Gould Arthur Lucas

Gould Arthur Lucas, Irish soldier and survivor of HMS Birkenhead, fl. 1830's- May 19, 1914

His father was the Right Hon. Edward Lucas of Castle Shane Co. Monaghan Ireland.

A son of the Right Honourable Edward Lucas of Castle Shane, County Monaghan, Ireland, Lucas was an Ensign at time of the sinking of HMS Birkenhead.

Ensign Lucas and Lieutenant Girardot, were on watch together the night of the wreck. Both heard the night orders given to the naval officer of the watch; Lucas was afterwards always under the impression that a small grass fire high on the shore at Danger Point misled this officer into thinking it was the lighthouse at Cape Agulha.

Lucas retired as a Captain in 1859 and served as a magistrate in Durban. Before he retired to England in 1897, he also served as Chief Magistrate at Durban. He was still alive in 1902 at the fiftieth anniversary of the wreck, living at Mitton Manor Penkridge Staffordshire. He died in 1914.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilton_College_(South_Africa)

Hilton College was founded in 1872 by Gould Arthur Lucas and Reverend William Orde Newnham as a non-denominational Christian boys school. ...
...The first of the founders, Gould Arthur Lucas, left for South Africa in 1851 as a lieutenant of the 73rd Foot Regiment of The British army. He had been one of three surviving officers during the sinking of the HMS Birkenhead, in 1852. Following this he was reposted as a district adjutant in Pietermaritzburg. It was here in 1855 that he met the Rev. William Orde Newnham, who had arrived in Natal at the request of Bishop John Colenso to become master of the new Pietermaritzburg Grammar School.

From his service record- 73rd Foot Soldiers

• Birth date - 14th March 1831 Dublin
• Age on first entrance into the Army - 19 years 4 months
• Rank Ensign 12 July 1850 - by purchase
• Rank Lieut. 12 October 1852 - without Purchase
• Captain 28 Aug 1857 - by purchase
• Service abroad 7th Jan 1852 - Cape of Good Hope

Marriages Sep 1897

• LUCAS Gould Arthur Kensington 1a 235
• Willis Emily Kensington 1a 235

1901 Census

Penkridge, Staffordshire - Milton Manor

• Gould A Lucas 65, married "living on own means" born Ireland
• Emily Lucas wife 45 born Kentish Town, London

1911 Census

Ndhlu- Mholpe, Llangian, Carnarvonshire, Wales

• Gould Arthur Lucas 70 -Private means, born Dublin, Ireland
• Emily Lucas, wife 50 married 14 years no children living or dead. born London.
• emily Alice Gorndpon Bromen - niece 12 (born 1899) born Natal South Africa.

Deaths Jun 1914

Lucas Gould A 81 Pwllheli 11b 515

References and Sources

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gould_Arthur_Lucas
• http://web.archive.org/web/20121011231914/http://www.btinternet.com...
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gould_Arthur_Lucas