Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request James Dennis, 1793/1863

I was doing some family research at Landican, where they reinterned those they moved from St Mary's Birkenhead when the dry dock was built. Though no relation of mine, I was wondering what the story was regarding James Dennis.
In 1851 he lived in Chapel St and is described as a mariner,
In 1861 he lived in Albion St and is a Engine Driver, Steam Tug.

Grateful for any info or input regarding his life saving exploits.

From what I can remember, the 27 people he saved was over the time he spent working on the ferries, not all at one single occasion. I cant find where I read it, I`m still looking. If I find it I`ll let you know. Cheers

Thanks for the link Oxton.

I hope you find what you read Zip, should be interesting.

How many do you have to save to get a gold?

I think it's fifty. Problem was that his mate who was pushing the victims in for James to rescue was spotted and arrested.

Can't really add much at present, but the version of the 1861 Census I looked at lists him at 35A Chapel Street and gives his occupation still as mariner, not as engineer on a tug. The only newspaper reference I've so far found has a James Dennis as master of the Woodside steamer Kingfisher in 1838. If this is the same man and he was one of the Woodside Ferry captains, the number of people mentioned may simply be ones his ferry came to the aid of, rather than ones he dived in and saved personally. According to the St Mary's Registers he was buried on the 8th of February 1863.

Thanks for the info Marty,

The only 2 hits I get on Ancestry are what I put up, I can't find him at Chapel st in 1861. No matter though, more interested in his life saving.

Sorry Bert, my mistake, I meant Albion Street. Confusingly there's another James Dennis living at 33A Albion Street in 1861 who was an engineer on steam tugs, but he was only 38 and was born in Seacombe.