Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Soldier in 1842

  1. #1
    busyglen
    Guest

    Question Soldier in 1842

    I wasn't sure where to post this as there doesn't appear to be a specific place for `Soldiers'.

    I am SO stuck with this problem and hope that someone can give me a pointer in the right direction. I've tried this on the Bucks forum without any success, so thought I'd approach it from another side.

    My gt.gt.grandfather John Jarvis born 1823 (I don't know where) married Emma Jarvis on 22.8.1842 in Buckingham, Bucks. He was aged 19 and his occupation was shown as a Soldier. Emma was born in Bucks. but I can find no trace of John.

    Firstly, does anyone have access to the 1841 Census for the Buckingham area please?

    Secondly, if John was born in Bucks. what regiment would he have likely been in? Neither he or Emma are anywhere to be found in Bucks. on the 1851 Census with their child Alfred Strong Jarvis. I don't think that he was a soldier for long. Alfred wasn't born until 1846 so possibly he was away for 3/4 years, and then came out of the Army as the occupation listed on Alfred's wedding cert. showed John as Deceased and a Labourer.

    As John's father was shown as Green on his marriage cert. and not Jarvis, I am really stuck. I think they must have died between 1846 and 1851 as there is no sign of them at all.

    I am patiently awaiting the 1851 Census for Westminster where Alfred Strong said he was born (actually it was Bucks.) as I think he was taken in by family.

    Is there any way that I can attack this from the Soldier angle, bearing in mind that I haven't a clue which regiment he would have been in? I should be so grateful for any pointers.

    Glenys
    Last edited by busyglen; 12-06-2005 at 7:21 PM. Reason: bad grammar!

  2. #2
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by busyglen
    My gt.gt.grandfather John Jarvis born 1823 (I don't know where) married Emma Jarvis on 22.8.1842 in Buckingham, Bucks. He was aged 19 and his occupation was shown as a Soldier......if John was born in Bucks. what regiment would he have likely been in? Neither he or Emma are anywhere to be found in Bucks. on the 1851 Census with their child Alfred Strong Jarvis. I don't think that he was a soldier for long. Alfred wasn't born until 1846 so possibly he was away for 3/4 years, and then came out of the Army as the occupation listed on Alfred's wedding cert. showed John as Deceased and a Labourer.
    Part 1 of 2....

    There are several problems here - was he regular army, or militia? Did he serve a short time in the army or was he a pensioner? Where did he come from?

    If he was in the regular army, prior to 1872 you do need to know the regiment to stand a chance of finding his servcie record. Do you have the birth certificate for Alfred Strong JARVIS? If his dad was in thr army it should mention a regiment. Also, you might look for a baptism of Alfred, as the register will often mention a regiment. If he was regular army, he may well have been born outside of Bucks.

    continued.....

  3. #3
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default

    part 2 of 2....

    If he was militia - quite a few attestation papers have been indexed and are sold on CD-rom/fiches. This would help to locate his papers (at The National Archives - TNA), which show a place and date of birth.

    If you cannot find a birth certificate for Alfred, try the Index to Regimental Registers of Birth (1761-1924), and the index to Army Chaplains' Returns of Births (1796-1880) as you may find a certificate there. You may be able to search these on 1837 online (a pay-per-view site), but they are available at the FRC in London and some Local Studies' Libraries/County Records offices.

    If you can narrow down the period in which he left the army (don't forget he may have enlisted at 16 and retired before he was 40) then he may appear in the Pension Records held at TNA.

    Sorry, I can't help with the census look-up

    Geoffers
    Charlbury, Oxfordshire
    Last edited by Guest; 12-10-2007 at 12:08 PM.

  4. #4
    busyglen
    Guest

    Thumbs up Soldier in 1842

    Thank you Geoffers for taking the time out of your `busy' life to reply.

    First off, apologies for an error...Emma was Emma Robbins not Jarvis...not that makes any difference to John at this moment.

    Secondly, because I've pulled this file out every six months or so for the past four and a half years....I've forgotten an important entry that your reply made me check. That is....John was `out' of the Army when Alfred was born in 1846. The employment of father was shown as `Labourer' on Alfred's birth cert. So ....he was a Soldier in 1842 when he married, aged 19 but the marriage cert. doesn't show what regiment. By the time Alfred was born in 1846, he was a Labourer!

    I did wonder if he was away for perhaps 3 years and was injured and came out of the Army because of that. Or....decided to leave for whatever reason. Would he have been allowed to serve just 5 or 6 years at that time?
    Also, if he served such a short time, what sort of records would he appear in?
    Without the regiment...or a pension...I can't see where else to go.

    I really think I have no hope of ever solving this.....I don't know where he was born....what his real name was as father named as GREEN on the marriage cert, although he went by JARVIS which is the family name down from Alfred. Could possibly have been a mistake, as there were some Green JARVIS's around. Or, he could have been illegitimate.

    My only hope is to see whom Alfred Strong Jarvis was living with in Westminster in 1851....so will have to be patient for a while longer.

    Thanks again Geoffers, at least you've made me consider the `evidence' again and given me food for thought. When you look at something over and over again, it's very easy to pass things over without realising.

    Glenys

  5. #5
    Geoffers
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by busyglen
    John was `out' of the Army when Alfred was born in 1846. The employment of father was shown as `Labourer' on Alfred's birth cert. So ....he was a Soldier in 1842 when he married, aged 19 but the marriage cert. doesn't show what regiment. By the time Alfred was born in 1846, he was a Labourer!
    Okay, he could have been just in the militia, still worth trying the attestation papers; he may have been a casualty in which case he should appear in the returns at TNA (index in WO25/2411-2755 refers to the returns in WO25/1359-2410). He may have received a disability pension - look in WO118 at TNA.

    I may have missed it elsewhere, but does he appear in census returns?

    Quote Originally Posted by busyglen
    I really think I have no hope of ever solving this
    I wouldn't give up yet, still a few things you can try - census returns, parish registers, workhouse records, etc, etc.

    Quote Originally Posted by busyglen
    what his real name was as father named as GREEN on the marriage cert, although he went by JARVIS which is the family name down from Alfred.
    On the face of it, this suggests illegitimacy as being possible/probable.

    Geoffers

  6. #6
    busyglen
    Guest

    Default

    Thanks Geoffers.

    So far I haven't located John on any Census, (or Emma, apart from the 1841). I've scoured the 1851 in Bucks. and am now patiently awaiting the 1851 for Westminster in case he did move there with Alfred. He was deceased when Alfred married in 1864, so I still suspect that he died prior to 1851.

    Yes, I also think that he was probably illegitimate, and possibly took his mother's name of Jarvis. Not that I can find her either as I don't know her name. Would an illegitimate child have been baptised?

    Thanks for those references, I will certainly check them out....at least you have given me other areas to check, which is a help. Also, I hadn't thought about the Militia. I had been wondering if he was in the Oxford & Bucks. Light Infantry, 43rd Infantry of the Line, but it's quite possible that he was in the Militia.

    I appreciate your help and ideas, and will have another `bash'.

    Glenys

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Select a file: