Thomas Augustine French

A Captain with S.S. Rubens, Thomas died on 8th of October 1915 at the age of 51. 

Thomas was born at Lowestoft on 15 May 1864, a son of Thomas Turner and Maria Elizabeth French. In 1881 his family lived at Ivy Cottage, Denmark Road, Lowestoft. Later his parents lived at 8 Wellington Esplanade, Lowestoft. 

On 31 July 1880 Thomas began a four-year Merchant Navy apprenticeship with J. Corry of London. 

Thomas was awarded his Mate’s Certificate on 14 June 1888. 

On 13 April 1891 Thomas married Clementina Minnie Watts at Saint Mark’s Church, Bow. Thomas was a Master Mariner and they lived at 11 Trego Road. 

On 30 March 1895 Thomas was his Master’s Certificate. He was also a member of the Imperial Merchant Service Guild. 

By 1914 Thomas and Clementina had a home at The Alders, Old Lakenham, Norwich.

In 1914 Thomas was the Captain of the British cargo ship Rubens. When the war began the Rubens was at the German port of Hamburg and was seized by the Germans and Thomas was imprisoned. On 6 November 1914 he arrived at Ruhleben prisoner of war camp, Germany, and was held at Barrack 8. 

Thomas died, from heart-failure, at the Lazarette (hospital) at Ruhleben on 7 October 1915. 

Thomas is commemorated on the war memorial at Saint Margaret's Church. 

Note: The Registers of Miscellaneous Foreign Deaths gives the correct date for Thomas' death, 8 October, rather than 7 October as shown in some sources.