Bedwell Family papers

Letter from Henry Bedford, Admiralty Clerk, to Lieutenant Bedwell [snr], regarding the admission of his son Frederick Le Breton Bedwell, to a marine cadetship when a vacancy occurs.

Letter from Lieutenant Bedwell [snr], Jersey to Admiral Morrison, London, enquiring when his son Frederick Le Breton Bedwell will likely be admitted to a marine cadetship, who is quite qualified and has been on the list for more than a year.

Incomplete letter from [unknown] referring to the appointment of Lieutenant Bedwell's son Frederick as a naval cadet, in consideration of his wounding in service.

Nomination for admission of Harold Brisbane Bedwell as a naval cadet, which includes a statement of naval services: of his Grandfather Lieutenant Edward Parker Bedwell; his father Staff-Commander Edward Parker Bedwell; and his uncle Fleet Paymaster Frederick Le Breton Bedwell.

The statements of service include when the officers joined the navy, ships served, appointments and theatres of operation.

Captain Harold Brisbane Bedwell, R.N., was born in Australia in 1879, and joined the navy in 1893 serving on HMS Immortalite, HMS Mutine (China Station and Australia Station); as navigating officer on HMS Triump, 1913-1916 and HMS Minotaur from 1916-1918; acting Commander of the battleship H.M.S. Dreadnought; and Commander H.M.S. Proserpine, 1919 He was last recorded coming out of retirement to act as Naval Officer in charge at Fleetwood during the Second World War.

This journal was kept by then Navigating Lieutenant Edward Bedwell, on board HMS Hecate, a 4-gun Hydra-class paddle sloop, under the command of Captain George Henry Richards. 

The voyage started at Esquimalt Bay, Vancouver on 22 December 1862 sailing to San Francisco; south along the Pacific coast of Mexico to Acapulco, then west in February to the Sandwich Islands [Hawaii] where they obtained provisions - fresh and salted meat, fruit, and vegetables, for the next leg of their journey. In April they sailed south to Fanning Island [Kiribati] and the Cook Islands, where they spent several weeks before departing, arriving at Sydney Harbour, Port Jackson in June 1863.

In July 1863 HMS Hecate left Sydney for Moreton Bay, and in August they sailed north for the Torres Strait via the Great Barrier Reef - through the Whitsunday Pasage to Rockingham Bay, then via Fitzroy Island, Cape Grafton, Cape Flattery, Cape Melville, to Princess Charlotte Bay and Albany Island off Somerset on Cape York Peninsula.

After successfully navigating around the peninsula to Booby Island, they proceeded west to Kupang Bay, Timor stopping for supplies, before continuing on to Batavia [Jakarta, Indonesia], across the Indian Ocean to the Cape of Good Hope, the southern most point of Africa. From here their journey continued north via Ascension, Madiera, and Portugal, arriving in Portsmouth, England on 3 January 1864. 

The journal contains very detailed notes with water colour and pencil sketches of scenery, ships. The entries which were originally made in pencil have been overwritten in ink. Included at the back are distances run during the voyage, 22 December 1862 - January 1864

This is a journal of a surveying voyage of Port Curtis in HMS Pearl, the government survey vessel, under the command of Lieutenant Edward Parker Bedwell. The entries which begin on 22 June 1871 record in detail their activities, maritime conditions, other ships they encountered, and the plotting of their navigational observations. In September Bedwell accompanied the Governor of Queensland, George Augustus Constantine Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby, from Rockhampton on a trip to north Queensland, visiting the Fitzroy River, Port Denison, attended a corroboree, visited Waverley Station, and Rockingham Bay north of Cardwell. At the end of the trip he returned with the Governor to Townsville with lists of surveys to be completed including Gatcombe Head and Cape Capricorn, Auckland Creek, and ends at Port Curtis, 12 November, in bad weather, with the crew undertaking repairs and Bedwell recording his findings.

The journal also describes observations of First Nations people.

The vessel was most likely HMS Pearl [a Pearl-class 21-gun screw corvette of the Royal Navy launched in 1855) although it does not appear to be named in the entries.

This journal also contains sketches and water colour paintings of a woman, as well as maritime scenes. The diary pages are headed 'Queensland survey - with Governor on a trip to northern Ports'.

This 1879 diary contains daily entries, some quite brief and includes a cash account at back. The first entry is titled 'Private journal of Staff-Commander E.P. Bedwell at Kingsholm Lodge, [New Farm] Brisbane.

In May 1879, Bedwell was on board the surveying vessel 'Llewellyn', making its way from Moreton Bay, past K'gari [Fraser Island] to the Cumberland group of islands off Mackay. From there they continued north to Kennedy Sound and Flat Top Island. Here in June he trans-shipped to the steamer 'Victoria' to return home to Brisbane. Bedwell then returned by the same vessel a week later and returned to their survey of Cumberland Islands.

In August 1879 they made their way to Bowen and the Whitsunday Islands until September, when he again returned to Brisbane on board the steamer 'Wentworth' to his family at their home 'Meerhaye', in Lutwyche.

In November he returned to Flat Top Island via the steamer 'Victoria' to continue their survey to Port Denison, the Whitsundays and Haslewood Islands. The vessell returned to Moreton Bay early December.

Survey Returns of the Queensland Coast for the year 1879 completed by Staff-Commander E.P. Bedwell, Navigation Lieutenant F. Haselwood and Navigation Sub Lieutenant A. Leeper, RN, together with a circular form to Admiralty Surveyors, for completion, signed by Staff-Commander E.P. Bedwell, hydrographer.

The third page of the return gives the number of miles sounded in steamer: 4,280; soundings obtained: 14,861; days lost thro' bad weather: 275 and various other statistics for the term of the survey - 27 May - 13 December 1879.

Item 14 is the original wrapper used to contain the returns.

[Items TR2052/13 & TR2052/14]

Statement of service for Acting Staff Commander E.P. Bedwell for his time spent aboard HMS 'Pearl' while undertaking surveying duties in Queensland, from 16 October 1873 to 13 January 1877.

Leather wallet / pocket book, initialled E.P.B. which also contains a notebook with pencil sketches and and names and addresses.

Purpose made box containing 5 drafting and plotting, cartographic instruments, with ivory handles initialled E.P.B., some missing.

Small cloth bound notebook containing many pencil sketches, some dated 1889, which are likely to be the work of Edward Parker Bedwell, mostly completed after his return to England in 1880. The subjects include statues, horses, people, Sorrento and Geneva.

Certified testimonials from the former Queensland Colonial Secretary, Sir Arthur Palmer, and John Douglas, Premier of Queensland, documenting Staff-Commander Edward Bedwell's survey of the Queensland coast from 1866-1879.

Notebook, with almost all pages missing, except for one with pencil notes, possibly orders, and a small pocket on the back cover containing a single sheet with a table of measurement on one side and column of figures on the reverse.

Testimonial letter from Governor Joshua Peter Bell, Government House, Brisbane to Staff-Commander Bedwell, regarding Bedwell's satisfactory survey of the Queensland coast.

Testimonial letter from Government House, Melbourne from former Governor of Queensland, Normanby regarding Bedwell's satisfactory and efficient survey of the coast of Queensland, and wishing him a pleasant voyage on his return to England.

Letter from [unidentfied] regarding the birth of Bedwell's daughter Emily Clara Bedwell (1881-1967)

Schedule of paintings accepted for The Royal Naval Exhibition, London by Edward Parker Bedwell. The exhibition was held in the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, from 2 May to 24 October 1891.

The titles (21) listed are: HMS Superb; Med: Squadron; Castle of Seslos; Entrance to Nararino Bay; Bombardment of Arabai / Sea of Azor; Destruction of shipping [...]; Bombardment of Taganrog; Berdiansh Sea of Azor; HMS Rodney; Strezlebyka Bay; Sebastapol; Naval review at Spithead; Spithead from Cowes anchorage; HMS Plumper; 'Plumper's' pinnace; HMS Plumper; Surveying ship 'Hecate'; Gibraltar Bay; View in Hamoaze; Hulks in Chatham.

Newspaper clipping of the death notice for Staff-Commander Edward Bedwell who died in 1919, describing his distinguished service under the command of Sir William Parker, his involvement in the Crimean War, and surveys of British Columbia, Vancouver and Queensland.

Record of ships on which Edward Parker Bedwell (1834-1919) served, as follows:
Ardent, Rodney, Assurance, St Jean d'Acre for Princess Alice, Fisgard, Plumper, Hecate, Fisgard, Curacoa, Clio, Pearl, Wolverine, Duke of Wellington, Defence and Pembroke.

Copy 1, original
Copies 2 & 3, annotated with retirment date and date of death
Copy 4, annotated with retirement date

Examination results from Her Majesty's Navy relating to Frederick Le Breton Bedwell.

Passing certificate for the rank of Paymaster, in the name of Frederick Le Breton Bedwell.

Letter of appointment, of Frederick Le Breton Bedwell, to Assistant Paymaster aboard HMAS Acteon.

Certificate of qualification as a clerk in Her Majesty's Navy in the name of Frederick Le Breton Bedwell.

Certificate of appointment on parchment, of Frederick Le Breton Bedwell to Paymaster in Her Majesty's Fleet.

Certificate of appointment on parchment, of Frederick Le Breton Bedwell to Assistant Paymaster in Her Majesty's Fleet.

Draft of testimonial letters by Arthur Rice, Secretary to the Admiralty and on behalf of Admiral Sir Micheal Seymour. Both these letters were written in the same hand, on the same piece of paper. [Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, GCB 1802-1887]

Official testimonial letter, on his promotion to Paymaster, from Arthur Rice, the Secretary of the Admiralty, as seen in Item 29, in a different hand.

Hand-written copy of the Certificate of Examination on the books of HMAS Nassau, in charge of F. Le B Bedwell, approved and signed by Captain Richard Charles Mayne.

List from E. Dickens of the Telegraphic Construction and Maintenance Co. which gives the names of those subscribing to a testimonial presentation.

Letter from J.V. Nares, of the Hydrographic Department, Admiralty, to Mrs J.A.E. May, Jersey with a copy of Fleetmaster Frederick Le Breton Bedwell's service record.

Copy 1, page 1 and 2
Copy 2, page 1 and 2
Copy 3, page 1 only

Small pastel work, thought to be that of Harriet Bedwell, with an inscription on the reverse that reads: might be that of great grandmother?

Hand-written certified copy of a death certificate for Harriet Bedwell, who died 20 April 1855.

Small box containing a red seal, presumably to be that of the Bedwell Family.