Woodside, Thomas

Seaman

No. 3681C, Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Fisgard II

Drowned when ship sank in a storm on Thursday 17 September 1914 (aged 35)

No known grave

Commemorated:

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Portsmouth Naval Memorial (Panel 6)

Roll of Honour for Newtownards published in the Newtownards Chronicle

BIOGRAPHY

The name T. Woodside was listed in a Roll of Honour for Newtownards published in the 6 January 1917 edition of the Newtownards Chronicle.

Desk searches and public appeals for information have now confirmed the identity of this casualty whose death was reported in the 28 September 1914 edition of the Belfast New Letter and in the 1 October 1914 edition of the Belfast Telegraph.  His death was also reported in the 7 August 1915 edition of the Newtownards Chronicle under the headline Bangor Road:

A.B. Seaman Woodside, T., Royal Naval Reserve was called from reserve in August 1914.  He was serving with his ship H.M.S. Fisgard II. 

Seaman Woodside went down with his ship in September 1914.

In the 1911 census, No. 4 Bangor Road, Newtownards was the address of Thomas Woodside’s unmarried relative, Elizabeth Woodside (aged 46).

Thomas Woodside of Ballykeel, Islandmagee was one of the crew lost in the foundering of H.M.S. Fisgard II off Portland Bill on 17 September 1914.  He was one of four brothers in the Royal Navy and was called up from the Reserves in late August 1914 when he returned from a voyage in the Orlock Head.  H.M.S. Fisgard II was under tow from Portsmouth, bound for Scapa Flow, when she foundered in a storm with the loss of 14 from her crew of 64.

Thomas Woodside was born on 6 April 1879 (he declared 6 April 1880 when he joined the Navy on 1 July 1904) at Ballykeel, Islandmagee and he was a son of James and Sarah Woodside (nee Stevenson) who were married on 25 May 1865 in Ballycarry Presbyterian Church.  James Woodside, a labourer from Islandmagee, was a son of William Woodside, a labourer.  Sarah Stevenson from Islandmagee was a daughter of John Stevenson, a labourer.

James and Sarah Woodside (nee Stevenson) had at least twelve children:

Jane Bell (born 9 July 1865 at Templecorran, Islandmagee)

Sarah (born 20 August 1867 at Ballykeel, Islandmagee)

Mary (born 16 January 1870 at Ballykeel, Islandmagee)

John (born 9 January 1872 at Ballykeel, Islandmagee)

William (born 25 November 1874 at Ballykeel, Islandmagee)

James (born 22 January 1877 at Ballykeel, Islandmagee)

Thomas (born 6 April 1879 at Ballykeel, Islandmagee)

Agnes (born 5 July 1881 at Ballykeel, Islandmagee)

Robert (born 1 September 1883 at Ballykeel, Islandmagee)

David (born 18 August 1885 at Ballykeel, Islandmagee)

Frederick Niblock (Fred, born 24 August 1887 at Ballykeel, Islandmagee)

Margaret Orr (Maggie, born 11 June 1889 at Ballykeel, Islandmagee)

Their mother, Sarah Woodside, died of cardiac failure at Ballykeel on 25 May 1890 (aged 46).