John William James Tucker

A Skipper with H.M. Armed Fishing Smack Ivanhoe, John died on 9th of January 1919 at the age of 46. 

John was born at Lowestoft on 11 February 1872, a son of John James and Anne Tucker. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church on 4 September 1881 and his family lived at 2 Mill Road. By 1891 they were living at 6 Waveney Terrace, Whapload Road. Later his parents lived at 92 Clapham Road.

On 16 March 1896 John married Jane Hurn at Saint Margaret’s Church. John was a trawler man of 6 Waveney Terrace and Jane lived at 23 Anguish Street. By 1901 their home was at 212 Raglan Street. In 1901 John was the Skipper of the trawler Sam J. Dobson, LT 634 at Milford Haven. Jane died in 1905.  

In April 1906 John was sued by James Blowers, of Lowestoft, over an incident in which Blowers was injured. The judge found against John, who was the Skipper and owner of the trawler John Brown, and he was ordered to pay Blowers six month’s wages, as well as paying £5 expenses and being fined £44 and costs (see Norfolk Chronicle 28 April 1906, page 6). 

John married Mary Ann Morris at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft, on 28 October 1906. John and Mary moved to Padstow, where John had business interests, and owned fishing smacks, and they had a home at 9 Glen Road, Padstow. In 1911 John was the Master of the trawler Trevoni at Padstow. In 1918 John joined the St. Petroc Lodge of Freemasons. 

During the First World War John agreed to serve with government vessel under a T.124 agreement, technically this meant he was part of the Mercantile Marine Reserve. In this role he served as the Master of the Ivanhoe, and armed fishing smack. The following notice, that explains what happened to John, appeared in the Guardian, 24 January 1919, page 7:

FEARED LOSS OF PADSTOW FISHING SMACK

Great anxiety was felt at Padstow when it became known that the armed motor fishing boat “Ivanhoe” had failed to return from the fishing grounds. The vessel left the port on Wednesday morning, the 8th, and was last seen in the heavy gale on Thursday, 9th, by the skipper of the “Hepetica”. It is feared that she was swamped by the heavy seas and all the hands lost. The Skipper (Mr. J. Tucker) was very popular at Padstow, and was considered one of the best fishermen out of the port. Great sympathy will be extended to his widow and aged father, and also to the relatives of the following who comprised the crew: Messrs. Robinson, who leaves a widow and two little children, Goldring (sic), Brown and the gunner.     

John's brother-in-law, Walter Day, served in the Royal Naval Reserve and died in 1917. His nephew, Thomas Claxton, died in 1918 in the loss of the trawler Boy Jack.