Looking for first wife of John Power Clarke

[jennifer 150]

My 2 X Gtgrandfather was John Power Clarke b 1810 Paris France only because his father was a Trumpeter with the 7th Hussars so presume they were in Paris for some war. His name was John Power Clarke as well and it seems they were from Dublin Ireland. They were both in the Royal Hibernian school at some point. My 2 X Gtgrandfather was married to Eliza Wyatt in 1859 Northampton but states he was a widower. His son Onslow Charles Henry Clarke was born 1852 in Scotland but can not find out who his mother was. John Power seems like he moved about a lot as he was a Bandmaster who stayed in this country and never went abroad. I have a few bits of information on him but nothing for his first wife. He died in 1888.
Any help please
jenny

[Jan1954]

Hello Jenny,

Well, Scottish BMD certification did not start until 1855, so that will not be a help in finding a birth certificate for Onslow, with him having been born in 1952. Hmm...

Have a read of the "stickies" that Lesley has posted at the top of the Scotland forum (http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=23). You may get some clues there.

Meanwhile, have you found Onslow on an English Census at all, which could narrow down his place of birth? That might help with identifying which parish records to search.

[benny1982]

Hi

You could try looking for any Clark/e deaths in the Northampton reg district for a few years prior to his 1859 marriage. One of them could have been his previous wife.

Did he have any other children besides Onslow?

Ben

[Lincoln Lad]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but Bandmasters were usually associated with the military, my Greatgrandfather was described as Late Bandmaster on his sons marriage certificate, turns out he was from Ireland as well, and was previously a member of the Royal Irish Rifles. Does his second marriage certificate give any clues as to military service? If it does and you can get his military records, that will be a great bonus as they usally contain next of kin details.

[jennifer 150]

Thanks Jan and Benny, some things to look into.
Lincoln lad yes he was military and i do have his military history but it only gives his second wife as next of kin, no info before that. On the marriage certificate it says Bandmaster 11th Hussars address at that time Aldershot Hampshire Oxendon Maqua

[benny1982]

Hi

I have looked on FreeBMD and the IGI for a possible first marriage but coundnt find any. He may have wed in Scotland.

Ben

[radnor2]

My GGGF was also described as a Bandmaster (Julius Heise) on my GGF's (Rudolph Gustav Paul Heise) marriage certificate. He was German and was living in Fulham in 1898 when they married and still there at the 1901 census. No idea what happened to him after that I have been trying for 2 years to find out something about him but to no avail.|banghead|

[jennifer 150]

My Gt Grandfather was Onslow Charles Henry Clarke and all i know is he was born in Edinburgh in 1852
His father was John Power Clarke who was a Bandmaster who travelled around a lot. Think Onslows mother died as John power married again in 1859 to Eliza Wyatt.
Would very much like to know who his mother was.
Think Scotland was just a place they stopped re his military time and that the wives travelled with them.
Any help please
jenny

[Kerrywood]

My Gt Grandfather was Onslow Charles Henry Clarke and all i know is he was born in Edinburgh in 1852
His father was John Power Clarke who was a Bandmaster who travelled around a lot.
Army discharge papers for a John Power CLARKE born about 1827 in Paris, Bandmaster in the Scots Guards, can be downloaded from the paysite Find My Past. Could this be your man?

[Mutley]

I can see Onslow's marriage and also see him in 1891.
Do you have him in previous census, 61, 71 or 81 with any older siblings.

He will not appear on the 1851 and John P. Clark/e as a husband/father is a very common name.

[gasser]

John Power Clark is mentioned in the books ..."A hundred years of military music: Being the story of the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall" and "Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Volumes 22-23"
below is what I have managed to unearth from google book search......
[I]"An excellent example is the case of John Power Clark (1816-89). As a young man he served as a bandsman in the 61st Regiment and the 7th Hussars, where he received his earliest musical training. Purchasing his discharge so as to devote himself more thoroughly to the study of music, he betook himself to the violin and organ, being already well acquainted with wind instruments. In 1844, at the recommendation of Jullien,he was appointed Bandmaster of the 47th Regiment, but there being a vacancy in his old regiment, the 7th Hussars, he went to the latter in 1846. When at Holyrood Palace with his band he waspersonally complimented by the late Prince Consort. His regiment being ordered to India, he, as a civilian Bandmaster, transferred his services to the 11th Hussars, then under the Earl of Cardigan. That was early in 1853, and he stayed with the regiment until about 1861, when he went tothe 36th Regiment, but soon left for the 83rd Regiment. When this regiment went abroad he was offered the bandmaster ship of two regiments at thesame time, the 43rd and 54th Regiments, these being in neighbouring lines at Aldershot, This position he accepted, but when the former regiment left for Jersey, Clarke went with it, remaining there until 1873, when he became Bandmaster of the Royal Irish Constabulary.Two years later he was appointed to the Scots Guards. He was a remarkably versatile instrumentalist, and in his infantry band days, when the bandmaster led " his band with an instrument, he would, at a concert, have three or four instruments at hand for solo performances. ..."

It might be worth a letter to the director Royal Military School of Music - Kneller Hall

[AdeleE]

Hello Jennifer,
As today's new query is on the same subject as your much earlier query regarding the first wife of John Power Clarke, I have merged the two threads and retitled the thread to reflect the subject.

Merging the threads allows forum members to see information provided to date and avoids duplication of research.

[jennifer 150]

WOW he sounds like he was some kind of guy. I have conflicting dates as to when he was born. He was a BS born in France but i have 1815 and 1827 He was baptised in Brighton. His parents i believe came from Ireland another John Power and Eleanor but have no further info on them. As he moved around a lot it is difficult to pin him down. Regards his son Onslow who was born in Edinburgh 1852 that is all i know and there were no other children to my knowledge.
Thanks for the help and information

[AdeleE]

An entry in the London Gazette on 8 Sept 1857, in reference to a petition he filed in the Court for Relief of Insolvent Debtors, gives the following information:

"John Power Clarke, formerly of Piershill Barracks, Edinburgh, Scotland, Band Master to the 7th Hussars, then of Portobello Barracks, Dublin, then of Newbridge Barracks, county Kildare, both in Ireland, then of Exeter, Devonshire then of Canterbury, Kent, then and late of Littlewood's Cottage, Hounslow. Middlesex, at all the above places Band Master to the llth Hussars."

Perhaps Onslow Clarke's birth certificate will be found in one of the military birth indices on FindMyPast.

[gasser]

More on JPC:
In Freeman's Journal & Daily Commercial Advertiser (Dublin) March 21st 1849 - At Kildare assizes a bandsman under the leadership of JPC was found guilty and transported for life for taking a shot at JPC on March 5th at Newbridge Barracks, with intent to kill, disfigure, maim and do bodily harm. JPC was not hurt in the incident!

In Sheffield and Rotherham Independant August 20th 1859 - Marriage announcement:
'Clarke /Wyatt On the 16th inst. at Great Oxenden near Market Harborough, Mr John Power Clarke, bandmaster, 11th Hussars to Eliza Jne, youngetd daughter of the late Rev. George Wyatt, Rector of Burghwallis near Doncaster'.

in 'The Times' December 20th,1888. Death Announcement:
"On the 18th inst.suddenly,at 143 Percy-road,Uxbridge-road.JOHN POWER CLARKE,Esq.
late Bandmaster of Her Majesty's Scots Guards,aged 73."

As to son Onslow's birth in 1852 at Edinburgh it would be safe to assume his birth was whilst JPC was at 'Piershill Barracks' in Edinburgh. Contacting the GRO in Edinburgh, might be a good idea

[jennifer 150]

Thankyou Adele and gazzer, that is all marvellous information. Fancy finding out that re someone trying to kill him---mind boggling. It seems bizarre that one can find all this information but regards to JPC's son Onslow as to who his mother was is strange. The only other thing i know regards to Onslow apart from his later life as to who he married and the amount of children he had is he was a corporal of Horse in the 2nd Lifeguards and he served in the Sudan but do not know when. I do not think Onslow was a good man as his wife destroyed all his papers when he died and i don't even know when that was only that it was around 1900
jen

[gasser]

It might be possible to establish an approximate year of death for JPC's first wife .........
re:

An entry in the London Gazette on 8 Sept 1857, in reference to a petition he filed in the Court for Relief of Insolvent Debtors............
I found the following:
Jan 5th 1859. The Morning Post
'Insolvent debtor's court' January 4th 1859
(before the Chief Commisioner)
'Mr Sargood moved in this case to reduce the proposal of the insolvent from £60 to £30 a year and to be relieved from the payment of the present quarter. He was bandmaster of the 11th Hussars and his income was £211 a year. He had been overwhelmed with sickness in his family. He had paid £150 (? unclear) to the court on one quarter and found he could not continue the proposal. The learned councel said that the insolvent had been very foolish in offering to do what he could not accomplish. He was not opposed on his hearing and had been hasty in proposing to pay £60 a year.
Mr Commisioner Murphy said he remembered telling the insolvent that the proposal was too large. how could he
grant this proposal without a rule nisi?
Mr Sargood said as there was no opposition on the hearing the courtcould reduce the propsal without a rule.
His Honour assented and granted the application in the terms prayed.'

The date of the filed petition in September 1857 and the date of this court hearing in early January 1859 gives a time scale of about 15 months and the reference to the sickness in the family may well relate to his first wife and her subsequent death. If he allowed a 12 months period to pass before his next marriage in August 1859 we could be looking at a death which occurred around July / August in 58