Samuel James Reeve

A Skipper with Sailing Trawler True Vine (Lowestoft). Samuel died on 30th of November 1915 at the age of 37. 

Samuel was born at Lowestoft in 1878, a son of John and Martha Reeve. In 1881 his family lived at Seamans Road, Hopton. By 1891 Samuel's father had died and his mother had married Thomas Carsey and the family lived at Mill Lane, Corton. 

On 28 November 1901 Samuel married Frances Mary Seeley at Saint Michael's Church, Oulton, Lowestoft. Samuel was a fisherman and they both lived at Oulton. In 1911 they lived at 3 Oulton Street, Lowestoft, and later Frances lived at 31 Oulton Road, Lowestoft.

From around 1905 Samuel's fishing work took him to Padstow. In 1911 he was the Mate on the trawler Drake. 

In 1915 Samuel was the Skipper of the sailing trawler True Vine, LT 52. On 30 November 1915 the True Vine was seen, by the Skipper of the trawler Comrade, fishing about 27 miles north by east from Lowestoft. This was the last sighting of the trawler and it was presumed that the True Vine struck a mine and was lost with all hands on that day, or soon afterwards. 

Among the crew was the Mate, Harry Carsey, who was Samuel's half-brother. 

Note: In some sources Samuel's surname is mis-transcribed as Reeves

See: 1914 – 1918 Lowestoft Fisherman: killed by enemy action – History of Lowestoft's Fishing Industry (wordpress.com)

The Crew of the True Vine lost 30 November 1915

REEVE, Samuel, Skipper, age 37, lived Lowestoft

CARSEY, Harry, Mate, age 26, lived Lowestoft

THOMSON, Thomas Hoy, Third Hand, age 55, lived Great Yarmouth

LEWELL, Harry, Fourth Hand, age 17, lived Lowestoft

CHASTON, Edward William, Cook, age 16, lived North Cove