Charles WEBSTER, Soldier, Middlesex, 1881

[bbriann]

Hello all,       we are trying to trace a soldier, and the only information we have is from the 1881 census.............  Soldier at Aldershot,   "Army Service corp.  South Camp".    Name..  Charles William Webster.         Not much to go on, but any help would be appreciated.      Brian.

[Rick]

Hello Brian

Do you have the 1881 census reference please?  I cannot seem to find a Charles WEBSTER born Middlesex at Aldershot in 1881.

I am going to move your post over to the Middlesex Lookup Requests board for you.

Best Wishes
Rick

Middlesex Moderator

[casalguidi]

Hi Brian

There are a number of Charles WEBSTERs showing up who were born London/Middlesex about the same time as your man.  Do you have him in any later census/marriage details?  Anything at all that might help identify him somewhere else .............. just wondering what led you to this one if that is all the info you have 

Best wishes

Casalguidi

[carol8353]

Rick

After searching for ages for Aldershot in the wrong flipping county(Sorry Mr Cotton-my geog teacher- yes okay I should have listened in class  )
Finally found him on the Family Search site in 1881.

William DONALDSON      U   Male   21   Ireland   Private     
 Patrick DUGGAN       M   Male   28   Ireland   Private     
 John MC CLUMPHA      U   Male   25   Scotland   Private     
 Christopher NOAH       U   Male   28   Brighton, Sussex,   Private     
 William Goddard OWEN     U   Male   30   Frimley, Gloucester,    Private     
 Robert REID        U   Male   29   Chelsea, Middlesex,  Private     
 William Norman SANDERS    U   Male   20   Kensington, Middlesex,   Private     
 Charles SPALDING       U   Male   20   Scotland   Private     
 William STURGEON      M   Male   36   Hartest, Suffolk,    Lance Corporal     
 Charles William WEBSTER     U   Male   24   London, Middlesex,    Private     
 Richard WYNNE      M   Male   30   Liverpool, Lancashire,   Private     
 Albert MUSSETT     U   Male   17   Ireland   Private     
 Frank TRICKETT     U   Male   20   Ecclesfield, York,   Private     
 Charles AMOS     U   Male   28   London, Middlesex,    Private     

"Army Service Corps" South Camp  Aldershot, Hampshire,   
 RG11/0785  folio  81   Page   27

So at least we have a starting point 

All the best

Carol

[Rick]

Brian

As Casalguidi and Carole have intimated, this could  be a very hard slog without cross-referencing information! 

Here is a Charles W WEBSTER from the 1871, who could be yours from the limited search criteria that you have given, BUT as there are other candidates, it is far too dangerous IMHO to assume that he is the one.  He is the only Charles W, but middle names are often not given on censuses, and there are at least 2 other candidates that better fit the age profile.

RG10/230 Folio 15b
19 Hawley Crescent
St Pancras
Middlesex

WEBSTER
Jane Eliza, Head, Married, 41, Charwoman, b Westminster
Margaret, Dau, 19, General Servant, b City of London
Richard, Son, 18, Railway Carrier, b City of London
Charles W, Son, 12, Scholar, b Pancras
Amy Matilda, Dau, 10, Scholar, b Pancras
Minnie Mary, Dau, 8, Scholar, b Pancras
Alice Louisa, Dau, 6, Scholar, b Pancras

Rick

[carol8353]

Hello Brian,

Like Rick I cannot say for definite this is yours but it might be 
They are at 108 Lillington Street,Westminster and Charles is a painter.

Webster, Charles W b 1857 Pimlico, London, Head
Webster, Elizabeth  b 1857 Pimlico, London,  Wife
Webster, Edith         b 1889 Pimlico, London,  Daughter   
Webster, Mabel       b 1890 Pimlico, London,  Daughter   

RG12/79 folio 55 page 38

What makes you think this soldier in 1881 is yours- what other connections do you have so that we might be able to do some cross referencing.
We would all so hate to lead you up the garden path with the wrong info.

All the best

Carol

[bbriann]

G'day to you all,     please excuse the delay in responding.      Thanks for your efforts.   The BOSS....   my wife, that is ..    is more than pleased.       
Rick,   it would appear that the information you came up with is right on the ball.      To round off the picture, with the little information we have.............Charles William Webster was born 1858 / 59.   his father was Richard Stimson Webster  and his mother .. Jane Eliza  Jameison,  ( that spelling is correct).        He was in the army in 1881 (census)   but married 3 years later than that (1884) here in Australia.   He was rumoured to have "jumped ship".     The question arises, did he in fact desert?    This is a reason for trying to find his army records.   Or was he simply making his way out after discharge, probably working passage?
There isn't very more known about him.
Once again, thank you all for your input, very much appreciated.          Brian  (  and Janet)

[casalguidi]

Hi Brian

The records of the Britsh Army are at the National Archives, Kew, London and, unfortunately, there is nothing online for records during this period of time.

Perhaps the more usual route for attemping to trace a British soldier around this time would be to start with the Soldiers' Discharge Papers but I'm not sure if this would apply if he was a deserter.  Have a read through the Records Research Guides for the British Army which are quite helpful:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/research/guides.htm?source=ddmenu_research7

Best wishes

Casalguidi