On the Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent, is the name of Engineer Lieutenant Frederick Douglas Rowley serving on S.S. Heatherside with the Royal Naval Reserve who died 25/08/1917.
He was the son of Alfred George and Isabella Rowley, of Wolverhampton and the husband of Edith Rowley, of II, North Thorn, Shield Row, West Stanley, Co. Durham.
In Whitley Bay (Hartley South) Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:
Treasured memories
of
Mary Severs Rowley
died Nov. 8th 1931, aged 15 years.
Frederick Douglas Rowley
Drowned at sea by enemy action
Aug. 22nd 1917 aged 34.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Frederick Douglas Rowley, one of 5 known children, was the 2nd born of 3 sons and had 2 younger sisters. His father Alfred George Rowley was born in 1855 at Newcastle upon Tyne, where he was baptised, April 4th at St. Andrew’s Church, he was the son of Francis and Elizabeth Rowley. In 1871, living at 37, Henry Street, with his widowed father, sister Louisa and brother Henry, he worked with his father, a wood turner who employed a labourer and 3 boys. Over the next 10 years he left the north east and moved to Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, where he was married, September 5th 1880, to local girl Elizabeth Catherine Sollom Robinson.
In 1881 Alfred George was employed as a clerk at Smallware Manufactory, living as one of two lodgers in the home of John and Ann Handley, Lichfield Street, Tamworth, his wife Elizabeth and their newborn son Francis were living at 8, Ash Street, Wolverhampton, with her parents, Thomas and Jane (Sollom) Robinson, who had also taken into their home widowed daughter Anne Billings and grandson Thomas Cochrane. Frederick Douglas was born in 1883, Isabella, May 29th 1885, before Alfred George returned with his family to his home city of Newcastle upon Tyne, bringing with them nephew Thomas Cochrane (19) settling at 17, Belay Place, in the parish of Elswick. Alfred George found employment as a clerk, Thomas as a printer. Their son Harold Robinson Rowley was born in 1892 before they moved very briefly to Birmingham where Elizabeth gave birth to Louisa in 1894, however, they had returned to Newcastle upon Tyne where Elizabeth Catherine Sollom Rowley nee Robinson died in 1895, aged 43-years.
What became of the family after her death is unknown in absence of a 1901 census, but unfortunately Alfred George Rowley died, December 30th 1905, registered at Newcastle upon Tyne. After the death of their father and again in the absence of a 1911 entry pertaining to any member of the family it has not been possible to trace their movements.
During WW1 Frederick Douglas served with the Royal Naval Reserve. He was married in 1915, district of Castle Ward, Northumberland, to Edith Severs born 1878 at Annfield Plain, County Durham, who at the time was living with her family at Coton House, Westerhope. Their daughter Mary Sollom Rowley was born during the 3rd quarter (Jul/Aug/Sep) 1916, prior to her birth Frederick had been posted aboard the S.S. Heatherside as Temporary Engineer Lieutenant, January 20th 1916.
The S.S. Heatherside was a steamer built in 1909 by Short Bros. Limited of Sunderland, operating for Charlton Steam Shipping Co. Ltd of Newcastle upon Tyne. On a voyage from Newport via Milford-Haven to Malta with a cargo of coal S.S. Heatherside was torpedoed and sunk by U-93, commanded by pluri-decorated Helmut Gerlach, northwest of Cape Ortegal, Spain, August 25th 1917.
Engineer Lieutenant Frederick Douglas Rowley was one of 27 crew members lost. His sacrifice is recorded on Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent, one of over 18,500 names of Navy personnel of the First and Second World War, commemorating those who were lost or buried at sea where no permanent memorial could be raised. He was 34 years of age.
Edith Rowley nee Severs of 24, Claremont Gardens, Monkseaton, Northumberland, died aged 70 years, August 9th 1948, her death was preceded by that of her daughter Mary Sollom Rowley, in 1931, only 15 years of age, both registered at Newcastle South. Effects in the sum of 2905 pounds 15 shillings 2 pence, September 17th 1948 to boot manufacturer Walter John Tite and Norman Hope railway inspector.
It should be noted that the CWGC have listed Frederick Douglas’s mother as Isabella Rowley, I feel this is a transcription error as (i) the middle name, Robinson, of Frederick’s brother Thomas was his mother’s maiden name, (ii) the middle name, Sollom, of Frederick and Edith’s daughter was one of his mother’s middle names and the maiden name of his grandmother Jane.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Frederick Douglas Rowley is remembered at Whorlton on W53.01 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
