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

[ASlab]

Do the military records list the cause of death for Isaac Pickstock

[AdrianB38]

No cause of death shown, I'm afraid. On arrival of Portsmouth from Madeira, he was one of ten soldiers described as "Sent on Shore Sick" to Hilsea. Three of Isaac's comrades from the 2nd Royal Veterans Battalion are recorded as dying there in that month.

Incidentally, I've seen no evidence anywhere of Sarah's death, other than the evidence (clear to me) that both of Charlotte's parents were dead when she was admitted to the Royal Military Asylum school / children's home in January 1815. This suggests that either Sarah died in England soon after arrival back from Madeira and was buried in the same military cemetery as Isaac, a cemetery whose records seem to be lost. Or she died previously in Madeira - and again, there is no sign of her death there but I don't know if the British Army related records from there survive. They're not obvious if they do....

[ASlab]

Thanks. I guessed that was the case for Isaac. Is the military cemetery still in existence? My daughter lives in Brighton and perhaps she could make a trip to the cemetery and see if she can find any gravestones with the information we are interested in.

[AdrianB38]

Apparently not. I think I remember reading that the local expert in the cemeteries and graveyards of the area, who started the thread from 2002 that I mentioned above, had never heard of it until he found that reference. When he walked the alleged site, he saw no trace of anything.

I've failed so far to find any trace of a burial register.

The whole area was a major facility during the Napoleonic Wars, but afterwards, most was cleared away until the area was refortified much later on in the 1800s.

[AdrianB38]

Nearly forgotten I wanted to contact the Archives about this but I have done so now. Hampshire Archives had nothing relevant and referred me to Portsmouth History Centre.

I today received an interesting reply from them - in the negative as far as burial records are concerned, but useful background. So with grateful thanks to Anna Delaney of Portsmouth History Centre, I shall quote or summarise her response.

Firstly PHC don't have any burial records for the military cemetery at Gatcombe, Hilsea. Further: "The National Archives only appears to have baptisms and marriages for the Hilsea Garrison from 1877 and the Church of St Barbara wasn't established until 1888."

The 1850 document by Henry Slight referenced in the linked Mailing List of 2002, is to be found at Portsmouth History Centre and is apparently hand-written with a challenging style! But from what Anna could make out, she transcribed:

"The cemetery of Gatcombe is at the very verge of the Municipal Borough at Hilsea. This had been a burial place for many ages… During the last century and part of the present it served a [like?] purpose for the [illegible] bodies of troops both [illegible] and militia who occupied the Barracks adjoining…After the peace of 1814 it was of an [illegible] and now in 1849 presents to view a large green meadow very much elevated above the turnpike and the adjoining fields. The field is now the property of the [illegible] Board of Ordnance. The funeral rites were performed by the military chaplains and no fees were paid."

This document has no details of individual burials.

End of their response

Again, grateful thanks to Portsmouth History Centre for that. At least we have confirmation that military chaplains were involved. Whether any of the various lists at Kew for Hilsea Depot might contain an elusive burial list in the middle of something else, I have no idea. I do know that WO12/12957 Hilsea etc Muster Lists, had, at the start of the "Q4" list for 1814, a loose sheet with a list of deaths at Porchester General Hospital for 1814 in regimental order. My guy wasn't in that lot, I'm just using it as an illustration that not everything in the box was what it said on the tin (to mix metaphors).

[ASlab]

Adrian, Sincere thanks for contacting the Portsmouth History Centre and posting the details of Anna Delaney's response.