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Thread: BRANDHAM

  1. #1
    Doerr
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    Question BRANDHAM

    Hello everyone

    I'm researching the BRANDHAM family for a friend here in New Zealand. Joseph BRANDHAM was born in Bedfordshire, England, in about 1819. In 1841 he was court-martialled in Montreal and transported to Tasmania for 14 years. Is there any way I can find out what he was court-martialled for, what regiment he belonged to, and anything about him and his family background?
    I have a suspicion that the whole family (father Joseph, mother Elizabeth and other siblings) may have emigrated to Canada in the 1830s - are there any records I can consult on this?

    Any help on this would be gratefully received.

    Regards

    Mary

  2. #2
    Brick wall demolition expert! ChristineR's Avatar
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    Does your friend have his convict records from the Tasmania Archives?
    If not, that would be the next step.
    ChristineR

  3. #3
    Doerr
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    Hi Christine, thanks for your quick reply
    I do have some records - when he arrived, and the ship (the Candahar) and I know what happened to him later. I have the date of the court martial (16 August 1841) and the place, Montreal, but that's all. I think I've found his birth and family in the IGI, but as there's no mention of them in any census or BMD in England after the 1830s, I suspect as I say that they emigrated. The likely regiment for Joseph would be the 14th Bedfordshire/Buckinghamshire Regiment of Foot, which according to a website I found were in Montreal at the time of his court martial. I have a record of at least a couple of other men sentenced on the same day, who also came out on the Candahar, but whether they got up to some misdemeanour together I've no idea.

    Are there any databases in Canada that would have details of courts martial?

    Regards, Mary

  4. #4
    greann
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    Hi Mary,
    In 1837 revolts against the British Government took place in Upper and Lower Canada.
    William Lyon Mackenzie led those in Upper Canada (now the Province of Ontario), While Louis-Joseph Papeneau led those in Lower Canada (now the Province of Quebec).
    Both men were defeated and fled to the U.S.A. Upon their return to Canada many of their followers were either hung or deported to Australia.

    It's likely one of the followers was your friend's relative.
    Ann

  5. #5
    greann
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    Hi Mary,
    In answer to your second question regarding what regiment he was in............. I would assume that he deserted his own regiment to support the revolt against the British Government.
    Ann

  6. #6
    Doerr
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    Hi Greann

    That's interesting!
    It did seem a heavy punishment for any of the usual misdemeanours that soldiers seem to have been regularly flogged for!
    I had been told about the Papeneau rebellion, but didn't realise that British people were involved as well as French. Is there a website that mentions those English who took part in it? I did find a verbatim report of the trial of some French leaders, but not of English rebels. I'd very much like to present my friend with proof of his ancestor's activities in Canada - it would be good to know that he wasn't just the usual convict, even if he was on the losing side.....
    Thank you!

    Mary

  7. #7
    BeeJay
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    Hi Mary:

    If it turns out that Joseph was transported for his involvement in the rebellion there's an excellent book by Jack Cahill called Forgotten Patriots: Canadian Rebels on Australia’s Convict Shores.

  8. #8
    Mary Anne
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    Mary

    Here's another book about the folks who were transported... https://www.1837rebellion.net/moreaboutthebook.html
    "To The Outskirts Of Habitable Creation: Americans and Canadians Transported To Tasmania In The 1840s" By Stuart D. Scott and Illustrated by Seth Colby

    It's always interesting to hear of people's ancestors and their doings when it causes us to re-read history! I knew that Mackenzie and Papineau had gone to the US but had no idea that some of their supporters had been transported!!!!!

    FYI there are a couple of what seem to be well-researched WIKI articles on these Rebellions of 1837 - the Upper Canada Rebellion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Canada_Rebellion and the Lower Canada Rebellion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Canada_Rebellion and they have quite a few references.

    You may also wish to troll for archival records, as well as more books, at the Library and Archives Canada site. www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. I searched all resources for "Rebellions of 1837" and got a number of hits in both the Library and the Archives holdings.

    In the Archives, there are 47 items listed, including depositions, lists of soldiers who were involved in suppressing the rebellion, etc. There may even be reports of the court proceedings, so worth a look -- https://search-recherche.collectionsc...llions+of+1837.

    One of the items in the archives is even a listing of officers who were dismissed from the miltia for disloyalty... https://mikan3.archives.ca/pam/public...1,163605,98252 (It's on microflim reel T-6945)


    Mary Anne

  9. #9
    Doerr
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    Thankyou, BeeJay and Mary Ann!

    I'll follow up what I can on the internet, and then if necessary I'll ask my sister-in-law in Montreal if she can chase up information for me.

    You never know when you start on a search where it's going to lead - I now know lots more about Canadian history - and so will my friend when I get back to him!

    Regards, Mary

  10. #10
    Loves to help with queries
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    Default Brandham in Tasmania

    Hello,
    Are you still looking for information on Joseph Brandham?. Three convict records - https://search.archives.tas.gov.au/Im...31,227,91,C,80 image 91 of 227

    https://search.archives.tas.gov.au/Im...23,258,40,C,80 image 40 of 258

    https://search.archives.tas.gov.au/Im...4,301,114,C,80 image 14 and 15 of 301

    He is a native of Layton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, tried in Montreal, looks like the 56th regiment. Family is mother Sarah, sister Sarah Mary Ann or is it Sarah and Mary Ann, brother John and "W". Father could be Benjamin, a brother also of the same name. Cheers Bess

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