Harry Seago

A Cable Hand with His Majesty's Telegraph Ship Monarch, Harry died on 8th of September 1915 aged 56.

Harry was born at Wheatacre in 1859, a son of William and Joanna Seago. He was baptised at All Saints’ Church, Wheatacre, on 17 July 1859. In 1861 his family lived at The Railway Gate House, Aldeby. This was still their home in 1871 when the eleven year old Harry is recorded as working as an agricultural labourer. By 1881 Harry was working as a fisherman and living at Coleman Square, Lowestoft. 

On 6 October 1881 Harry married Maria Ellen Burwood at Saint Margaret’s Church. Harry was a fisherman and they both gave their address as ‘Beach, Lowestoft’. By 1891 they were living at East Street, and this was still their address in 1901 and throughout this time Harry worked as a fisherman. 

In 1911 their home was at 36 Rotterdam Road and Harry worked as a Cable Hand with the cable-laying ship Monarch. Later Maria lived at 23 Princes Road. 

The Monarch’s crew list for the first half of 1915 shows that Harry was not serving with the ship at that time, but he, and several other Lowestoft men, signed on to serve with the Monarch during the second half of 1915. Harry was working as a Cable Hand on the Monarch when, on 8 September 1915, the ship, sailing 2.5 nautical miles south-west of Folkestone, struck a mine. Three crew, including Harry, were killed.  

With thanks to Andy Pearce.