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  1. #1
    Lorinda Martin
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    Default Members of the Royal Guard for Queen Victoria

    My great-great-grandmother, Eliza Barnett born in Brighton, Sussex, England in 1854 said that her father was James Barnett who was a member of the Royal Guard for Queen Victoria. Her mother's name was Margaret. Eliza had a brother and at least one aunt. She told her family that her parents both died when she was young and she was encouraged by her brother to move to Canada where opportunities for jobs were better. Prior to her move her aunt told her privately to stay in touch as she was to come into an inheritance. Once in Canada she tried to contact her aunt and did not get a response. After 2 years she located her brother through the Church of England and learned then that her aunt had passed and that he reportedly had got the whole inheritance. She married my gg-grandfather Nicholas DePeal in 1873. They moved to Michigan, US soon after.
    Does anyone know anything about these Barnett's? Are there any sort of list of the Royal Guards? Does this mean that he was a castle guardsmen? Where would I inquire as to if Eliza Barnett was listed in a will around 1872? And Ships list from England to Canada around 1870 could give me insight as to if she really took this venture alone at around age 16-17? Lots of questions but anything would help.

  2. #2
    Coromandel
    Guest

    Default

    Hello Lorinda and a belated welcome to the forum

    I don't know if you've tried looking in the 1861 and 1871 censuses at all. One possibility in the 1871 census is a 16 year old Eliza Barnett (born Brighton) in an institution in Brighton according to the index on FamilySearch. This could be the workhouse (she's shown as a pauper) but as I don't have access to the full census data I can't tell. I'm sure someone else will be able to check for you.

    A decade earlier, there's a 7 year old Eliza Barnett in Brighton. From the index on FamilySearch it appears that she's in the same household as a Margaret Barnett (born about 1824 Scotland). Eliza is also shown as born in Scotland in this index. Again, you'd need to check the full census.

    Whether either of these is your Eliza I cannot tell, but perhaps it is worth investigating them further, just in case.

  3. #3
    Mutley
    Guest

    Default

    FMP has Royal Household Staff 1526-1924 but I could not see a James Barnett prior to 1870.

    The details for the census Coromandel found are:
    1861 Census as lodgers in Brighton.
    Being as they are lodgers no relationship is given to each other.
    John Barnett b. 1817 in Clayton, Sussex, an army pensioner wth Margaret (a hawker) b. 1824 in Scotland and children James b. 1849 in Ireland, Mary A b. 1853 in Ireland and Eliza b. 1854 in Scotland.
    RG9/593/114/23

    1851 is Brighton Workhouse and Eliza is just given as a pauper born 1855 in Brighton.
    RG10/1084/113/28

    Although the birthplaces are vastly different I cannot see an Eliza in the Brighton area after 1871.

    If her father was in the military, then it is possible she was born in Scotland but only remembered Brighton. It is also possible that the marriage for her parents was not in England. There is the possibility that as a soldier he may have been on Royal Guard duties rather than a member of the Royal Family staff.

    I think for the will of the aunt you would need to know her name otherwise it would be quite difficult.

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