Thomas George Newman (1840-1933) was the fourth and youngest son of Samuel Hugh Newman and Elizabeth Myres Potter. As a grandson of Joseph Potter, doubtless he had been told many tales by his grandfather. Bored with school, from which he frequently truanted, and unhappy with living with an aunt who seemed to favour her dogs more than him, he began to think of running away to sea. Twice he set off for Chatham Dockyard but at that time was not tall enough to serve, so was brought back until, finally, having grown to 5 foot 6 inches tall, he was accepted on HMS Waterloo as a Boy 2 Class on 9 August 1857 for ten year’s service.
When he eventually returned to the land, he remained the epitome of a hearty old sea-dog. When from time to time he ‘blew-in’, much to the delight of his great-nephews and nieces, it was with the words, “I’ve come to see the dead-uns and the live-uns!” His preferred drink was a “dog’s nose”, beer with a rum chaser. Later in life, when offered a "Gin and It" by one of his grandchildren, he observed that he hadn’t tasted one since he was in the West Indies ! He taught his daughters smocking and sewing; whilst his grand children delighted in learning how to tie many knots: the Turk’s Head, Sheepshank and the Reef; knowledge which proved especially useful to his grandson, Leonard Townsend, when he later joined the Royal Signals. Yet when told that his granddaughter was courting a sailor, he remarked, “Poor bitch, I pity her.”
The photograph shows Tom (right) during his time on HMS Achilles, showing him standing next to another sailor, both sporting the first standardised naval uniform for ratings, which had only been introduced in 1857.
