New Records on line about Charles F Restorick
Posted: 7th April 2019
https://www.familysearch.org have put some new records online where we have found the death of Charles F Restorick on 25 March 1896 in Los Angeles. We knew that he lived in New York where his older brother Ferdinand Samuel also lived and that Charles died in March 1896 but not where. The death certificate states he died of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, was 32 years old, single and born in London. This proves he was the son of James Pring Restorick born in 1823 in Colyton, Devon but who was in London by 1841 census, married there in 1845 and had his first six children there. The death certificate also states Charles was buried in Evergreen Cemetery on 28 March 1896.
Records of James Restorick
Posted: 8th May 2019
James Restorick, bap 26 March 1775 in Colyton, Devon joined the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic War. He was wounded and sent to Haslar Hospital on 7 January 1811. He was then allotted to HMS Menelaus in 1811 and the record shows he deserted on 22 June 1813.
The Menelaus ship’s muster for 1811 (ADM36/3621) shows that James Restorick was a purser’s steward, number on the ship’s books 311. It is cross-referenced to his number on the Supernumerary for Victuals list as 213, but he appears there as 214. This list implies he joined as a supernumerary Oct 1 1811 as a volunteer at Portsmouth, and was discharged to the ship’s books 21 Oct 1811. The allotment register confirms this is ‘our’ James Restorick, as his wife’s Christian names are given as Lilly Angel (ADM 27/15).
The Menelaus was a frigate 5th class built in 1810 at Plymouth Dock Yard. In November 1811 she sailed for the Mediterranean and took part in the blockade of Toulon and continued to operate in that area against privateers with some success. Involved in the capture of St Esprit at Mignone in September 1812, destroyed three sloops at Porto Ercole the following day, and captured storeship Fidele the next. In March 1813 she captured packet L’Hirondelle and privateer Le Noveaux Phoenix. In 1814 she was serving in North America.
As per the pay book for the Menelaus (ADM 35/3567) he was ‘absent without leave’ at the time of the pay on 25 Jun 1813, and the Purser objected to his being paid. The records show he joined the ship 22 Oct 1811. He is noted as ‘supernumerary for V[ictuals] only’. He was Purser’s Steward to 1 Jan 1813, then Leading Mariner. A Purser’s Steward was head clerk of the frigate’s fiscal affairs. Upon the berth-deck he had a regular counting-room, full of ledgers, journals, and daybooks.
A later pay list (ADM35/3568) lists him as Leading mariner, and confirms the date he was marked ‘Run’, ie deserted, as 22 Jun 1813. So he must have returned to the ship and been demoted.
In a Greenwich Royal Naval pensioner record from 1842 James’s name is crossed out, but we have been unable to find a death register entry for him although his wife is listed as a widow in 1851 census.
James Francis Restorick, born 12 January 1805 in Southwark, London, son of James and Lilly Angel Restorick, was admitted to Greenwich Hospital School on 16 September 1816 then entered the Merchant Navy apprenticed to Wm Robert Fletcher on 6 October 1818 age 13 years. Fletcher was owner or master of the Medusa of Whitburn, County Durham which is on the coast north of Sunderland. We have not found what happened afterwards nor James Francis’ death.
