JESSE ATHERSYCH (a.k.a. JAMES ATHERSUCH), 1873 – 1930 James Athersuch was born in Foleshill near Coventry in 1873 and was christened Jesse Athersych, son of James Potter Athersych and Elizabeth (nee Palmer). James Potter Athersych had like generations before him started work as a Loom Weaver but later had become a Policeman in Rugby where he is reputed to have been responsible for the last man ever to be put in stocks! By the time Jesse was born his father was a labourer but by 1881 was railway crossing keeper at Bedlam Crossing in Coventry where he remained until his death in 1905. James was a religious man and joined the Folehill Independent Chapel in 1869 where he was at one time involved with the running of the Sunday school. On 2 nd April 1866 he married Elizabeth Palmer, a cotton winder, at St Lawrence Foleshill. Jesse had an elder sister, Emma Jane (b.1867) and brother, Fred (b. 1870), and two younger sisters Sarah Elizabeth (b.1879) and Margaret Annie (b. 1880). The family at first lived in Bacon’s Fields in Foleshill but had moved to Tinsley’s Lane by 1881, and by 1891 to 1 Field View, Foleshill. By 1891 Jesse was working as a fitter in a cycle factory possibly at the same factory as his brother Fred. Mass production of bicycles had only just begun and Coventry was for a time the centre of manufacture. What Jesse did between 1891 and 1900 is not known for sure but there is a family story which my father told me that he “ran away to sea” when he was young and returned with riches which he poured onto the kitchen table. His exploits did not find favour with the family who could not believe he had acquired his wealth honestly. There may be some truth in this story as listed amongst the passengers on the Gaul arriving at Southampton from Cape Town on 30 th November 1898 was a prospector by the name of Mr M Athersuch, aged 24. I know of no other male Athersuch’s of this age with the initial M and I wonder if this could in fact be an incorrect record of Jesse returning home after some years of seeking his fortune. The South African Gold Rush had started in 1886 but continued up until the start of the second Boer War in October 1899. Is this Jesse Athersuch incorrectly listed as a prospector in the passenger records of The Gaul? If this is true this is the first record of Jesse using the name Athersuch which he did throughout his adult life. According to his niece, Grace Mary Athersych (interviewed 15.8.1973) he adopted the name Athersuch because "everybody spelt it that way". Whether he was the mystery prospector or not, for sure by September 1900, Jesse, now under the name James Athersuch, was working as a storekeeper, and later a purser, on board SS Templemore, so there is a possibility that he served on other vessels before this in order to work his way up to this position of responsibility. However, I have been unable to discover which ships these may have been. Southampton Docks c. 1906. This is how it would have been when James first sailed in the SS Templemore. The SS Templemore was engaged in transporting troops between England, Australia and South Africa during the second Boer War during which she was also known as Troopship No.61. SS Templemore at an unknown location as troopship no. 61 Postcard ex-Princetown University Library Lloyds List and Gazette records each journey that was made, and brief descriptions of the troops carried on these voyages were also recorded in newspapers in London and South Africa. The following extract records the departure of The Templemore on James’s first voyage on this ship. The Times 13/09/00 The Templemore, from Albert Docks, embarked at Southampton yesterday 5 officers, 154 men and 30 horses. She sails from Southampton today for Queenstown to embark 1 officer, 116 men of the /Wiltshire Regt., and 60 remounts. Lt.-Col. J.F.M. Fawcett, 5the Lancers is in charge. An account of life on board the Templemore was written by one of the officers of the Queensland Imperial Bushmen during one journey in 1901 from Brisbane to The Cape. A synopsis of this diary has subsequently been published and an extract follows: The men joined the Troop Transport "Templemore" on Tuesday 5th March and, after being paraded on the wharf and allocated their messes (13 to a mess) the horses were loaded and duties assigned for their care. On The 6th March the Governor inspected the men and the ship moved from the wharf. The diary reveals that the 5 th Contingent was accompanied on the voyage by the Premier of Queensland, The Hon.R. Philp. Life on board the "Templemore" was probably like a holiday for most of the men, very few of whom would have been further afield than Brisbane from their hometowns before. The training, such as it was, continued during the voyage with deck drill and rifle practice shooting at floating objects. Much was made of the care and feeding of the horses. Each day permanent stable parties tended to the " eyes and feet " and reported condition. Other parties fed and watered the horses under the supervision of the Officers and the Veterinary Officer. Stables were cleaned daily and the horses groomed The Cyclist Corps, not having any horses to look after seemed to be saddled… with permanent deck swabbing and sweeping duties. …others were complaining that they were not getting enough meat to eat and the QuarterMaster was asked to investigate. It turned out that they were getting meat for Breakfast three days weekly, Porridge two days, Curry and Rice once and Fish on Friday. This was breakfast! Lunch was Soup followed by either Roast Beef or Roast Mutton. There was always Plum Pudding, Rice Pudding or Stewed Fruit. Perhaps there were some that wanted meat three times daily? There was always bread and jam for tea at 5 p.m. They were probably eating better than they would for many months to come. The ship arrived at Capetown on Saturday 30 th March 1901 and after the men were medically inspected and the officer in charge of their disembarkation had boarded, the ship proceeded to Port Elizabeth. On Monday 1 April 1901, the "Templemore" arrived at Port Elizabeth in Natal Province where they disembarked. Soldiers on board a troopship, Capetown c. 1900 A letter of recommendation signed by the Commander of the Templemore on 12 th August 1901 shows that James left the ship at this time. Letter of recommendation for Captain of SS Templemore Subsequently, he worked aboard the American Line’s SS St Louis which at this time was engaged as a passenger liner from Southampton to New York. SS St Louis Note on the SS St Louis. The SS St Louis was an 11,629 gross ship built by W. Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia in 1894 for the American Line. Her details were - length 535.5ft x beam 63ft., straight stem, two funnels, two masts, twin screw and a speed of 19 knots. A quasi-official report written by one of P&O's traveling inspectors on board the SS St Louis in 1902 from Southampton to New York gives a clear picture of live on board this trans-Atlantic liner. Left Southampton on 20th September, called at Cherbourg the same evening and embarked about thirty cabin and nearly a hundred steerage passengers, her total passenger list being: 1st Class--362 adults, 5 children 2d Class--156 adults, 8 children Steerage--477 in all. The ship has 351 berths 1st Class, 206 berths 2d class and is licensed to carry 649 persons in the steerage. The crew consists of 6 officers, 8 quarter masters, 43 deck hands, 30 Engineers Etc. 66 firemen, 21 oilmen, 48 stokers, and 125 in the purser's department. The ship's daily runs were respectively 300, 406, 398, 437,431,400, 444, and 236 miles. Arrived at New York on Sunday, 28th September, at 9 a.m. Cabins: of the 170 staterooms, 1st Class, no less than 88 are inner ones, but all are well ventilated by an air trunk passing through with an opening in each cabin, the air begin exhausted in the usual way by fans. The majority of the cabins are four- berthed. On the promenade deck, there are 14 suites of bed-and-sitting rooms with bath and W.C. attached; the fares for these cabins vary, according to size and position from 80 to 115 pounds in the slack season and from 130 to 180 pounds in the full season. I was told by the purser that they are always in great demand. The outer cabins are generally small, the inner ones being more roomy; no door curtains to any of the cabins, so that the doors must be invariably kept closed, which in hot weather would be very trying. The cabins were poorly supplied with cloak hooks, no chests of drawers or whatnots, but a small wardrobe in each. The bunks are old-fashioned wooden ones, with wooden bottom- boards provided with an air bed only, no mattress. These are most uncomfortable for, after a time, the weight of the body forces the air to the sides and feet and one is lying with nothing but the bed tick over the hard boards! The switch of the electric light is so placed that one is within easy reach of every bunk, so that a passenger can turn the light on or off without rising.