Moses White (1846-1918)

On my first visit to Cathays Cemetery in 2019 shortly after moving to Cardiff I came across this splendid headstone with a nautical theme situated in Section J.

What struck me was the unfortunate loss by drowning of twin brothers, albeit separated by about 15 years. The monument also commemorates another son and their father Moses White, who was a pilot for Cardiff and Barry docks.

Moses White was born in Cardiff in 1846. In the 1861 census he was a seaman aboard the Gloucester based boat Lady of the Forest on the River Severn. Moses married Catherine Williams from Bangor, North Wales in 1869 at St Mary's with whom he had 2 sons and 1 daughter. In the census of 1871 Moses was still a mariner, Catherine was expecting their first son and they were living in George Street. In May 1878 Moses obtained his license to act as a Pilot for Cardiff Docks. By 1881 they are living in Louisa Street and Moses is now listed as a Pilot in the census, which remained his occupation for the rest of his eventful life. Catherine died in January 1889 at the home of her eldest son Moses John very nearby in Kent Street. Very soon after (within a month or so) Moses married Emma Kirby Williams who was the sister of his first wife and with whom he had 4 more sons and 1 more daughter. In 1891 the family lived in Ferry Road and the eldest son (Moses John) was an apprentice pilot. By the 1901 census Moses and Emma were living in 29 Clive Street, where they remained for the rest of his life. Sometime after 1921 Emma moved to 19 Fairoak Road, Roath where she was residing when she died in 1933.

The twin boys Charlie and Bennie were born in November 1893. The Evening Express of 20 August 1901 reports the inquest into what happened to Bennie. His father (described as a well-known pilot) gave evidence to say the boy had gone out to play after tea the previous Thursday and had not returned. His disappearance was reported to police but, despite searches, it was not until Saturday morning that his body was found in the River Taff above Clarence Bridge. He had last been seen throwing stones into the river. The jury's verdict was "Accidentally drowned".

Charlie's death by drowning was also well covered in gripping, detailed newspaper reports of May 1914, as it was part of a tragic accident off Nash in the Severn Estuary. Charlie was an apprentice pilot on the steam pilot cutter W.W. Jones which collided with the steamship Star of New Zealand. The Master, 2 apprentices and 2 other hands were drowned. Sixteen men clung onto the anchor chains of the Star of New Zealand in the three minutes the two ships were locked together. But when the cutter sank its mast and funnel swept three of the men, including Charlie, into the sea. The papers remarked that Charlie's twin brother had previously drowned. The W.W. Jones had recently been run down and sunk off Penarth but raised and repaired.

Moses White had an eventful life with several appearances in court, usually for verbal or physical altercations. He also appeared in newspapers when his ship returned to port severely damaged in a storm, he was pilot when the ship he was in charge of ran aground off Breaksea Point and was lost, and he was the subject of an investigation by Lloyds into whether his eyesight was good enough to retain his licence. It was found to be satisfactory and he remained a pilot until his death at the age of 71 on 9 January 1918. He collapsed at the junction of Penarth Road and Clare Road of cardiac arrest aggravated by bronchitis brought on by cold weather. His estate was valued at £2,148, equivalent to about £145,000 in 2022.

Within three weeks his eldest son Moses John White died at sea from a tumour. The Cathays monument states that another son Albie (Albert William) died as a result of active service , although he died in Cardiff in February 1924. His Army war record states he was discharged from the Army in 1915 in order to join the trawler service. He was invalided out of the RNR in January 1917 with tuberculosis, which was deemed to have been brought on by his service in MJ Good Luck. He received some disability payments until November 1923.

SOURCE: Research & photo by Martyn Swain