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  1. #1
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    Default Charles Matthew Meehan - West Indies Regiment

    Looking for info on a "Charles Matthew Meehan", who served with one of the West Indies Regiments - would like to know more about his Army career and any other regiments he may have served with. He was born c1780 and apparently died young - his wife's name was Susanna (nee Pike) and they married in 1807 in Maker, Cornwall. They had at least 2 sons - one was named "George Waller Meehan" who became a Lt.Colonel - he married in 1838 in Trinidad to Julianna Fell. The other son of Charles and Susanna/Susan Meehan was named Robert T. Meehan, who died in South Africa.

    Susan Meehan was a witness on the marr cert of my 4xgreat-grandparents. Susan's nephew (Hercules Crosse Jarvis, who was instrumental in the early days of Cape Town as both it's mayor and a successful merchant) was a witness at the christening of my 3xgreat-grandmother in 1820 in South Africa. My ancestors were in S.Africa serving also with the British Army. There seem to be several connections between my ancestors and the Meehan family, and therefore would appreciate any info on "Charles Matthew Meehan" and his Army career, etc.

  2. #2
    Super Moderator christanel's Avatar
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    There is this record on Findmypast
    Announcement date 24/07/1813
    Lieutenant C M Meehan regiment Royal African Corps 62d Foot replacing vice Hillier appointed to the 74th Foot
    Promoted Rank - Captain of a Company without purchase.
    Promotion date July 22 1813 Category Armed Forces & Conflict
    Departmental date War-Office July 27 1813

    It also seems he was tried for assault in 1801 in Newport. There is a handwritten letter from ? Hawkesbury seemingly asking for leniency? There is another letter in 1805 about the same incident?

    Christina
    Sometimes paranoia is just having all the facts.
    William Burroughs

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    Hi Cristina....thank you so much for this information. The regiments you list him in do not
    ring a bell with any that my family were in, but perhaps they met when both posted to a similar
    area of the world. My goodness, Meehan charged with assault, and yet by 1813 according to the
    info you list above, he is promoted from Lieutenant to Captain. As I mentioned, just trying to
    find out more about him and his family since both his wife, and his wife's nephew were witnesses
    on some of our family documents. Thanks again - appreciate your help!

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    you probably already know this

    George Waller Meehan and his wife had one child, a daughter, Julia Anne Susan Meehan, who in March 1862 married George P FAWKES of the 26th Cameronians regiment.

    when George Waller Meehan died in 1877 the newspaper describes him as "over 24 years with the 1st West India Regiment"

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    Looking at the prison records on Ancestry. There is a Charles Matthew Meehan committed to Newgate on 16 Dec 1801. Criminal charge: Debtor. Discharged on 20 January 1803.

    Also a baptism records from Church of England in Jersey, Channel Islands for Robert Thomas son of Charles Matthew Meehan and Susannah his wife. Private Baptism on 15 April 1812.

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    Thank you - every bit of info helps! So far, no connection that I can see to the Army units my ancestors
    were in, and no blood relation either between the two families. Guess they just knew each other somehow,
    and were present at my family's marr and christening.

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    Thank you - so far, not seeing anything that connects the Meehan family and mine (army units or locations), other than their names on my family's marr and christening documents. Guess the two families must have
    just known each other (they are not related by blood).

  8. #8

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    FindMyPast (military records) has a claim, sworn on oath, for pension/financial provision, made 11 Dec 1815, by Susan Meehan, now a widow. She states she was married to Charles Matthew Meehan of the Royal Africa Corps.
    The next section, signed by the Colonel, gives her address 24 Charing Cross and that Charles Matthew Meehan, Captain, died 6 May 1815 at Sierra Leone leaving a widow and three children in distressed circumstances.
    "dyfal donc a dyr y garreg"

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    tried to delete post - couldn't

  10. #10
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    Wow - thank you, I think you have just solved the mystery. My ancestors married on 30 Nov 1815 at St. James Westminster (the marr that Susan Meehan was a witness at). In your post you mention that just 11 days later Susan makes her claim (on oath) for a pension based on her husband's death. Susan living at Charing Cross is significant, as my 4xgreat-grandfather lived on Suffolk St. in Charing Cross - thus, how they prob knew each other and why Susan ends up as witness at the marriage. How ironic that Susan's husband died in Sierra Leone. My ancestor spent 4 years at the Cape of Good Hope as an Assistant Commissary General, and later was posted to Sierra Leone. He died in Sierra Leone (or poss just up the coast at Bathurst in Gambia) in 1823 from the Yellow Fever outbreak that was devastating the English residents/soldiers and their families during that year. Like Susan Meehan, my 4xgreat-grandmother was also left a widow with 2 very young children by her husband and also 2 children she had from a previous marriage where her first husband was killed at the Battle of Salamanca in 1812. So, in just the short span of a little over 10 years, my 4xgreat-grandmother lost 2 husbands who served with the military, and was left to bring up 4 children. Can't thank you enough for your help - and thanks to all who posted earlier with info to help me.

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