CAPTAIN DAVID CHARLES DANIELS
David was born in 1840 at Swansea and went to live permanently at Gloucester House Borth after marrying Agnes Rees 1856-1916, daughter of Captain David Rees.
At sixteen years of age David was an ordinary seaman and served in that capacity on the Dido, Mary Moncaster, Lucy, The Lord of the Isles, Angelsey and the Limena. As an able seaman he voyaged on the Conqueror, English Rose and the Maid of the Isles. In 1863 he was awarded his mates certificate at Bristol...quite a mercurial rise in rank.
ANGELSEY LORD OF THE ISLES
David was first mate at twenty three years of age on the brigantines Messenger and the Jupiter, the barques Antonio Vinent and the Lady of the Lake and the sloops Latona, Muscat Merchant and the Countess of Elgin. The latter two vessels had Calcutta as their port of registration. From 1868 David was master of the Calcutta registered barque Lady Rawleston. From there he commanded the Singapore registered steamships the Johore, Night Glass, Mohr, Khiva and Tengoy.
Even though he commanded these vessels he only gained his masters certificate in the U.K. at Liverpool some ten years later in 1878. This often happened as despite being the successful master for a decade of foreign registered vessels it counted for nothing as far as the British authorities were concerned. David stated on his master mariners application that he had superintended his own steamers namely Berth, Surprise, Enterprise and the Louisa from 1874-77. Does one assume they were also foreign registered vessels? This is further referenced on his marriage certificate of 1878 when he gives his occupation as “Commander in the Mercantile Marine”. Three months after passing as master in the U.K. he married Agnes Rees at Aberystwyth in December 1878
With all his experience David managed to push past these barriers gaining his extra masters certificate at London in 1879, proving he was an extremely competent master mariner. In 1880 he took over the captaincy of the Drusus after his father-in-law David Rees died. As is noted in Captain David Rees' profile his widow and two other female shareholders owned her for the two years that Captain Daniels ran her; after which the Drusus ceased to be locally owned.
DRUSUS
David appears as master of the steamer Tamar in 1886. It was on this vessel that his wife Agnes gave birth to Agnes Tamar Daniels off the coast of Brazil after leaving Rosario in Argentina for the voyage home. David and Agnes had three daughters, two of whom tragically died in childhood. The eldest Mabel Eugenie Elizabeth b.1879 at Borth went to live and work in Huddersfield Yorkshire as a school nurse. Mabel died there in 1963. The second child Esther Maud, was born in Borth in 1882 but died at two years of age. The youngest, Agnes Tamar born at sea in 1886, died three years later at home in Borth.
Captain David Daniels' widow Agnes, went to live with her surviving daughter Mabel at Huddersfield some time around 1908. Agnes remained there until her death in 1916. Her body was returned home and interred at St Michaels Church Llandre. It is presumed that Captain Daniels had died at sea around 1889 as there are no burial records for him.
This segment is indebted to researcher John Ellis of Aberarth.