Seeking info on William Stanley

[Di_Stanley]

I have hit a brickwall with William Stanley, b1820 England, father was with music staff (organist) at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle. William received his early music tuition there and apparently joined the army in 1832 (Age 12?) and came to Australia in 1837. I cannot find his parents names or his birth confirmation or even how he came to settle in Sydney. He never mentioned his parents in any documentation in Australia. I would appreciate any information or guidance to even find how he came to Austrlia.

Kind Regards
Di Stanley

[Lenore]

I have hit a brickwall with William Stanley, b1820 England, father was with music staff (organist) at St Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle. William (snip) apparently joined the army in 1832 (Age 12?) and came to Australia in 1837. (snip) I would appreciate any information or guidance to even find how he came to Austrlia.
Di Stanley

Hello Di,
Could he have arrived with the army? Have you looked at The British Army in Australia 1788-1870 [microform] : index of personnel / James Hugh Donohoe. You should find it in a good library or genealogical library (if you are in Australia - you haven't said what part of the globe you are on, so it's a bit hard to guide you not knowing what you have access to.)

There's also a book which accounts for what units came to Australia when, but I'll have to have a think about it to work out the title. I may have it in a bibliography, so I'll go and have a look.

What are your sources for the information you gave?

Best wishes,

Lenore

[Lenore]

Hello Di,

I reckon the book I was thinking of is:
'The remote garrison: the British Army in Australia, 1788-1870' by Peter Stanley.

That won't give you the names of private soldiers, but it will tell you what regiments were here. I had a rummage on my own bookshelf and found that I have a copy of 'The Army in Australia, 1840-50' by (Brig) Maurice Austin.

In an appendix it has a series of monthly returns from WO 17/2323 R917. The earliest given is January 1839, and the Regiments present in Australia were 21, 28, 50, 51, 80, 4. I'd be guessing that amongst those would be a regiment that arrived in 1837.

There is also an appendix on arrivals and departures during the 1840s, and if these are a guide to what happened in the 1830s, it looks to me like the main way in which the British Army arrived was as guards on convict ships, so they came out in dribs and drabs rather than as a large group from one regiment - though that did happen.

Best wishes,

Lenore

[Anne W]

Hello Di,
According to the Australia's Red Coat Settlers web-site, there is a William Stanley listed as being in the 1st/80th Staffordshire Volunteers Regiment. The 1st/80th served 1836-1844 in Australia. All ex soldiers who wished to stay in the colony on their discharge were offered a land grant,80 acres for a single man, 100 if he was married
A quick search of the NSW State Records site shows a William Stanley on the Colonial Secretary's Report re land in 1850 ( item 2/7975 Reel 1184). This could be your guy.
Hope this helps
Anne

[Di_Stanley]

Thank you very much for that. I will have a look and see if there is any connection. It is amazing what can be "dug up" when there are others looking from a different perspective.

Kind regards
Diane Stanley