John Hercules Finnigan Galaway 1780

[chris smith]

Hello

I too am researching John Hercules Finnigan; I have found out a bit about him: driver in the Royal Artillery based at Woolwich, served in the Peninsula wars, discharged from the army in 1839ish described as worn out and dissipated. I think that means he was alcoholic, the army were normally based in ale houses before barracks were built and this inevitably lead to  a heavy dependence on alcohol. I found somewhere that he was Catholic, but he was married in C of e church in Plumstead and children were baptised in C of E, so not sure what to make of this. Even if his wife was not Catholic his marriage and children's baptisms would have to be in Catholic church unless he left it.  He is not living  with his wife and children on the 1841 census and his wife is described as married not widowed on it. But of course it could be a mistake. Where did you find his death?
He was my GGG GF.

 

[lin46]

Hello John Hercules Finnigan was my great grandfather 5 X. I have got all the same imformation you have but i found his death,which I thought was him in the same church his son was buried in 1828.
The war records you have I had,but a person who was doing about the wars at the Library said that couldn't be him because it was the 56th regiment of foot.He was a driver, and this person served overseas and he would have been away when his children were born,I have found another record where he was discharged in 1914 this one is a better match because his first 2 children  were born in woolwhich in Kent 1913, then his other children born in Ashton under Lyne. I hope this helps.