Charles and John Bush French connection

[Christmas bush]

Charles was born on 1816 in Paris. his father was John but mother unknown. In 1838 Charles married Hester Russell and then lived in Redbridge lane, Millbrook until his death in 1903. He was a Talyor draper, shop owner and parish clerk to Rev J Haldane Stewart and possibly the previous Rev. I want to know how to find out why John was in France at the time of the French Revolution or just after. John was a Sadler so could he have been in the army?

Is there a way to check French census or whatever they had?

I've spent so much time in research and keep drawing a blank. Please help!

[jorose]

Hi there,

There are no censuses for Paris in the time period you are looking at.  Also unfortunately the civil records for Paris pre-1860 were destroyed by fire.  Some have been reconstructed (http://canadp-archivesenligne.paris.fr/  has the index) but I did not see a Bush birth or marriage that fit there.

1816 is just after the end of the Napoleonic wars, not the French revolution.

Since your PM said the father was Charles not John, it might be worth checking up on this gentleman.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C8771709
The 59th were in the Waterloo area, but didn't take part in the battle of Waterloo.  They were then part of the occupying army in France in 1815, returning at some point in 1816.

He could have had a wife with him "on the strength", there were soldier's wives at Waterloo.
http://www.historynet.com/napoleonic-wars-women-at-waterloo.htm

[Christmas bush]

Thank you so much! He fits in perfectly. I can't see a Charles Bush on ancestry to back this up but will keep searching. Your information will certainly make me brush up on history. They should include family research in history lessons at school...

Kindest regards

Heidi

[Christmas bush]

I've been looking at 59th (2nd). They disbanded in 1816 after France. According to his record he was discharged in 1825. How would I find out what he did between then please? East Lancashire Regiment was mentioned in one source. I also see that the 59th were stationed in Channel Islands, Ireland, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium as well as France. I would love to know which places he was sent to. Love the Channel Islands!

[jorose]

You can get a digital copy of that record (follow the link and then there'll be another link to a pay site), which is his discharge record.  I believe that includes some sort of service history.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/britisharmysoldierupto1913.htm
 - here's a more thorough explanation of the different types of records available.  For some of them you would have to visit the NA in Kew or hire a researcher.  It is my understanding that a lot of the earlier military records are not very good at including details of wives and children, but if you can find out where they were stationed on their return to England in 1816, I'd check there for a baptism of your Charles.

[Christmas bush]

Your very kind. Thank you!

I will be happy to make a donation to a charity of your choice by way of thanks, if that's ok?

[jorose]

No problem! I'm always interested in stories of families that managed to travel the world back when a lot of people didn't manage to make it much further then the next village over.  The women who travelled "on the strength" must have been a tough old lot - they had to work doing cleaning, laundry, mending etc. for the soldiers and in the early days most of the rank-and-file didn't even get private married quarters - just a curtain around the bed!

(That's a very kind offer! My preferred charities are Cancer Research UK or MSF.)

[Christmas bush]

Oddly enough, after your help, I decided to join Find my past.co.uk. I found lots of records that are missing from ancestry.co.uk (I still prefer the family tree page). Just managed to move another generation back. Oddly, after my mistake with names I did in fact find a John Bush, also in the forces but he died "in foreign part/overseas" not so lucky. :-(

I've arrange a little to both charities.

Many thanks again

[Christmas bush]

Sadly this Charles Bush was (59th 1st) in India and was a cotton finisher so didn't fit.

I did find another Charles Bush in 2nd Dragoon guards (Queens Bays). They were sent to France after the war as "Army of occupation". I basically need to see if he was in France in 1816 and back for 14/02/1819 which is (possibly) when his son was was baptised.

Would Kew have the answers?