Francis John Thomas Walsh

WALSH, Francis John Thomas (1831-1916) — London & Southampton

Map engraver and photographer.

Born 20 Aug 1831 and baptised at St. Mark the Evangelist, Clerkenwell, 18 Sep 1831, the son of Thomas Walsh below and his wife Rhoda. He was recorded as an apprentice engraver in 1851, as was his younger brother Arthur Walsh — both presumably being trained by their father. Walsh was specifically recorded as a geographical engraver at the time of his marriage to Elizabeth Martha Reeve (1833-1896) at St. Pancras on 13 Jul 1856 and as a map and chart engraver on the 1861 Census, at which time he was living in Marylebone with his wife and two young children. He became an engraver for the Ordnance Survey in Oct 1862 and was earning 6s 6d a day as an outline and lettering engraver in 1863. He was evidently working in India in 1869 — a son was buried in Calcutta 27 Jun 1869. He re-joined the Survey 10 Apr 1874. He was discharged 8 Oct 1896 and was subsequently involved in a family dispute — “At Hythe Police-station yesterday (Thursday), Francis John Thomas Walsh, no occupation, of Dibden, was charged with shooting his son-in-law, Frederick Plascott, of Hilltop, Beaulieu. On Wednesday morning Plascott went to remove some faggots from Walsh’s premises, when the latter defied him and, it is alleged, deliberately shot at him three times with a six-chambered revolver, wounding him in the side, but, fortunately, not seriously. The prisoner was arrested by Sergeant Pope, and is remanded till Monday. Walsh, it is stated, never approved of his daughter’s marriage” (Western Gazette, 9 Nov 1900). Walsh claimed to have been acting in self-defence, but was charged with intent to do grievous bodily harm. He was released on bail and acquitted at the subsequent trial. A few months later his daughter left her husband and he was summoned on a charge of persistent cruelty. Walsh died in retirement 21 Jun 1916 and was buried at the Old Cemetery, Southampton, his personal effects stated at £323.0s.6d. His son of the same name, Francis John Thomas Walsh (1875-1958), was also an engraver for the Ordnance Survey.

4 Walford Street, St. Pancras — 1851-1856
Bemerton Street, St. Pancras — 1857
126 Great College Street — 1860
37 College Place, Marylebone — 1861
3 Charlton Terrace, Bevois Town, Southampton — 1878
63 Bride Street, Islington — 1881
23 Milton Road, Southampton — 1889-1895
Elizabeth House, Buttsash Lane, Dibden, Hampshire — 1900-1916

BNA. Census 1851-1861, 1881-1911. OSP.