as there were two voyages as Third Hand.
In 1909, for reasons unknown, he moved from Hull to Fleetwood. The 1911 census records that he was a lodger at 15 Blakiston Street, Fleetwood. In the census his name is recorded as James Marcus Bailey, the only known reference to James being part of his name. For the next few years his main home port continued to be Fleetwood, supplemented by the odd trip out of Grimsby.
In the period before 1912 Marcus had studied and on February 20 he took an examination for Second Hand but he failed in navigation. On March 26, 1912 he took the examination again and passed. He was certificated as Second Hand on March 27, 1912 (i.e. he was now a qualified Mate). At the time his address was 15 Livingstone Terrace, Fleetwood.
In Fleetwood, or more likely nearby Blackpool, he met English-born Lilian McGowan, who was of Irish decent. The couple married in Fleetwood Parish Church on June 28, 1913. Marcus gave his age as 30 and he signed the registers. Lilian McGowan was said to have been 21 and her father a coach painter. The address of both Lilian and Marcus was given as 68 Poulton Street, Fleetwood, Lancs.[4]
Marcus was Black, his wife was white, and there were also religious differences – Lilian was Roman Catholic, but the couple had married in the Church of England. Lilian was rejected by her family. The marriage was destined to be an extremely unstable one. Nevertheless, the couple produced three children. The first was Francis (Frank), born April 15, 1914 at 21 Poulton Street, Fleetwood.[5] At some point the family moved to Liverpool: perhaps this was somehow connected to the declaration of war on August 4, 1914. Marcus sailed on four coastal vessels during the first half of 1915.[6] He sailed on the Zillah, the Alyn and the Mayflower as an Able Seaman. The fourth vessel was the Wild Rose on which Marcus sailed as Mate.[7] The Wild Rose was a trawler that had been requisitioned in August 1914 and converted to a minesweeper, operating in the Humber. As Mate, Marcus held a position of some significance, given the times an extremely unusual role for a Black man. |
The second child, James, was born on August 30, 1915. The birth certificate records that Marcus lived at 21 Sinclair Street, Garston. James was born at 107 Rice Lane, Walton. This was actually the address of the old Walton workhouse. Later the workhouse become a major hospital. The informant was a C.A.W. Roberts – no doubt somebody who helped with the confinement. Marcus, now a labourer was probably at work when the birth took place.[8]
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War, HMS Chester and the Battle of Jutland
From many years a problem has existed regarding the 1916 career of Marcus. Undated photographs exist of him in full naval uniform, one of which shows him standing wearing a cap band that reads “HMS Chester.” (top right) More recently a photograph of three sailors in naval uniform has come to light. All three have cap bands reading “HMS Chester”.[9] Marcus is standing on the left, Jack Riley is sitting in the middle and an unknown sailor is standing on the right. (bottom right) [10] Unfortunately there were two Royal Naval “Chesters”. The first, the famous cruiser that took part in the battle of Jutland, May 31 to June 1, 1916; the second, a requisitioned and converted trawler “HMT Chester”. Annoyingly this second Chester was sometimes referred to as “HMS”. The trawler Chester was sunk on February 29, 1916. She had been involved in a collision in the Firth of Forth. It is possible, but unlikely, that the photographs were taken pre-1916 and that the cap bands refer to the sunken trawler.[11] No doubt Marcus had seen the cruiser Lambros Katsonis being constructed on the other side of the Mersey at Birkenhead. She was being built for the Greek navy. However when war was declared the part-constructed vessel was purchased by the British government and renamed HMS Chester. She was launched on December 8, 1915 and commissioned in early May 1916.[12] It is assumed, but not conclusively proven, that Marcus was on board.[13] At the time there was an urgent call for men to join the forces. Marcus was an experienced and certificated seaman and therefore of use. Conscription had been introduced in March 1916: single men between the ages of 18 and 41 were required to serve. Marcus was married so he must have volunteered. (In May 1916 conscription was extended to include married men.) At first HMS Chester sailed to Rosyth, Firth of Forth, where she joined part of the fleet under the command of Admiral Beatty. However this was a new ship with a new crew, so she was then ordered to Scapa Flow in order to practice her gunnery. HMS Chester was now part of the Grand Fleet, commanded by Admiral Jellicoe. Meanwhile British code breakers reported that the German Fleet was about to leave harbour. The Royal Navy acted and on May 31, 1916 ships left the Firth of Forth under Beatty and the Grand Fleet left Scapa Flow under the overall command of Admiral Jellicoe. Chester sailed ahead of the Grand Fleet. These were the days before radar and Chester was scouting for the enemy. Unfortunately she did indeed encounter the Germans. Chester was heavily shelled and was hit 17 times: 29 men were killed and 49 wounded.[14] |
The crippled Chester was ordered to return to port and she finally berthed at Immingham, a relatively new port a few miles north of Grimsby. Assuming Marcus was on board Chester it is not known when he was discharged from the crew, possibly soon after the battle.[15]
Two years later, on February 18, 1918, his daughter Lilian was born at 19 Upper Stanhope Street, Toxteth Park, the third child born to Marcus and his wife Lilian. At the time Marcus was a labourer in a sugar works.[16]
Two years later, on February 18, 1918, his daughter Lilian was born at 19 Upper Stanhope Street, Toxteth Park, the third child born to Marcus and his wife Lilian. At the time Marcus was a labourer in a sugar works.[16]
Tension in Liverpool, Escape to Fleetwood and Race Riots.
In 1918 the city of Liverpool was not at ease. On August 29, 1918, as part of a national action, the Liverpool police had gone on strike. The strike was quickly settled when the government accepted most of the police demands. Britain was still at war and the Government simply could not allow itself to be distracted by a dispute with the police. Meanwhile racial tensions had been developing in Liverpool. In the spring of 1919 black workers, many of them long-term employees, were fired from their jobs working in sugar refineries. They were fired because white men refused to work with them. The black men were also accused of taking white men’s jobs. It is more than possible that Marcus, labourer in a sugar works, was one of those dismissed.[17] The Bailey marriage, always volatile, must have been put under tremendous pressure by the atmosphere in Liverpool. In June 1919 tensions came to a head and serious race riots broke out.[18] Policemen were injured and black men were attacked. A mob threw one man of colour [Charles Wootton] into the water and then stoned him to death. Homes of black men were broken into and looted. Black men went in fear of their lives and some 700 took refuge in the local police Bridewell. The centre of the rioting was Toxteth Park, precisely where Marcus and his family had been living.[19] Just before the main race riots, the Bailey family had left Liverpool for good for the relative security of Fleetwood. Once again Marcus found employment on board the Fleetwood trawlers. The family appeared to have settled and the children started to attend the local schools. |
Hull and Family Disintegration
In April 1924 the family made another move, this time to Hull.[20] The reason for the move isn’t really known, perhaps racial, perhaps for work, perhaps because Marcus had always liked Hull. The suspicion is that Lilian was having an affair and Marcus wanted to save the marriage. It is assumed that Marcus had friends in Hull who had found somewhere for the family to live. Marcus and the children set up home at 6 Botanic Place, Staniforth Place.[21] A little later Lilian joined the family.
One day, about June 1924, when Marcus was at sea, Lilian left her three children in the care of Mrs Kent or Kemp, a neighbour. In itself this was nothing unusual. However this time Lilian returned to Fleetwood for good. In Fleetwood she set up home in a wooden caravan. The three children never saw their mother again.
In Hull Marcus tried to support his children. He had to earn money so he returned to sea, this time as a first mate. The children were looked after by Mrs Kent. At some point in 1925 Marcus suffered a mental breakdown and he was taken to Anlaby Road Hospital (Mental Division).
In April 1924 the family made another move, this time to Hull.[20] The reason for the move isn’t really known, perhaps racial, perhaps for work, perhaps because Marcus had always liked Hull. The suspicion is that Lilian was having an affair and Marcus wanted to save the marriage. It is assumed that Marcus had friends in Hull who had found somewhere for the family to live. Marcus and the children set up home at 6 Botanic Place, Staniforth Place.[21] A little later Lilian joined the family.
One day, about June 1924, when Marcus was at sea, Lilian left her three children in the care of Mrs Kent or Kemp, a neighbour. In itself this was nothing unusual. However this time Lilian returned to Fleetwood for good. In Fleetwood she set up home in a wooden caravan. The three children never saw their mother again.
In Hull Marcus tried to support his children. He had to earn money so he returned to sea, this time as a first mate. The children were looked after by Mrs Kent. At some point in 1925 Marcus suffered a mental breakdown and he was taken to Anlaby Road Hospital (Mental Division).
The children were taken into care and placed in a children’s home at Linnaeus Street, Hull. Lilian was quickly separated from her brothers and for many years all contact was lost between Lilian and her siblings. Lilian was sent to a Roman Catholic Girls’ home in Middlesbrough. Frank and Jim remained in Hull.
Marcus was transferred to De la Pole Hospital, Willerby on April 30, 1925.[22] He died there on January 27, 1927, aged 44. Following a post-mortem, he was buried in an unmarked grave in the grounds of the Hospital.[23] His sons Frank, aged 13, and Jim, aged 12, attended the funeral which took place on February 1.[24]
During the night of October 28-29, 1927 Fleetwood experienced a huge storm. Flood defences were broken and the sea surged into the town. At the time Lilian was alone in her caravan, her partner Benjamin Whitton was at sea, a cook on a trawler. The incoming sea was powerful enough to overturn a number of solidly built caravans. The next day Lilian was found floating inside the caravan: she had been drowned, one of six people killed by the flood.
Marcus was transferred to De la Pole Hospital, Willerby on April 30, 1925.[22] He died there on January 27, 1927, aged 44. Following a post-mortem, he was buried in an unmarked grave in the grounds of the Hospital.[23] His sons Frank, aged 13, and Jim, aged 12, attended the funeral which took place on February 1.[24]
During the night of October 28-29, 1927 Fleetwood experienced a huge storm. Flood defences were broken and the sea surged into the town. At the time Lilian was alone in her caravan, her partner Benjamin Whitton was at sea, a cook on a trawler. The incoming sea was powerful enough to overturn a number of solidly built caravans. The next day Lilian was found floating inside the caravan: she had been drowned, one of six people killed by the flood.
At the outbreak of World War 2, Frank Bailey enlisted in the Royal Navy but, before long, he was discharged because of the severe asthma which plagued him throughout his life. Jim Bailey served in the Merchant Navy. He died, aged 25, when his ship was torpedoed some 400 miles south of Iceland. The Western Chief was part of convoy SC 24 but it could not keep up with the rest of the ships and became an easy target for the Italian submarine Emo. The Western Chief sank within 6 minutes and 22 members of the crew, including Jim, lost their lives. Lilian Bailey joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force and survived the war. She died in Bournemouth in 2015.
Read about Marcus's daughter Lilian Bailey here.
Read about Marcus's daughter Lilian Bailey here.
Footnotes
[1] Date and place of birth originally found in his Fishing Records.
[2] Information taken from shipping records held in Newfoundland.
[3] The crew lists state that Marcus was born in St Lucia. This was the first of many irritating errors discovered in the surviving records.
[4] Information taken from Marriage Certificate.
[5] Information taken from Birth Certificate. Frank spent most of his life in Hull and always asserted this made him a Yorkshireman and not a Lancastrian.
[6] National Maritime Museum Crews lists (on-line).
[7] The exact dates, and order in which Marcus sailed on these ships in 1915 is sometimes unclear, however the following order seems likely. Zillah (1.1.1915 to 20.2.1915) Alyn (dates unknown), Mayflower (dates unknown), Wild Rose from 29.6.1915 into the second half of 1915. It is also known that the Wild Rose visited Hayle, Cornwall on July 19, 1915.
[8] Information taken from the birth certificate.
[9] Thanks to Susan Donaldson for making the photo available.
[10] Jack Riley came from Fleetwood and in 1911 lived next door to Marcus.
[11] Confusingly it is known that a Marcus Thomas Bayley was on board HMS Chester. To add to the confusion this Marcus Bayley had been born in Barbados, in 1874.
[12] It is known that Jack Cornwell joined the ship on May 2, 1916: it is assumed that other members of the crew joined at the same time.
[13] A member of Jack Riley’s family sent a card on the 7th of “a” month in 1916. It said that Jack had gone to sea in good spirits. Unfortunately the month cannot be read. It was probably May 7, and the ship was HMS Chester.
[14] The number of dead and wounded varies depending on the source consulted. One of the wounded was the 16 year old Jack Cornwell, who died on June 2. Following a newspaper campaign Cornwell was later awarded a posthumous V.C.
[15] It is possible, but unlikely, that Marcus joined the ship after the battle when the ship had been repaired and brought back into active service.
[16] Information taken from birth certificate.
[17] Thanks to Audrey Dewjee for finding a reference to the incident, originally highlighted by Peter Fryer. See Sheffield Evening Telegraph, June 12, 1919, p.6.
[18] There were racial incidents elsewhere in the nation, including in Hull in 1920.
[19] http://www.blackpresence.co.uk/race-riots-in-liverpool-1919/ [accessed 30 June 2017]
[20] All three children left the Geoffrey Chaucer School, Fleetwood on April 17, 1924. Date found in the School logs.
[21] Family memory confirmed by hospital records and 1927 death certificate.
[22] Hull History Centre, Research Report. Marcus was admitted as a pauper. At the time of his death he had been in care for 1 year 8 months and 10 days.
[23] Information taken from the death certificate and hospital records.
[24] Lilian was too far away having already been sent to Middlesbrough.
[1] Date and place of birth originally found in his Fishing Records.
[2] Information taken from shipping records held in Newfoundland.
[3] The crew lists state that Marcus was born in St Lucia. This was the first of many irritating errors discovered in the surviving records.
[4] Information taken from Marriage Certificate.
[5] Information taken from Birth Certificate. Frank spent most of his life in Hull and always asserted this made him a Yorkshireman and not a Lancastrian.
[6] National Maritime Museum Crews lists (on-line).
[7] The exact dates, and order in which Marcus sailed on these ships in 1915 is sometimes unclear, however the following order seems likely. Zillah (1.1.1915 to 20.2.1915) Alyn (dates unknown), Mayflower (dates unknown), Wild Rose from 29.6.1915 into the second half of 1915. It is also known that the Wild Rose visited Hayle, Cornwall on July 19, 1915.
[8] Information taken from the birth certificate.
[9] Thanks to Susan Donaldson for making the photo available.
[10] Jack Riley came from Fleetwood and in 1911 lived next door to Marcus.
[11] Confusingly it is known that a Marcus Thomas Bayley was on board HMS Chester. To add to the confusion this Marcus Bayley had been born in Barbados, in 1874.
[12] It is known that Jack Cornwell joined the ship on May 2, 1916: it is assumed that other members of the crew joined at the same time.
[13] A member of Jack Riley’s family sent a card on the 7th of “a” month in 1916. It said that Jack had gone to sea in good spirits. Unfortunately the month cannot be read. It was probably May 7, and the ship was HMS Chester.
[14] The number of dead and wounded varies depending on the source consulted. One of the wounded was the 16 year old Jack Cornwell, who died on June 2. Following a newspaper campaign Cornwell was later awarded a posthumous V.C.
[15] It is possible, but unlikely, that Marcus joined the ship after the battle when the ship had been repaired and brought back into active service.
[16] Information taken from birth certificate.
[17] Thanks to Audrey Dewjee for finding a reference to the incident, originally highlighted by Peter Fryer. See Sheffield Evening Telegraph, June 12, 1919, p.6.
[18] There were racial incidents elsewhere in the nation, including in Hull in 1920.
[19] http://www.blackpresence.co.uk/race-riots-in-liverpool-1919/ [accessed 30 June 2017]
[20] All three children left the Geoffrey Chaucer School, Fleetwood on April 17, 1924. Date found in the School logs.
[21] Family memory confirmed by hospital records and 1927 death certificate.
[22] Hull History Centre, Research Report. Marcus was admitted as a pauper. At the time of his death he had been in care for 1 year 8 months and 10 days.
[23] Information taken from the death certificate and hospital records.
[24] Lilian was too far away having already been sent to Middlesbrough.