Taken from he Pembrokeshire Herald and General Advertiser,
dated 16th December 1853.
“The Death at Calcutta, of liver complaint, aged 27, Mr
Joseph Gronnow, of H.C.S.F. Moozuffer, and late of St. David’s Parish, deeply
regretted.
Joseph is possibly the son of Joseph & Martha Gronow of Cylch Mawr, St. Davids. Pembrokeshire.
A bit of background information about the “Moozuffer” can be
found from an Auction lot in Christies, London dated 18-19
th June
1996 Lot 5641.
(29 July) 1852 Second Burmese War letter headed "From Bombr B. Rodgers...On
Board the H.C.S.F. Moozuffer", addressed to Sussex and countersigned by
the Commanding Officer and showing transit marks including handstruck
"2". Rather stained and reinforced internally, interesting contents
include.
"Immediately I
reached Bombay from Calcutta, I was sent on Board the Company's Steam Frigate
'Moozuffer', fitting out for the Burmese Empire or the Rangoon War. The fleet
left Bombay on 24th February, sailed to Madras, and joining some more shipping
continued sailing to Rangoon, which we reached on the 11th April, which was
Easter Sunday. As we passed by at the hour of half past nine, the ship I belong
to opened fire with her first pivot Sixty-Eight pound gun, and was continued by
the Fleet. We fired for better than 2 hours and a half when the word
"Cease Fire" was given. There was afterwards a steady firing kept up
from the guns of each ship till the next morning, when the troops landed and
stormed the fortifications. It lasted then three days, four days from the time
we first commenced. There were several small places taken afterwards till we
proceeded to a place called Bassein, where we sailed in about three, and the
Action commenced, soldiers on one side and sailors on the other. They took the
place about eight. There are but two places more to take, Prome and Ava, the
principle places."
In Remembrance:
Peacefully on April 10 2013 at the Princess of Wales Hospital, Gronow of Austin Avenue, Porthcawl; beloved husband of Phyllis, beloved uncle to Beverly, Helen and Maureen. Sadly missed by all his family and friends. Resting at David Wilde Chapel of Rest, Mawdlam, North Cornelly until the funeral on Thursday April 18, service at Gilgal Baptist Church, Porthcawl at 10am followed by service and cremation at Coychurch Crematorium at 11am.
"Some excitement was caused in the town on Saturday last by a
marriage somewhat out of the ordinary rut. The bride, Mary Gronnow, of Quarrel, Brynberian, was only eighty-four,
and rather dressy for her age, while the foud bride- groom was some
twenty-eight years her junior, and the trials, troubles and other amusements of
this mundane existence had passed him lightly by. The bride appeared at the
Registrar's Office, where the imposing ceremony was performed, in ancient Welsh
costume, including a spotted handkerchief round her head, and clogs on her
feet; but, in honor of the occasion, she went direct from the office to the
tradesmen, and was rigged out in a fashionable hat, a gaudy-coloured shawl, and
a pair of little high-heeled boots. Arrayed in her new habiliments she
presented quiite a frisky appearance, and she would doubtless look well in the
dusk with the light behind her. I do not know how many times previously the
bride had gone through a similar ceremony, but under the most favorable
circumstances she cannot expect to repeat it more than half-a-dozen times at
the outside, and it would therefore be unkind to blame her for investing in a
bit of finery to celebrate the event. But little interest seemed to centre in
the bridegroom, poor man and the general opinion was that he was wise in
marrying someone old enough to take care of him; but, like most young fellows
of fifty-six who marry women old enough to be their mothers, he will have to
play second fiddle I am afraid.."
A bit of background information about the “Moozuffer” can be
found from an Auction lot in Christies, London dated 18-19th June
1996 Lot 5641.
