Alfred Charles James in Army in india

[tempogold]

Hello
Not sure if this is the correct board to ask this query but hope some one can help. Alfred Charles James was born Apr 1846 Hertford, Hertfordshire England. In The 1911 English Census for Plumstead  he is listed as an Army Pensioner.
 In 1870 he married Jane Elizabeth Pick in Ferozepore Bengal .
She Dies Plumstead 1904 and I can pick him up from 1911 in England till he dies in 1922 Pumstead.
However I can not find his military records and would  greatly appreciate any information. One entry  I was told about which  listed Woolwich had the person born Colchester , Essex--so not my man.
I don't know   why his wife was in India  but assume her father may also have been in the Military but again no information --sorry .
Would like to establish Alfred Charles James Military records and find out about his wife's family.
Very Many thanks .

[km1971]

In 1870 he married Jane Elizabeth Pick in Ferozepore Bengal

The 39th Foot had a 435 Private Alfred James serving in Ferozepore in Qtr 2 of 1871. Findmypast has a one line entry in a discharge document WO121 for him - discharged 4 April 1879 after serving 13 years. The 39th left for India in 1869.

Ken

[rosie99]

I am assuming this could be Jane's birth registration, her marriage entry would tie in with it
June qtr 1855 
Jane Elizabeth Pick       
Greenwich   RD 1d   567

The marriage states her father is Thomas
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGNG-YMR

1891 has Alfred at Fulford, York occ Foreman Ordinance Dept RG12/3894 f106 p16
Their 11 year old daughter was born in India, 9 year old son in Woolwich and 7 year son in Weedon, Northants.  This census also gives Elizabeths birth as Hertford 

There is a death on the index on FindMyPast for a Thomas Pick in Dinapore, Bengal born c1830 died 1913

[tempogold]

Thank you .  No longer have a FindMyPast subscription . I hadn't realized they had more than one child--that's a real surprise .

[rosie99]

1901 Rosedale House (follows on from Grange St) York
RG13/4448 f90 p19
Alfred C James   55 Storeholder A Ord Dept bn Hertford
Elizabeth James   54 also bn Hertford
Alfred E James   17 bn Weedon, Northants

I wonder if Elizabeth went to India in infancy and had no idea where she was born and that is why her place of birth is shown on both 1891 & 1901 as Hertford the same as Alfred    The Greenwich birth is a quite likely candidate especially if her father was in the forces.

The children named in 1891 are
Edith M A James   16 bn Jallander, India
Charles S James    9 bn Woolwich
Alfred E James 7 bn Weedon

Edith's baptism
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGQY-PN5

other possible children
Helen 1871 https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FGQR-QM4

Florence 1876 https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FG79-MMZ

Clara 1878  https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FG35-KTL

[km1971]

There is a Thomas Pick who served in the Royal Artillery, leaving as a Battery Sergeant Major. Senior NCOs would often stay in India as their pension would allow them to employ 4-5 servants and have quite a decent life style. Pick served in India for 14 years. The army would look after children until they were 14 (for boys) and 18 (for girls). Which may explain Jane's young age when she married. Thomas was born in Stamford c1830.

Without Alfred's service record you will have to research the muster books in Kew - they are not online. His last entry in 1869 may give his age and place of birth. The musters in the late 1860s give details of the married establishment - listing wife's name and the ages of any children. If his last entry does not give his age/place of birth you will need to work backwards from the date of his marriage until you find him enlisting. Again the first entry in the musters should give his age/place of birth.

Ken

[tempogold]

A big Thank you to both of you . Rather sad that it looks like 3 children may have died .   As it turned  out, another,  Charles Stainton James was to die in 1909 Plumstead before his father Alfred Charles James.
I can see the attraction of folks staying in India after they left the army.
Very Many thanks --lots to keep me busy.

[km1971]

Worth taking out the 14 day free trail in FindMyPast. Or get a member of the family to. On the record for Thomas Pike it has his age on 21st October 1851 when he attested that his age was 21 years and 11 months. So he was probably born Nov/Dec 1829.

Ken

[ShaunJ]

According to the Ferozepore marriage register, Alfred Charles James was a corporal in B Battery, 22nd Brigade, Royal Artillery when he married Jane Elizabeth Pick