1814 Burial from Hilsea Army Depot - where might it be?

[AdrianB38]

Private Isaac Pickstock of the 2nd Royal Veterans' Battalion died at Hilsea Depot on or about 28 October 1814, having just returned from garrison duty on Madeira. (From TNA document ref. WO 25/2354 - I suspect he may have been on the depot's books as there was a hospital there.)

I can't find any evidence of his burial - I've looked at "Hampshire Burials" on FindMyPast and can't find him on a name search. I've also tried to browse the 1814 burials in that collection for Portsmouth Royal Garrison, Wymering (which looks like the parish for Hilsea) and Portsea St. Mary (I had to ask for Isa* burials for that one).

Anyone know if "Hampshire Burials" on FindMyPast is complete for that area and era? Or have any idea where else Isaac might be buried?

There's a distinct likelihood he's a Methodist - and since he died owing the Army 18s 7d and his daughter went into the Royal Military Asylum (actually a school, primarily for orphans), I think it unlikely his body went any distance.

Thanks

[Christine53]

I checked the Burial Index CD and there's nothing for Isaac , no surname , 1814 plus/minus 2 years in any parish , nor is there anything for Pickstock.  Checking for burials in Wymering in 1814 there's nothing possible apart from one "unknown man " 4 Nov 1814 , aged about 45.

[AdrianB38]

I checked the Burial Index CD ...

Thanks - so at least we know it's not fallen off in the load into FindMyPast.

Do you know if that Burial Index gives a scope for what it covers? I'm wondering if there are chapels not covered in the Burial Index.

PS - thanks for that spot, but he won't be the "unknown man" at Wymering, as he's only in his mid-twenties. (In the Veterans? Yes, I don't understand that either, but I have his nominal birth-date in the Army records).

[AdrianB38]

Just had a thought... The Hilsea Depot casualty returns for the month in question show 5 deaths at Hilsea and 4 at Portchester. I can't find any of the 5 Hilsea deaths in FindMyPast's "Hampshire Burials", doing a name search, and I only found 2 of the Portchester deaths - both buried in Portchester parish.

I wonder if the Army had an on-site burial ground somewhere, whose records have been lost?

[Christine53]

Do you know if that Burial Index gives a scope for what it covers? I'm wondering if there are chapels not covered in the Burial Index.

Hampshire Genealogical Society state that it's a " complete index to parish register burial entries in mainland Hampshire , excluding the Isle of Wight " - I suppose that might exclude army burials. I see that there is nothing in Armed Forces Deaths either .

( Not sure why my reply is within the quote but never mind . )

[AdrianB38]

Thanks - if it were just Isaac missing, then one could believe odd things happened. But seeing several in one month makes me suspect we are missing something like a garrison chapel. Or a register kept by a chaplain at Hilsea that's been lost.

Frankly I get lost between the different varieties of ways that vital events could be recorded for the Army, partly because the data seems to have ended up in different places and getting a precise description for what is held by the GRO (rather than TNA) seems oddly difficult.

I've just found that there are registers of burials, for instance, at TNA in WO 156 - couldn't find anything (in the era relevant to Isaac) for Hilsea, Portsmouth, Portchester. I note that burial registers for the "Garrison Chapel, Portsmouth" are at TNA for 1849 onwards - nothing earlier - while "Hampshire Burials" on FindMyPast has burials for "Portsmouth Royal Garrison" up to 1841, so it looks like there's something missing there, for starters.

Thanks for your help - I'm a bit wiser if no better informed....

[Christine53]

I found this rather old thread which touches on the subject :

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ENG-HAM-PORTSMOUTH-GOSPORT/2002-04/1018996436

I wonder if emails to HGS and Hampshire Archives would come up with anything ?

Good luck

[silaswall]

Can I make a suggestion? On Facebook you will the Pompey Pals dedicated to the First World War regiments. Some of the members are very well informed. If  there was a cemetery attached to the church in what is now Gatcombe Park in use at the time you want they will probably know.

There is also a military cemetery at Haslar. But it is a long way round.

[AdrianB38]

Thanks guys. That starting statement in the Mailing List thread of 2002, "Henry Light's report (1850) on the state of Portsmouth's burial grounds mentions a military cemetery at Gatcombe, Hilsea. Apparently it was closed after the Napoleonic Wars" looks very interesting. I confess I saw Gatcombe mentioned in Google beforehand, but imagined Google to be concatenating bits about the Gatcombe in Gloucestershire to Hilsea, just by coincidence. I didn't realise there was a Gatcombe down there.

I'm getting the impression from other bits in Google that there was a lot at Hilsea in the Napoleonic era, but most of it disappeared. And then, rather later, fortifications came along - and from memory there was a garrison church (St. Barbara?) associated with that lot, constructed of corrugated iron ("Tin Tabernacles" I've heard them called).

I'll see if the appropriate Record Office catalogues show anything then do some more enquiries. Thanks again. Glad someone knows the area!