Benjamin James Robinson

A Mate with H.M. Armed Fishing Smack Ivanhoe, Benjamin died on 9th of January 1919 at the age of 26. 

It is believed that Benjamin was born at Lowestoft in 1892, a son of Henry and Emily Robinson. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church on 12 February 1892, and his family lived at 20 Alma Road. Benjamin’s father died in 1894 and in 1901 his family lived at Laundry Lane. In 1911 Benjamin lived with his sister Nellie Wood, and her husband William, at 4 Mummery’s Buildings, Saint Peter’s Street, and Benjamin was a fisherman. Later his sister lived at 4 Princes Road.  

During the First World War Benjamin 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 Mate of the Ivanhoe, and armed fishing smack. The following notice, that explains what happened to Benjamin, 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.