Barnard Charles Spaull was born in 1872 at Oswestry. He was the youngest of 3 children – brother Frank, and sister Mildred. Their father William was an architect and surveyor; their mother was Maria. William was the architect of Christ Church, Oswestry. He also designed buildings for Oswestry School – he was an old boy, a school Governor and was much involved in the life of the school.  The family lived at ‘Bryntirrion’ on Morda Road (see also Captain Edward W Walker). They would later live at 47 Willow Street before moving to ‘The Gables’ on Upper Brook Street. Barnard attended Oswestry Grammar School – as did brother Frank who went on to Keble College Oxford and became a Reverend and chaplain at Colet Court school. Frank died in 1903 and is buried in the family grave at Oswestry Cemetery – also interred are his father and mother. Their father was an Alderman and Mayor of Oswestry. He was killed in a road accident in October 1915. Maria died in 1918.

In 1891, when he was 18, Barnard began a 4 year apprenticeship in the Merchant Navy. He was indentured to Thomas C Guthrie of Guthrie, McDonald & Hood & Co. ship owners and brokers at Glasgow. He completed his term and in 1896 gained his Second Mate Certificate and 2 years later his First Mate. He became a Ship’s Master in 1901. In 1899 he married Louie Ethel Drabble at Birmingham. They would have 2 children, William Guy, 1904 and Marcus C, 1909. William Guy was born in the United States. By 1909, when Marcus was born, Louie Ethel was back in Oswestry and in 1911 was living at ‘Thistlehurst’ on Queens Road, Oswestry. Barnard was probably at sea serving on SS Royal Edward or sister ship SS Royal George on the Atlantic routes.

At the outbreak of war Barnard was Chief Mate on SS Royal Edward. The ship was a Canadian owned passenger liner which had operated since 1910 on the North Atlantic routes. The ship was requisitioned for war service and re-designated as Hired Military Transport (HMT) Royal Edward. After transporting troops from Canada and India, the ship departed from Avonmouth on 28 July 1915, transporting troops destined for the Dardanelles (see also Second Lieutenant Ferdinand L Hughes ). The ship was sunk by a torpedo from submarine UB14 in the morning of 13 August 1918 off the Aegean island of Kandelouss. There was great loss of life, estimated as between 150 to 1865. The sinking was widely reported in the press as another example of the unchivalrous and barbaric ‘Hun’. Barnard was presumed drowned and is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial for those lost at sea serving in the Merchant Navy. He is also commemorated on war memorials at St Oswald’s Church and Holy Trinity Church in Oswestry and at Oswestry Grammar School.

Barnard Charles always suffered from asthma and he was recommended to go to sea. He became a master mariner and commanded small vessels of the now defunct Thistle Line and finished his career as Chief Officer of the R M S Royal Edward (19000 tons) when the ship was torpedoed in the Aegean Sea on 13 August 1915, his 43rd birthday.  There were some 2500 troops and crew aboard and only 600 were saved. I have an eye witness account of this event.  He had met my mother Louie Ethel Drabble when his ship called at Newport News, Virginia near to Jamestown where she was then living – she had been born in England, Nottingham but her Father had taken the whole family over to the USA to make his fortune. He proposed to her on the top of the Washington Monument in Washington DC threatening to throw himself off if she refused!  They were married secretly in Birmingham on 28 Dec 1899 but with the connivance of her eldest sister Eliza whom they were visiting as an engaged couple.  She sent a telegram to my grandfather at Oswestry saying ‘Mr and Mrs Charles Spaull arriving Oswestry 6 o’clock’.  She was affectionately accepted by his parents of whom she became very fond. For the next four years my mother often went with my father on his voyages visiting many ports in the Near East and Russia as well as frequently voyaging to the USA.  At this time my father was first mate, under a Capt Snoggie of Aberdeen, in the Thistle Line sailing out of Leith.

Acknowledgements. Photos and additional information Anna-Louise Shankland, great grand daughter of Barnard Spaull.

SS Royal Edward society

References and Sources

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