Mr John Edward Puzey, known as “Jack,” was born in London, England on 28 February 1868, later being baptised in St Giles' Church in the City on 22 March that same year.
He was the son of Nathaniel Thomas Puzey (1839-1884), a marine fireman, and Rosetta Arkell (1839-1908), both Middlesex-natives who had married in St Mark’s Church, Shoreditch, London on 23 November 1863.
He had eight siblings: Rosetta Emily (b. 1864), Henry Nathaniel (b. 1866), Julia Beatrice (b. 1870), Nathaniel Joseph (b. 1872), Mary Selina (b. 1875), Montague Augustus (b. 1878), William (b. 1881) and Alice Catherine Mildred (b. 1885). His brother Montague did not reach his second birthday and died in early 1880.
John and his family are listed on the 1881 census living at 18 Buxton Street, Clerkenwell, Middlesex. His father died in 1884, whilst his mother was pregnant; she remarried in 1890 to William Henry Gregory (b. 1850 in Lambeth, Surrey), a bricklayer and she later lived in Windsor, Berkshire before her death in 1908 in Bradford, Yorkshire.
In 1886 John joined the British Army and served with the Dragoon Guards, but other details about the next few years of his life are lacking.
Described as a ship’s steward whose residence was in Windsor, Puzey was married in the Parish Church in Marden, Wiltshire on 1 December 1896 to a native of that village, Rose Stone1 (b. 1873 in Chirton, Wiltshire). Miss Stone was the daughter of agricultural labourer Robert Stone and his wife Elizabeth, née Plank.
Just the year prior to their marriage John and Rose had welcomed a son on 23 June 1895, Oliver Francis, better known as Frank. Their second and last child, William John, arrived on 17 July 1901.
There would be no sign of John on the 1901 census, he perhaps being at sea, but his wife and first son Frank were listed as living at 41 Tory Road, St Denys, Southampton. John would again be absent from the 1911 census, his wife and children by then living at 61 Manor Road, Itchen, his son Frank being described as an apprentice billiard maker.
John Puzey signed on to the maiden voyage of Titanic on 4 April 1912; he gave his address as 61 Manor Road, Itchen and his previous ship as the Majestic. As a steward he could expect to earn monthly wages of £3, 15s. Also serving aboard was an in-law Walter Boothby; John's brother-in-law William Stone was married to Boothby's sister Ada.
John Puzey was lost in the disaster and his body, if recovered, was never identified.
The following memorial appeared for both Puzey and Boothby in the Portsmouth Evening News on 14 April 1913:
BOOTHBY AND PUZEY--In loving memory of our dear brothers, Walter and Jack, who was drowned in the terrible Titanic disaster, April 14th, 1912. Sadly missed by Ada and Will.
His widow Rose was remarried twice, firstly in 1915 to John Shearing (1857-1923) and secondly in 1924 to shipyard worker James P. Jack (1881-1955). She died in Southampton in 1938.
His son William later worked as a wood machinist; he married in 1926 to Nellie May House (b. 11 January 1907) and they raised a family, their firstborn Joan arriving in 1927. William died in New Forest, Hampshire in 1979; his widow Nellie died in 1990.
His son Frank also went on to serve as a greaser in the Merchant service but little else is known about his later life. Whilst it is not clear that he ever married, it appears he later cohabited with a woman named Margaret; they appear to have had no children. Frank died in Southampton in 1966.
Comment and discuss
-
You have no idea how much this means to me to read this. Mary Selina, who went by May, was my Great Grandma. (Married name was May Horne.). According to family lore, May worked as the maid to the lady in waiting of Queen Victoria.As May's brother, John Edward Puzey was therefore my great great uncle. All my life I never knew the names of my great great grandparents, my great great grandmother's maiden name, or where in England they were from and when they married. To even find out that my great grandfather was a marine fireman is so exciting, as is learning the church of baptism. I googled the church and it gave me the shivers to see a photo of it all these years later. To whoever wrote this information, please accept the most heartfelt thanks of me and my family.
-
Hi. Guess we are related. Because John Edward Puzey is my great great grandfather. Grandfather to my grandfather John Puzey who passed away couple years ago.
-
Hi Daniel, my grandma was Catherine Alice Midred Puzey and sister of John Edward Puzey who was my great uncle.
-
Hi Jenna, we are related. My grandma Catherine Alice Mildred Puzey was sister to your great grandma May Selina. Did you know May & her husband emigrated to Canada. I have a lot of info regarding the Puzey family, I have got the family bible. Please get in touch, it would be lovely to pass family info. Regards Fred
-
Hi Fred and Daniel! It's so great to connect with you! That is really neat that you have the family Bible Fred. I'd love to learn more. I did know that May emigrated to Canada. I think she came over on a ship about 1908 ish with her young daughter Dorris. She settled in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (where i currently live). At the time she was a single mother, we think her husband may have died in England in a fire but that is not confirmed. Message continued below...
-
Part 2 : She worked at the Strathcona Hotel but then answered an add for a housekeeper for a widower named George who had 2 sons. They fell in love, married, and had at least 3 more children including my grandpa Herbert Horne, and Lillian and Archie (later known as Bob). They would say they had "His kids, Her kids, and Our kids."
-
Part 4: Did your grandma Catherine Alice Mildred go by name Millie? My Grandma Frances Horne (married to May's son Herbert) was dear friends with one of Herbert's cousins, called Millie. Millie visited her in Canada & Frances went to England in 1989 to visit Millie. They exchanged letters for decades- then about 15 or 20 yrs ago the letters stopped. Grandma was so sad and guessed Mille had passed away or been moved into a care home. I tried unsuccessfully to contact her family.
-
Part 5: Anyway, I am looking forward to connecting more with you. Stretching my memory back a couple decades, I am pretty sure I remember my Grandma telling me about Millie's son or grandson named Fred (I'm guessing you?) and staying with all of you when she was in England in the 80's. Grandma will be overjoyed when I tell her we've connected! She has talked many many times about her English relatives and how much she loves you all.
-
part 3: Herbert was born in Pocahontas Alberta, the first non-indigenous baby born in the area. The local indigenous people danced around the cabin the night he was born. Herbert married my Grandma, Frances Horne (now 102 years old) and they had 3 daughters- Sherry (1948), Maureen (1954), and Barbara (1954- died at birth). I'd love to connect more with you. Please feel free to look me up on facebook as Jenna Schentag Hoff or email me at
Open Thread Leave a Reply