Daniel Ridgeway – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Victory

Deck Hand Daniel Ridgeway – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Victory

Early Life and Family Background

Daniel Ridgeway was born in 1900 in Swansea, the son of Arthur Robert Ridgeway and Elizabeth Ann Messer, who married in 1879 in Swansea.

1901 Census

In the 1901 Census, the Ridgeway family were living at 11 Hoo Street, St. Thomas, Swansea. Arthur R., aged 44, was employed as a Copper Furnaceman, and his wife Grace, aged 39, kept the home. Their children were William G. (20), a Copper Mill Labourer; Charles (19), unemployed; Mary (18); Elizabeth (15); Robert J. (13); David A. (8); Albert (4); and Daniel (1).

1911 Census

By 1911, the family were still residing at 11 Hoo Street. Arthur, now 54, was working as a Labourer at the English Crown Spelter Works, and Grace, aged 48, continued to manage the household. The children still at home were Charles (29), a Labourer at the Prince of Wales Dock; Robert (22), a Gas Stoker at the English Crown Spelter Works; David (17), also a Labourer at the English Crown Spelter Works; Albert (14), a Mill Boy at the Steel Works; and Daniel (11), who was attending school.

Service with the Royal Naval Reserve

Daniel later enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve, where he served as a Deck Hand aboard H.M.S. Victory. His duties would have included general seamanship tasks, maintenance, and supporting the daily operations of the naval establishment to which he was attached.

H.M.S. Victory During the First World War

Although famous as Nelson’s flagship at Trafalgar, H.M.S. Victory remained a commissioned Royal Navy vessel throughout the First World War. By this time she no longer served at sea but functioned as a shore establishment at Portsmouth, acting as a training depot, administrative centre, and parent ship for thousands of sailors. Men undergoing training, awaiting posting, or attached to depot duties were officially listed as serving on Victory, even if they were not physically aboard the historic ship. She was responsible for personnel management, pay, records, and training, and served as the administrative home for many Royal Naval Reserve ratings like Daniel Ridgeway. The ship herself remained moored in Portsmouth Harbour, used partly for training and as a symbol of the Royal Navy’s heritage.

Death and Commemoration

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Daniel Ridgeway
Danygraig Cemetery, St. Thomas, Swansea
credit - findagrave

According to the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, Daniel died from disease on 18^th September 1918 while serving with the Royal Naval Reserve. He is buried at Danygraig Cemetery, St. Thomas, Swansea, where his name is preserved among those who served during the First World War