Probate

[Gen List Lass]

Collin - have you searched newspapers for his death "at sea" returning from India? Local newspapers are particularly good on details of an interesting story of a local person. I found screeds on a relation who died in Lagos on the maiden voyage of his ship. It also corrected the entry in the Deaths at Sea index that said he drowned - he didn't, he died of fever at Lagos along with some of the remaining crew.

Good luck!
Gen in NBL England

[collin]

Hi
   thank you, I haven't done the newspapers because he was in the 51st light infantry, he was invalid and embarked for home on 2 march 1850 they baptised a son at Mauritius on 21 April, then theres nothing until December when his widow married her husbands colleague so that they wouldn't be destitute. I don't think he would be in the paper as theres nothing unusual about a soldier dying.

[ShaunJ]

The muster rolls and paybooks should record the date of his death http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2466049

[collin]

I never thought of the muster rolls as I can't get to Kew.
I went to Pontefract Barracks where they had a file by a researcher who had tracked his movements.
I was told that he did not return to a pension
Thanks

[StevieSteve]

I can add that to my list if you like...

[collin]

Thank you Stevie for the offer if you don't mind although I will be happy to finally know where and when he died. I have a muster roll for 1843 for him which I paid someone to get many years ago it just said  bush duty and sentry duty and their pay per day for the quarter.

[StevieSteve]

Yes, you get one of those a month. It's really the first and last that are of interest (unless they were an unruly type who kept getting their pay docked, spending nights in jail etc)

[StevieSteve]

WO 12/6212

This only contained the Muster Rolls so probably doesn't have much you don't already know

Between April 1849 and Feb 1850, Serjeant John Rothwell, Service Number 464, was "At Poonamallee"

The entry for March 1850 reads

Inv'ld & emb'kd for Eng'd 20 Inst

In the section for those discontinued or reduced in the Regiment, it reads

Rothwell, John 3 March 1850 Sent home

Something obviously kicked off that month as there was a big increase in woundages but I don't have my definitive Flashman account to hand at the moment.


I did have a look at the returns for Apr 1850 and onwards in WO 12/6213, but there was no mention, which is logical.

I don't know whether the paylists are available or how a soldier returning home would be treated by the accountants and didn't have time to look

[StevieSteve]

IR 26/272 Folio 505

Court: PCC
Date of Administration: 21st Dec 1850
By whom extracted: Small
Died 24th May 1850 At Sea
Sum Sworn under: £200

Intestate:

No 173
Rothwell John
Sergeant
of Her Majesty's 51st Regiment of Foot

Name of Administrator(s)

Mary Ann Molyneaux
wife of James Molyneaux of Harwich Pensioner

Henry Heath of Harwich Mariner

Elizabeth Greenwood Broom of Harwich Spinster

Next 2 columns unclear, maybe

Relict
and admins + form as

Next of kin

Widow
Share entitled : 1/3
Amount 48-9-2
Rate of duty: Exempt

Children
Share entitled : 1/3
Amount 96-18-5
Rate of duty per (?): 1
Date of Payment: 20 Mar 1851
Total Duty: 19-4

There's an entry

RE No 982/51 19/4

which I'm guessing is something to do with Reversionary Estate Duty but, again, no time to go into that