HMS Agincourt

Walter Ivinson, one of 8 children, of whom only 7 survived, was the 3rd born of 6 brother and had 1 elder sister. His father Joseph Ivinson had a very hard upbringing. Born at Scaleby, Cumberland, in circa 1868, at the age of 3-years he was living with his grandparents Walter Palmer, blacksmith, and his wife Jane, near Burn Hill, Cumberland, however, by the age of 13 he was employed as an errand boy and an inmate at Tower Street Boys Refuge, home for destitute boys in the district of All Saints, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland. In his early 20’s he was employed as a cartman and married in 1890 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Margaret King, born at Newcastle in 1872. They settled at 10, Barrack Square, near Gallowgate, Newcastle, their daughter Frances Mary was born in 1891 and over the next ten years his wife gave birth to a further 4 children, John Joseph in 1892, William 1895, Walter, November 16th 1896 and James in 1899. By 1901 they had moved to 44, Diana Street, Joseph supported his family working as a gas stoker. Their son Alexander was born in 1903, Thomas in 1907, in the census of 1911, they and their 7 children were living in 3 rooms at 4, Priestman’s Cottage, Benwell, Newcastle, Joseph was still employed at the gas works, John Joseph (18) as a putter at the colliery, William (16) and Walter (14) as drivers, James (12) and Alexander (8) were scholars, Thomas (4) remained at home with this mother and sister Frances (20). Margaret Ivinson nee King died in 1912 aged 40 years.

In 1914 the Ivinson family were living at 15, Agnes Maria Street, Coxlodge, near Gosforth, a suburb of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. His brothers John Joseph and William enlisted at Gosforth, February 23rd 1914 assigned as Private 1943 and 1942 respectively to the 5th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, a Territorial force, part of the Northumberland Brigade, Northumbrian Division, stationed at Gosforth Park by October 13th 1914. Walter left his employment as a coal miner July 10th 1915, aged 19-years, in the hope of serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers, however, he was assigned to the Royal Naval Division as Able Seaman Tyneside Z/5952, October 11th 1915, and posted to Victory I Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the following days. Victory 1 was not a ship but a land base and holding barracks at Portsmouth. Two days later he was assigned to HMS Agincourt, serving from October 14th 1915 until 22nd May 1916.

The Agincourt was a dreadnaught class battleship under construction as of 1911, she had been commissioned by Brazil from Elswick ship builders Armstrong Whitworth, on the River Tyne, at Newcastle, to be known as the Rio de Janeiro. After a slump in the price of rubber she was then to be sold to the Ottoman Empire as the Sultan Osman 1, however, upon the outbreak of war, as the ship was almost complete, she and another Ottoman dreadnaught were seized by the British government. Both ships were already paid for, this so angered the Ottoman government it took the decision to join the Central Powers (Germany-Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria-Ottoman Empire).

The Agincourt served mainly during WW1 on patrol and exercise until her participation at the Battle of Jutland, May 31st-June 1st 1916, by which time Able Seaman Ivinson had been posted ashore to Victory and trained as a Gunner between May 23rd to July 27th, taking up his position of Gunner as of July 28th 1916 until October 6th 1917. He ended his career at Pembroke 1, naval barracks at Chatham, Kent, where he was invalided out of the R.N.V.D. due to disease, December 27th 1917. Awards; British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Walter was married in 1919, Castle Ward, Northumberland, to Isabella Selina Robson, born 1899 in the village of Farlam, near Brampton, Cumberland, the daughter of coal miner Robert Robson, who having been widowed in 1889 had transferred to the north east, with his children. He married her mother, Isabella Waugh in the district of Haltwhistle, Northumberland in 1892. Isabella Selina had 2 brothers born in Northumberland before her parents briefly returned to Cumberland then came back to Northumberland and in 1911 were living at Callerton.

In 1931 Walter and Isabella, affectionately known as Belle, were living at 29, Marsden Street, Armstrong Ward, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Isabella Selina Ivinson nee Robson died during the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 1950 aged 50 years, as did Walter’s 82 year old father Joseph Ivinson. Walter Ivinson in 1959 was living alone at Ida Street, Benwell, he died in 1963 aged 66 years, registered at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.